When Does Forgetfulness Become a Disease?

From time to time, given stress and a busy lifestyle, healthy adults can have lapses in memory, forget an appointment or miss an important event unwittingly. However, when this “occasional” occurrence becomes more frequent it may cause concern for the individual and their loved ones. A visit to the physician can easily dispel concerns or lead to appropriate testing to determine if there is an organic condition causing changes in brain functioning.

Memory loss issues are commonly lumped together and labeled as “dementia.”  However, dementia is a broad term to describe cognitive impairment that impacts daily living. There are many diseases that cause irreversible cognitive changes in the brain: Parkinson’s disease, Vascular dementia, Prefrontal Lobe disease (Pick’s Disease), Lewy Body disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Following a diagnosis, individuals often face a myriad of emotions which may include fear, grief and concern. The Early Stage Memory Loss program is designed for individuals who have concerns about their memory loss or those who have recently been given a diagnosis. The program is designed to address the concerns faced by the individual and their care partner, and is designed as a forum to get information, support, education, research information and encouragement for learning how to live with memory impairments. Our Early Stage Memory Loss programs are a community service endeavor; there is no cost to participate. If you would like more information about the Early Stage Memory Loss program, please call Katherine Hanson at 206-377-9630 or toll-free (800) 848-7097.