This is Sean Regan, registered nurse practitioner with the Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Memory loss is a common complaint associated with aging. Some memory loss is normal as we age, but progressive memory loss that impairs one's ability to function is not normal and can be due to dementia.
Dementia refers to a loss of thinking abilities, especially memory.
The most common causes of dementia are Alzheimer's disease and strokes. Approximately 10 percent of the population over age 65 in the United States suffers from dementia. The lengths of these stages vary in each case and symptoms may overlap from one stage to another. They may no longer be able to use or recognize words, recognize family members or even recognize themselves in the mirror, or perform any self-care at all. Many of these difficulties can be managed, often with some counseling and even without medication.