Memory Lapse or Dementia? 5 Clues to Help Tell the Difference
Featured Expert
You can’t find your keys. You forgot the name of your newest neighbor—again. And exactly where did you park your car at the mall, anyway?
An occasional memory slip is normal, says Johns Hopkins geriatrician Sevil Yasar, M.D., Ph.D. But as you age, these “senior moments” may leave you wondering whether you’re heading for dementia—the loss of memory and thinking skills severe enough to interfere with independent living, often due to Alzheimer’s disease or other brain changes.
“Stress, an extra-busy day, poor sleep and even some medications can interfere with making and recalling memories,” Yasar says. “And we all have moments when a name or the title of a movie is right on the tip of the tongue, but those events are different from the kinds of lapses that may be warning signs for dementia.”
Most of the time, these type of occasional memory lapses are nothing to worry about. “But any time you’re concerned about yourself or a loved one, it’s worth talking with your doctor,” Yasar says.
So how can you tell the difference between simple slipups and something that may be more serious? The key thing to look for is a persistent change in your ability to think and function. Below are five clues.
Are you losing things and just can’t figure out where they went?
We all misplace things occasionally. It’s normal to put things in the wrong spot, and it’s normal to catch the mistake or retrace our steps to find the keys sitting on top of today’s stack of mail.
What’s not: Doing it with increasing frequency. Being unable to figure out where lost belongings might be, putting things in more and more unusual places, and starting to suspect—without evidence—that people have stolen your missing possessions.
Do you get lost in familiar places?
Losing your way while driving, walking, or taking public transportation to a new place can be normal. So is getting so absorbed in your journey (or your thoughts) that you may miss the exit while driving or to have to reorient yourself to figure out exactly where you are.
What’s not: “Getting lost with increasing frequency with the inability to correct yourself even with the help of the GPS. Driving or walking for a long time without realizing you’re lost or completely forgetting where you are, and not asking for help in these situations could be a sign of dementia,” Yasar says. You may also forget how you got to a new location, become easily disoriented in familiar places, or lose the ability to read a map or follow landmarks and traffic signs.
Do you lose track of the time, date or season?
Once in a while, we all forget what day of the week it is, but we usually remember or figure it out quickly. More troubling: not knowing what day it is, what time it is, or how much time is passing—and not realizing you’ve forgotten. Additionally, unable to remember appointments or even missing them despite putting it on the calendar or having received numerous reminders by family. These may be signs of dementia, according to Johns Hopkins experts.
Are your conversations getting stalled?
We all have to search for the right word from time to time. “And it’s normal for this to happen more often as we get older,” Yasar notes.
What’s not: extreme difficulty remembering words, calling things and people by the wrong words or names, and withdrawing socially as a result. Having more and more trouble following, joining, or continuing a conversation (you may stop talking mid-thought and not know what you were going to say next), or even following the plot on TV or in a book, may also be a red flag for dementia.
Do memory slipups interfere with daily life?
Forgetting the name of your neighbor’s dog could be normal. What’s not: No longer being able to do everyday activities the way you used to, and you now need help from your family or professionals,
“If you used to balance your bank accounts to the penny and now you’ve lost track of where your household money is going, bills have not been paid, and as a result electricity or phone service has been turned off. Similarly, you feel lost and overwhelmed making, or even worse, being unable to make, Thanksgiving pumpkin pie with your favorite longtime recipe; it may be a sign of early brain changes,” Yasar says.
And one of the biggest concerns, from a doctor’s point of view, is the issue with medication management, such as forgetting to take medications or taking them incorrectly. If you or a loved one is having issues managing medication correctly, it's time to reach out to your doctor.
Medically reviewed by Sevil Yasar, M.D., Ph.D.
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