1.1 What Is Dementia?

Dementia is a term used to describe the condition of a person’s mental functioning. It is a mental deterioration severe enough to interfere with daily activities. Dementia was once frequently believed to be a natural aspect of getting older. But it’s not normal. Dementia is brought on by persistent brain cell destruction. An individual with dementia experiences deterioration in two or more of the following areas:

• Memory
• Talking
• Reasoning
• Coordination
• Behavior
• Mood

“Dementia” is a syndrome that refers to a wide range of brain illnesses that all share a loss of brain function that is often gradual and eventually severe. It comes in over a hundred different varieties. A reason why dementia is referred to as a syndrome instead of being broken down into 100 distinct diseases is that it is impossible to accurately diagnose the specific type of dementia a person may be coping with.