Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia cause problems with memory, using language, personality and thinking clearly. People with memory loss tend to forget things that just happened, have trouble making decisions, get confused by things they’ve seen and heard, and may have trouble sleeping. As the disease progresses, they may not recognize familiar people and places, they may wander, get irritated easily, or need help with daily activities such as eating, dressing and bathing. A physician can do tests to see if your loved one has dementia or some other condition that is causing similar symptoms.