Senior Moments: Is It Normal or Is It Dementia?
Senior Moments: Is It Normal or Is It Dementia?
Let’s face it, we’re not getting any younger. Despite our society’s empty promises of age-defying skin care products, growing older is inevitable. Some might say it’s also a privilege, considering the alternative. While our society continues to offer numerous ways to combat the effects of old age, there are changes in our bodies that simply come with aging. We aren’t as flexible as we once were. Wrinkles become more dominant on our face. Gray hair starts to crown our head. We even may
become more forgetful. As age sets in and forgetfulness creeps up, many older adults begin to ask themselves, “do I have dementia?” If you or an aging loved one have concerns about what’s normal and what’s not so normal when it comes to aging and the brain, here are a few guidelines to help you determine, is it normal, or is this dementia? Normal Aging
It’s important to note that certain memory changes are expected with age. Our brains take longer to process, store, and retrieve information as we grow older, just as our bodies slow down with age. We certainly can’t run nearly as fast as we could when we were young adults, so we shouldn’t expect our brains to process, store, and retrieve information as readily and easily as it could as a younger adult. With age, the ability to multitask becomes more difficult, which is why many of us have had the experience of forgetting why we walked into a particular room in the first place. This is normal aging and to be expected.
With age, it also becomes more difficult to learn and remember new names and places. Have you ever forgotten the names of your grandchildren or newly born great-grandchildren? Perhaps your doctor referred you to a specialist and you had difficulty finding the office or remembering the name of the specialist. This is pretty common and happens to everyone. What isn’t normal aging is forgetting that you even have grandchildren or great-grandchildren, or you get lost driving home from a routine trip to the grocery store down the street.
Dementia
When forgetfulness becomes more common and interferes with daily routine, then it might be dementia. Dementia is defined by the Alzheimer’s Association as “a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life.” Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of memory decline and the symptoms associated with memory loss. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s diseases, followed by vascular dementia.
It may be time for a professional evaluation as forgetfulness increases in frequency and disrupts one or more of the following core brain functions: recent memory, language, visuospatial function, and executive function. It isn’t normal not to be able to recall your home address or how to get home from familiar places. It isn’t normal to forget how to write or to have difficulty following everyday conversations. It isn’t normal to struggle with the order of how to get dressed or what to do when the power shuts off temporarily. When forgetfulness disrupts everyday life, then it is time to seek professional help. At the very least, if you are at all concerned that your forgetfulness may be dementia, you can always complete a neuropsychological evaluation in order to establish your brain’s baseline. Then, revisit the evaluation a year later to see if there are any further changes in your brain’s functioning.
At Visiting Angels Fort Worth, we understand the challenges that memory loss presents. Whether it’s normal forgetfulness that comes with age, or more debilitating memory loss that makes living at home alone difficult, we can help. We are very familiar with dementia care services and our caregiving staff are well versed in dementia education. If you or your aging loved one have recently received a diagnosis of memory impairment, or you are simply looking for more assistance in your everyday routine, we can provide you with the services best suited to meet your needs. Give us a call today to set up a free consultation.
Past Articles:
- What to Do When You Haven’t a Clue: Five Simple Ideas to Engage Your Loved One -April 2018
- How to Recognize It’s Time for More Help -February 2018
- How to Engage in Conversation with Someone with Dementia -December 2017
- Technology for Senior Safety -September 2017