What is Dementia?

Dementia Defined: Dementia is not a specific disease but rather a term that describes a group of symptoms. These symptoms can include memory loss and changes in thinking, vision and motor skills that can make it difficult to perform simple daily activities such as bathing and eating.  Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and accounts for 60-80 percent of all cases. Other types of dementia include Vascular, Frontotemporal, and Dementia with Lewy Bodies.  In general, dementia symptoms will worsen over time.  While dementia cannot currently be cured, there are medications to help manage the symptoms.

Normal Aging vs. Alzheimer's Disease: While it is a normal part of aging for a person to experience changes with his/her memory, vision and motor skills as they grow older, the changes brought about by dementia are more pervasive and disruptive to daily living. Below are the ten early signs and symptoms of dementia:

1.  Memory loss that disrupts daily life.

2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.

4. Confusion with time or place.

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.

6.  New problems with words in speaking or writing.

7.  Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.

8.  Decreased or poor judgment.

9.  Withdrawal from work or social activities.

10. Changes in mood and personality.

Source: 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s (www.alz.org/10-signs-symptoms-alzheimers-dementia.asp)