Misplacing things is common. When you are in a rush and very busy, you might do silly stuff such as put the corn flakes box in the fridge. It is normal to put some things in their wrong place and to figure out your mistake and find an item that you’ve lost, in a very obvious place. However, what is not normal is that you have no clue where some things could be, or placing some items in places that are unusual, such as putting the cereal box on your bed.

Losing your way can be normal especially when you are absorbed in the journey and not 100% focused. However, it is not normal to drive or walk in the wrong direction for a long time without figuring that out. You might also forget how you got to a certain location and lose your ability to follow some directions.

We might forget once in a while which day of the week we are in, but end up figuring it out with a small effort. What is troubling is not realizing that time is passing and not knowing that you forgot something like that. Also being unable to remember some appointments or missing them even when they are on your calendar is a red flag.

Sometimes you might find yourself looking for the right word to say, and this can be normal especially when we get older. However, when it becomes extremely difficult to remember words or people’s name or even the right name of an object, can be a sign of dementia.

You might forget the name of your neighbor’s dog. However when a person starts needing his family members to achieve some daily tasks, then they should start worrying. Some of these tasks could be remembering how to do a specific recipe that you used to master before. Another issue that could bring even more danger, is being unable to manage medication intake. A person who has this issue needs to be monitored as taking the wrong pills could threaten their lives. If you or a family member you are monitoring is having such issues, then now is the time to see a doctor and getting help to know how to deal with them.