5 Things You Didn’t Know About Dementia

Misconceptions and misinformation abound. With someone diagnosed every 3 seconds, it’s more important than ever to know the truth.

Photo by Steinar Engeland on Unsplash

It’s not just for old people

When you hear the word “dementia”, what image comes to your mind? If you’re like most people, you probably picture an old person.

It’s true that dementia is most commonly seen in elderly people, but cases have been seen in patients as young as 18 years old. Dementia over the age of 65 is known as “older onset” dementia while “younger onset” dementia occurs in people under age 65.

Since most doctor’s don’t look for dementia in younger patients, getting an accurate diagnosis can be a frustrating, time-consuming process. Once diagnosed, people living with young-onset dementia face unique challenges.

Often, people with young-onset dementia are still of working age at the time of diagnosis. They may have children still at home or may be caring for their own aging parents. Their symptoms may include far more than memory loss and their condition may progress more quickly.

It’s more than memory loss

While memory loss is definitely a key hallmark of Alzheimer’s and some other forms of dementia, memories are not the only things affected.