What is Dementia?
Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.
What are symptoms of Dementia?
Symptoms include forgetfulness, limited social skills, and thinking abilities so impaired that it interferes with daily functioning.
What else should I know about Dementia?
People may experience:
Cognitive: mental decline, confusion in the evening hours, disorientation, inability to speak or understand language, making things up, mental confusion, or inability to recognize common things
Behavioral: irritability, personality changes, restlessness, lack of restraint, or wandering and getting lost
Mood: anxiety, loneliness, mood swings, or nervousness
Psychological: depression, hallucination, or paranoia
Muscular: inability to combine muscle movements or unsteady walking
Also common: memory loss, falling, jumbled speech, or sleep disorder