When Mimi started misplacing everyday items or forgot how to make her signature casserole, her family assumed it was part of normal aging. But as the lapses became more frequent—missing appointments and getting confused in familiar places—they faced a difficult, emotional journey they hadn’t anticipated: navigating a dementia diagnosis.
If you’re reading this, you might be on a similar path. Maybe your parent or spouse has begun to change in unsettling ways, or perhaps you’re noticing shifts in your own memory or behavior. Dementia is a word that carries a lot of fear and uncertainty—but it also opens the door to understanding, support, and the possibility of finding peace amid change.
In this article, we’ll explain what dementia is, how it’s diagnosed, and walk through the most common types—including Alzheimer’s, Lewy body, and vascular—and a few lesser common types. Whether you’re just starting this journey or seeking clarity about a recent diagnosis, we hope this offers insight and comfort.
Dementia is not a specific disease. It’s an umbrella term used to describe a group of symptoms that affect memory, thinking, and daily functioning. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type, but there are many forms of dementia, each with different causes and symptoms.
In simple terms, dementia occurs when brain cells are damaged, interfering with their ability to communicate. This leads to difficulties with memory, problem-solving, language, behavior, and even the ability to manage everyday tasks. While memory loss is a well-known symptom, dementia can also impact judgment, attention span, and perception.
Understanding how dementia affects the brain is important, but just as important is understanding why it matters to you and your family. Teepa Snow is one of the world’s leading dementia educators and a frequent speaker at Aegis Living. She shares 40 years of her clinical dementia expertise and training strategies with our families and community caregivers. She believes it’s important, as a loved one, to understand dementia for three key reasons:
Once you understand what dementia is and why it matters, the next step is knowing how it’s diagnosed—and why an early, accurate diagnosis can make a meaningful difference. Diagnosing dementia involves more than a single test. It’s a careful process aimed at understanding what’s going on in the brain. It often begins with conversations between the individual, their family, and a healthcare provider. Doctors will review medical history, observe behavioral changes, and conduct physical and cognitive exams.
Cognitive tests assess memory, language, reasoning, and coordination. Bloodwork may rule out other treatable conditions like vitamin deficiencies or thyroid problems. Imaging, such as CT or MRI scans, is used to detect strokes, brain shrinkage, or tumors. PET scans and spinal fluid tests may also be ordered to help identify biomarkers for specific forms of dementia.
Because different types of dementia affect the brain in different ways, a clear diagnosis helps guide personalized care and treatment. Though the process can feel overwhelming, early and thorough diagnosis offers clarity, direction, and support for the future. From the earliest signs to more advanced care, every dementia journey deserves understanding, dignity, and personalized support.
Dementia is not one-size-fits-all. Understanding the most common types can help you better recognize what a loved one may be experiencing—and how best to support them.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Accounting for 60–80% of dementia cases, Alzheimer’s disease is marked by abnormal protein buildups (amyloid plaques and tau tangles) in the brain. These interfere with brain function and eventually lead to cell death. Common symptoms include memory loss, confusion, language difficulties, and behavioral changes. As the disease progresses, individuals may struggle with daily tasks like speaking, walking, or swallowing.
While there is no cure, ongoing research continues to uncover new treatment options. The average life expectancy after diagnosis is 8–10 years, but each person’s experience is different.
Vascular Dementia
The second most common type, vascular dementia, is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain—often due to strokes or small vessel disease. Symptoms can come on suddenly and may include impaired judgment, slower thinking, or trouble with planning and concentration.
Vascular changes in the brain often coexist with other forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s or Lewy body. Studies suggest that these overlapping conditions may interact in ways that increase the risk or severity of symptoms.
Lewy Body Dementia
Lewy body dementia (LBD) occurs when abnormal protein deposits—called Lewy bodies—build up in parts of the brain that control thinking and movement. LBD can cause memory loss, confusion, sleep disturbances, vivid visual hallucinations, and symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.
As it progresses, LBD may also affect automatic body functions, including blood pressure, digestion, and temperature regulation. The symptoms can fluctuate, making the condition challenging for both families and care teams.
Frontotemporal Dementia
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is caused by the degeneration of nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain—the regions responsible for behavior, personality, and language. Depending on the area affected, symptoms may include inappropriate social behavior, emotional indifference, compulsive actions, or difficulty speaking and understanding language.
Unlike Alzheimer’s, memory loss is not typically an early symptom. FTD is more likely to appear in people under 65 and often progresses more rapidly than other forms of dementia.
Mixed Dementia
Mixed dementia refers to the presence of multiple types of brain changes simultaneously—most commonly Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, though Lewy body changes may also be involved. While a person may be diagnosed with one type during life, autopsy studies show that mixed dementia is more common than previously thought.
Since many brain changes can’t be detected in living individuals, these studies are crucial in helping scientists understand how symptoms relate to underlying causes. This insight may eventually lead to more accurate diagnoses and targeted treatments.
While Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and mixed dementia are the most common forms, there are several rarer types that families should be aware of. These forms of dementia may present with unique symptoms or progress differently, making diagnosis and care especially nuanced.
Alcohol-Related Dementia
Long-term excessive alcohol use can cause alcohol-related dementia (also known as alcohol-related brain damage, or ARBD), which impairs memory, decision-making, and emotional regulation. The most common form of ARBD is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), caused by severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. WKS involves two related conditions: Wernicke’s encephalopathy, which causes imbalance, coordination loss, confusion, abnormal eye movements, and double vision; and Korsakoff’s dementia, which leads to lasting memory gaps, confabulation (filling in missing memories with fabricated details), difficulty learning new information, and hallucinations.
While alcohol-related dementia is less common than other forms, it’s important to know that with the right support and early treatment, many individuals can experience meaningful improvement. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, about 75% of people with alcohol-related dementia experience some degree of recovery. Addressing alcohol use, providing nutritional support, and creating a supportive care environment can give individuals the best possible chance of improving function and quality of life.
Parkinson’s Disease Dementia
In some individuals with Parkinson’s disease, cognitive changes eventually progress to Parkinson’s disease dementia. This condition typically develops several years after the onset of motor symptoms like tremors or stiffness. In addition to movement difficulties, individuals may experience slowed thinking, memory problems, visual hallucinations, and mood changes.
Care for Parkinson’s disease dementia involves a coordinated approach addressing both cognitive and motor symptoms, with an emphasis on maximizing independence and quality of life.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
One of the rarest forms of dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is caused by misfolded proteins called prions that trigger rapid brain damage. CJD progresses very quickly—often within months—and leads to severe memory loss, personality changes, movement issues, and sensory disturbances.
While CJD is currently incurable and typically progresses rapidly, early diagnosis helps families understand what to expect and make informed care decisions. Compassionate, comfort-focused care remains the priority throughout the course of the disease.
Huntington’s Disease
Huntington’s disease is a rare, inherited condition that gradually breaks down nerve cells in the brain. In addition to movement difficulties, Huntington’s can cause significant cognitive and psychiatric symptoms—including memory loss, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, and impaired judgment.
Symptoms often appear in midlife and progress over many years. Because Huntington’s disease affects both cognition and motor abilities, care must address the whole person—physically, emotionally, and cognitively—with a strong emphasis on maintaining dignity and quality of life.
Although dementia typically affects people over 65, it can also appear much earlier—sometimes as early as age 30. This is known as early-onset dementia, and it’s often misdiagnosed because the symptoms resemble those of stress or depression. Early-onset cases can be linked to genetic mutations and may progress more quickly than late-onset forms. Accurate diagnosis and specialized support are key to managing symptoms and planning for the future.
If you’re noticing changes in memory, behavior, or daily functioning—whether in yourself or someone you love—know that you’re not alone. An early diagnosis can open the door to treatment, education, and meaningful support.
Whether your loved one is just beginning their dementia journey and may benefit from transitional assisted living, or they’re further along and in need of the specialized care provided by Aegis Living’s Life’s Neighborhood®, we are here to help. Our compassionate team is committed to walking alongside families at every stage, offering dignity, comfort, and personalized support.
Respite Stays & Day Stays give family caregivers a real break—hours, days, or a few weeks—while your loved one enjoys a safe, enriching short‑term home at Aegis Living. Guests settle into a beautifully furnished private apartment and have 24/7 care staff and onsite nurses, medication management, and discreet safety technology (motion sensors, medical‑alert pendants, visitor check‑in) for peace of mind. Each day feels purposeful with chef‑prepared, all‑day dining and 200+ monthly activities—from book clubs and fitness classes to movie nights—plus full use of the community. We coordinate with your loved one’s physicians to mirror their routines and care, so the stay feels familiar. It’s also a smart trial run for senior living: meet neighbors, test services, and see what supported independence looks like—without a long‑term commitment. Choose a Respite Stay when you’re traveling or need time to recharge, when your loved one would benefit from structure, social connection, and great meals, or when you both want peace of mind while keeping options open.
Hospice & End‑of‑Life Care at Aegis Living is comfort‑first support for the final stage of life, delivered in your loved one’s private apartment by our 24/7 care team in coordination with a trusted local hospice provider you choose (or we can recommend). Together, we create a coordinated care plan that manages pain and other symptoms, oversees medications, and provides calm, dignified help with daily needs, while offering compassionate emotional support for both resident and family. Discreet safety measures and a reliable medical‑alert system bring help quickly; chef‑prepared, in‑apartment meals adapt to changing appetites. Families are guided through decisions and moments of closure so they can focus on being present in a peaceful, home‑like setting. If your loved one already lives at Aegis, they can remain in the comfort of their home, avoiding disruptive moves. Choose this level of care when curative treatment is no longer the goal and you want expert symptom control, hands‑on daily support, and a setting that protects dignity and prioritizes comfort, meaning, and time together.
Memory Care is specialized, secure support for people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias who benefit from a calm, structured environment and round‑the‑clock expertise. At Aegis Living, that care happens in Life’s Neighborhood—an intimate, thoughtfully designed setting where 24/7 dementia‑trained caregivers and a nursing team on site seven days a week deliver personalized help with daily living, medication management, and mobility (including Hoyer lifts and two‑person transfers), while gently redirecting agitation and confusion. Days are purpose‑filled with science‑based cognitive programming, certified music therapy, and social activities; chef‑prepared meals are easy to enjoy and dining spaces and cues are designed for memory support. Discreet safety features like secured entrances, emergency pendants with fall detection, and optional motion sensors, prevent wandering and bring peace of mind, and visiting physicians and wellness professionals reduce trips off‑site. Families receive education and ongoing support. If your loved one is unsafe alone, missing medications, wandering, needs frequent cueing or hands‑on help with bathing or dressing, or thrives with a predictable routine, Memory Care offers the right level of care. For milder needs, our transitional Assisted Living can be a first step; for advancing symptoms, secured Memory Care provides the specialized, heartfelt support to help them feel calm, connected, and at home.