The ageing brain

Ageing decline

Cognitive function also declines with age since we gradually lose neurons, synapses, and particularly, glia (support cells in the brain).

Dementia

Although people often speak of  'senile dementia', a healthy person will not develop dementia, despite being elderly. Dementia is much more rapid loss of cognitive decline than what you would see in normal ageing. Read more on dementia.

Delirium

Delirium is a temporary state where a patient develops memory impairment, mood derangement, and hallucinations. It often occurs in the elderly and something as simple as a urinary tract infection (UTI) can trigger this.
Patients with dementia can also get delirium, and this would present as a rapid, reversible decline, like in any other delirium patient. Read more on delirium.

Impact on care

Dementia has quietly risen to become the #1 cause of death in our society, and unlike a heart attack, this is not a quick end to a functional life. Dementia is a process which takes months to years depending on the cause. Personality changes, cognitive impairment and mood derangements are usually seen. As dementia progresses, an individual can go from full cognitive ability to being unable to swallow. This means these patients will live for years with a high degree of dependency.