Aging Memory Problems

Older people may often begin to be concerned that they are heading for dementia when they begin to experience minor memory problems such as forgetting where they put things. This is not necessarily the case. There are a number of memory conditions that are considered "normal" occurrences among older people. There are, however, other conditions relegated to memory, such as Alzheimer's Disease, which are much more serious.

Treatable Causes of Forgetfulness

• To a certain degree, forgetfulness is a natural part of the aging process. Many elderly people find that they do not remember names as easily as they used to. Sometimes memory loss in the aging can be a side effect of medication or due to a condition such as sleep deprivation (due to insomnia or sleep apnea), high blood pressure (hypertension), vitamin B12 deficiency, anxiety, depression or diabetes. All these conditions are treatable.

Normal Age-related Memory Loss

• Normal age-related memory loss or mild forgetfulness should not be a cause of concern. The symptoms are mild and occasional and include sometimes forgetting people's names, occasionally being unable to think of the right word to use in a sentence, talking a little longer to learn new things, sometimes forgetting where you have put things (such as glasses or keys), occasionally going into a room and forgetting why you went in there.

Serious Age-Related Memory Loss

• More serious memory loss conditions related to aging are those that begin to affect your ability to carry on with your normal day-to-day activities such as preparing food, driving, shopping, personal care and managing your finances. Some of the signs of this type of more serious memory loss include forgetting how to find your way around in familiar places, repeatedly asking the same questions, finding yourself unable to follow directions, being unable to drive safely, forgetting to wash or eat on a regular basis and becoming confused about people, places and time.

Dementia in the Elderly

• Dementia, (formerly known as senility), refers to a decline in certain mental functions such as memory and in the ability to carry out daily activities. Dementia is known to affect 1 percent of people in their early 60s then jumps to 30 to 50 percent of people older than 85, and is the leading cause for placing seniors in nursing homes. Symptoms of dementia include frequent inability to find the appropriate words, mood swings, irritability and rages, withdrawal from family and friends, uncharacteristic behavior, suspiciousness or paranoia and confusion about surroundings. Symptoms may often worsen and include hallucinations, inability to communicate coherently and inability to move around or care for yourself.

Alzheimer's Disease

• Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive brain disease that affects up to 5.3 million Americans. It gradually destroys brain cells, resulting in severe memory impairment and eventual loss. AD is fatal and is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. There is no cure for the disease, though services and support are widespread. There are three stages of AD.

  Early AD -- In this initial stage, the increasing problems with memory and learning are what usually lead to a diagnosis. Language becomes less fluent and vocabulary more limited; sufferers struggle with communicating even the most basic ideas. They may often appear clumsy and may need assistance with basic tasks.

  Moderate AD -- In this stage, independence becomes further limited and sufferers are able to perform only the most basic of daily tasks. Other common symptoms are confusion, wandering, urinary incontinence and delusions. At this stage, the sufferer may be moved to a nursing home.

  Advanced AD -- During the final stage of AD, the sufferer becomes completely dependent on caregivers. Language becomes reduced to only a few words; eventually, there is complete loss of speech. Sufferers are unable to recognize family members. They lose the ability to feed themselves. Eventual death is often caused by pneumonia or other external factors.