Dementia is a condition of declining mental abilities and memory loss.  If you are diagnosed with dementia, you may have difficulty reasoning over time.  You may also discover that you have problems remembering things and even people you love. You may eventually not be able to even communicate your thoughts, feelings, needs, or physical problems.  However, not all memory loss is a sign of dementia.  Having trouble remembering things can sometimes occur as part of the normal aging process.  It is important to understand the difference between dementia and memory loss due to aging.

Patient Resources on Memory Loss

Educational materials for patient/family education discuss critical management concepts.

Understanding Behavior Disorders Related to Dementia:
A Guide to Helping Nursing Home Residents with Dementia

The following Patient handouts created especially for the Practicing Physician Education (PPE) project, may be photocopied as is, without specific permission.

	Memory and Aging brief description of normal memory in aging
	Medical Evaluation of Memory Loss an explanation of the evaluation process for patient and family
	Brain Imaging in Memory Loss information for patient and family about CTs and MRIs
	Specialists in Memory Loss description of roles of neurologists, psychiatrists, and neuropsychologists
	Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease description of drugs used to treat Alzheimer's disease
	Driving and Memory Loss discussion about when to stop driving
	Stroke Prevention in Memory Loss strategies to prevent strokes
	Living Well with Alzheimer's Disease maintaining positive attitudes
	Advance Directives in Memory Loss discussion of need for advance directives
	Understanding Alzheimer's Disease an explanation of Alzheimer's Disease for families
	Communication and Alzheimer's Disease suggestions for more effective communication

Additional tools for clinicians can be found on the AGS website

The entire Practicing Physician Education Tool Kit on memory loss can be found at http://www.miahonline.org/tools/index.html. Here you will find additional information on memory loss in a primary care practice.