What Can Memory Loss Mean?

It’s normal for our brains to change as we age. This may mean sometimes forgetting things, taking longer to process information, or having trouble with multitasking. These changes typically do not affect our ability to do daily activities independently.

If you or your loved one notices symptoms of memory loss, thinking, or judgment that are affecting daily activities, it’s important to voice these concerns to a doctor. The doctor can perform tests that may help identify the cause, but keep in mind that these symptoms may not be due to Alzheimer’s disease. If it is confirmed to be Alzheimer’s, an early diagnosis can give you and your family time to start building a support network and making lifestyle changes to maintain your or your loved one's overall health.

Signs of Alzheimer's and Other Dementias vs Aging*

The information below compares the signs of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias with typical age-related changes. If these signs and symptoms begin to affect daily activities, it may be time to voice these concerns to a doctor.

*This list is designed to show examples of how signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's and other dementias may differ from normal aging. It is not a complete list of signs and symptoms.

Memory loss that affects daily life

Signs of Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

  • Forgetting recently learned information
  • Forgetting important dates/events
  • Asking the same questions over and over
  • Needing to use memory aids such as notes or electronic devices

Typical Age-Related Changes

  • Sometimes forgetting names or appointments but remembering them later

Difficulty planning or solving problems

Signs of Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

  • May have problems following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Taking much longer to do familiar tasks

Typical Age-Related Changes

  • Occasionally making errors when managing finances or household bills

Difficulty completing routine tasks

Signs of Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

  • Finding it hard to do daily tasks, such as making a grocery list
  • Trouble driving to a familiar place
  • Difficulty remembering rules of a favorite game

Typical Age-Related Changes

  • Sometimes needing help with new technology, such as with a cell phone or recording a TV show

Confusion with time or place

Signs of Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

  • May lose track of dates, seasons, and the passage of time
  • Trouble understanding something if it is not happening right away
  • Forgetting where you are or how you got there

Typical Age-Related Changes

  • Confused about what day of the week it is but remembering later

Trouble with visual-spatial relationships

Signs of Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

  • Losing one's way in a familiar place or on a familiar route

Typical Age-Related Changes

  • Losing one's way in an unfamiliar place

Decreased or poor judgment

Signs of Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

  • May experience changes in decision-making, such as having poor judgment when dealing with money or paying less attention to personal grooming

Typical Age-Related Changes

  • Making a mistake once in a while, like forgetting to pay a bill

New speaking and writing problems

Signs of Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

  • May have problems following a conversation
  • May have problems with vocabulary, finding the right word, or calling things by the wrong name

Typical Age-Related Changes

  • May have trouble finding the right words

Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps

Signs of Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

  • May sometimes put things in unusual places
  • May lose things and can’t go back to find them
  • May accuse people of stealing things they can’t find

Typical Age-Related Changes

  • May misplace things sometimes but able to retrace steps to find them

Withdrawing from work or social activities

Signs of Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

  • May stop doing hobbies, social activities, work projects, or sports

Typical Age-Related Changes

  • May sometimes not wish to be part of family, work, or social events

Mood and personality changes

Signs of Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias

  • Changes in mood and personality
  • May become confused, anxious, and depressed or upset at home or work, with friends, and in places where they don’t feel comfortable

Typical Age-Related Changes

  • May develop specific ways of doing things and become irritable when this routine is not followed

Early Detection

Find out why it's important to get diagnosed earlier rather than later for Alzheimer's disease.