Agewell Health promotion for older people in New Zealand

Memory Loss

Articles of Interest - Factsheet on Memory and Ageing

Forgetfulness is a condition which tends to be associated with ageing and it is true that as we age our short term memory may lose its edge. We may sometimes forget small things that happened yesterday. However, our long term memory can become more vivid. More serious is the development of conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia

What is Dementia

Dementia is a term that covers a number of diseases that occur as a result of physical changes in the structure of the brain. These changes are caused by specific conditions, and result in impairment of memory, thinking and skills, sometimes accompanied by altered emotional expression and sensory perception. Dementia is almost always progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting approximately 20,000 to 28,500 New Zealanders. (There is currently an estimated 40,746 New Zealanders with some form of dementia). It is a progressive disease of the brain in which cells are damaged and may die without being replaced. It results in impaired memory, thinking and behaviour.

Symptoms include:

having increasing difficulty managing complex or new tasks
showing lack of initiative or withdrawal from usual activities
emotional and personality changes
having problems finding the right words or understanding what is being said to them

No one single factor has been identified as a cause for Alzheimer's disease, and it is likely that a combination of factors, including age, genetic inheritance and environmental factors are involved.

It is common for people of all ages to experience forgetfulness. Forgetfulness is not being able to remember something at a specific time but the memory returns at some later time in most cases. This kind of forgetfulness is not cause for alarm.

Examples for normal forgetfulness:

Walking into the kitchen and forgetting what you went in for
Misplacing your keys
Forgetting the names of people
Not remembering a specific place or brand name ("Tip of the tongue" experience)

However, there is a cause for concern when memory loss starts to affect the daily life of a person.

Common signs of dementia:

Recent memory loss that affects job skills
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Problems with language
Time and place disorientation
Problems keeping track of things
Repeatedly misplacing things and putting them in inappropriate places
Changes in mood
Personality changes
Loss of initiative

If you are worried about your memory you should see your GP. There are many treatable causes of memory loss. If the memory loss is caused by dementia an early diagnosis is critical for planning and treatment.

You can also contact organisations such as the Alzheimer's Society, ADARDS Society or your local community health or healthcare centre for assistance for the person affected, and also their family and friends. It is a particularly tragic disease which may profoundly change the lives of those close to the person with Dementia. Support for all concerned is available and can include practical help in the home, carer relief and daycare for social interaction for the person with Dementia.

Unfortunately many people are still unaware of Dementia and its far reaching effects - Alzheimer's NZ hopes to raise awareness and change society's views about the disease.

The Alzheimers NZ site has very useful information on this topic and a list of links to other similar organisations.

The Alzheimers Auckland covers the Auckland, Waitakere, North Shore and Rodney areas. They hold informative sessions for carers of people with dementia. If you would like to know more contact the Alzheimers Auckland.

Alzheimers Auckland Inc is running a free drop-in Alzheimers and other Dementias Clinic on the third Monday of every month at Age Concern Orewa Office, Shop JA2 West Plaza, Tamariki Avenue, Orewa. Call in for information, advice and support form our local Dementia key worker. Appointments can be made if required. For more information phone (09) 425 9707 or (09) 426 0916.

They also publish a newsletter and in the September 2002 (source Alzheimers Society Otago Issue 69) an interesting article featured a study conducted by US researchers. They suggest that taking part in a lot of leisure activities, such as visiting friends or relatives can reduce a person's risk of developing the condition by as much as 38%. Reading a book or magazine, seeing a movie or going for a walk are also activities that may help.

The team monitored 1772 people over 65 who were assessed to have no signs of Alzheimers. Over seven years the researchers looked at how often they participated in 13 common leisure acitivities. The participants were awarded a point for each activity and people scoring less than 6 points were defined as having low leisure activity. Comparing those who developed dementia with those who did not showed that those people who had high leisure activities were 38% less likely to develop dementia. The participants neurological and physical health were also evaluated. Of the 1772 people who were monitored, 207 developed dementia.

For further details of this interesting study, conclusions, and comments on the research contact Alzheimers Auckland .

Alzheimers New Zealand has two publications available:

New Zealand 2008 Dementia Manifesto
Economic impact of Dementia in New Zealand 2008: executive summary

They can be downloaded from their website www.alzheimers.org.nz or Freephone 0800 004 001.

Articles of Interest

Websites of Interest

Alzheimers NZ
Alzheimers Foundation
The Everybody website has a helpful fact sheet on Memory Loss and Dementia
The Dementia Research Group based at the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery is one of the UK's leading centres for clinical research into dementia, and the hospital is the lead centre for trialling new drugs to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease (which causes the majority of dementias). Over 4,000 patients, with their carers, have already participated in studies and the Dementia Research Group has made some breakthrough progress - including collaborative work leading to identifying the first Alzheimer's disease gene; identifying pre-symptomatic cognitive and imaging changes in Alzheimer's; and pioneering MR imaging techniques to improve diagnosis and track progression of Alzheimer's disease
Caregiver Network Dementia Forum - This is a Canadian website link of resources for caregivers for people with dementia, recommended by caregivers. It covers a variety of topics including ways of caring, challenging behaviours, long-term care.
Communication Strategies is an article by Anna Ortegara, RN, MS, Director, Residential Care Services, Rush Alzheimers Disease Center, Chicago. She looks at communicating with people with dementia and ways in which to assist and facilitate this.
Alzheimer Europe is a European website promoting information sharing. Amongst its aims are to improve the exchange of information between Alzheimer help associations and
Alzheimers Society is the UK’s leading care and research charity for people with dementia, their families and carers.
Dementia Care Australia is an Australian website with a wealth of services and resources to help caring for a person with dementia
Healthopedia is an American website who's mission statement is to be the Internet’s most trusted and extensive information resource for health and medical content. They have extensive information on Alzheimers and Dementia.
American Psychological Association - The Office on Aging is a coordination point for APA activities pertaining to ageing and geropsychology (the field within psychology devoted to older adult issues). The Office on Ageing also supports the work of the APA Committee on Ageing.
I Can Do It - 'I Can Do It' functions as a practical visual management program, that facilitates your Independence and time management on a daily basis.

Please Note Age Concern North Shore has tried to ensure that all information on this website is correct. However, Age Concern North Shore does not accept liability for any statements or advice contained on, or omissions from, nor endorse any suggested site on this website. Other websites referred to on this website are here for reference only. The information on this website should not be regarded as a substitute for professional advice and we do suggest that you consult with your health, legal or financial professional.

Website last updated 29/07/2010