What is dementia?
The term ‘dementia” describes cognitive decline from a previous level of function.   The most common signs are:

• Misplacing person possessions
• Difficulty recalling recent events
• Asking the same questions repeatedly
• Having word finding problems or difficulty grasping explanations

Sometimes, people with dementia also seem to have a major personality change such as becoming aggressive or withdrawing from normal activities. Behaviorally, some people become apathetic, disinterested in social activities, depressed or develop false beliefs (delusions) or hallucinations.

Additional information about memory loss and dementia

What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that occurs in the brain and often results in:

• Impaired memory, thinking, and behavior
• Confusion
• Restlessness
• Personality and behavior changes
• Impaired judgment
• Impaired communication
• Inability to follow directions
• Language deterioration
• Impaired visuospatial skills (i.e., the ability to comprehend and conceptualize visual representations and spatial relationships in learning and performing a task)