Alzheimer’s vs Dementia – A Layman’s Explanation

Since my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s three years ago, many friends and acquaintances have asked me if I can tell the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia.  Some have even described their own actions to see if I think it might be the beginning signs of Alzheimer’s.  I can only respond based on my personal experience and research.

Through research, I found out that dementia is a term used to describe a group of brain disorders that includes Alzheimer’s. These brain disorders generally cause memory loss and make it harder to carry out daily tasks.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s  Association, as many as 5.2 million people in the U.S. have the disease. Alzheimer’s attacks the brain, slowly killing different parts until it finally affects a crucial body function that results in death.  It affects each person differently, attacking different parts of the brain in different ways and on a different schedule.

More than memory loss, my family first noticed a change in my mother’s behavior.  Yes, she forgot things, but more importantly she stopped doing the things she took pride in and loved to do.  She stopped gardening and cooking, two of her most extraordinary talents.  She stopped cleaning the house and washing clothes, as though she could no longer see when something needed attention.   She lost her thirst for knowledge, stopped reading the paper and lost her ability to have a good conversation.  So to us, the fact that she forgot what happened yesterday became secondary to the dramatic changes in her habits, hobbies and love of life.

She was a gourmet chef, yet she quickly deteriorated to not even pouring herself a glass of milk.  Her garden was spectacular but she lost all interest.  She used to be the life of the party and made everyone feel at home, but she became scared of the unknown and people she didn’t recognize.  Where she used to exercise and pride herself on being 5’2”, 105 pounds and a size 6, she is now 5’2”, a size 14 and forgets that she used to swim or walk up to five miles a day.

Again, this debilitating disease affects each person differently and my family still has a few things to be thankful for… Mom still remembers all of us (children and grandchildren), loves to be loved and continues to play the piano with gusto.  On the downside, she still corrects our grammar, pronunciation and now swears like a sailor!