What is the difference between age-associated memory impairment and dementia, such as Alzheimers disease?
ActivityAge-associated memory impairmentAlzheimer’s disease ForgetsParts of an experienceWhole experience Remembers laterOftenRarely Follows written or spoken instructionsUsually ableGradually unable Is able to use notesUsually ableGradually unable Is able to care for selfUsually ableGradually unable Adapted from Gwyther LP: Care of Alzheimer’s Patients: A Manual for Nursing Home Staff. Chicago: Alzheimer’s Association and American Health Care Association; 1985. Researchers do not yet know the exact cause of age-associated memory impairment. However, there are things that contribute to memory change and/or loss. Is age-associated memory impairment a progressive condition? Usually not. Unlike Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, age-associated memory impairment is not a progressive condition and causes minimal or no disability. However, some of the drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s disease are now being looked at for treating age-associated memory impairment. A few general rules are h
