Don't forget to remember: There's hope

Making new memories with loved ones facing Alzheimer’s

- DR. ALVIN RAE F. CENINA ADULT NEUROLOGIST-DEMENTIA SPECIALIST, ASIAN BRAIN INSTITUTE ASIAN HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER

Persons living with dementia (PLWD) struggle with their memory, thinking, and orientation. They are here but not quite—unable to interact like they used to. Despite these changes, they are the same person we care for and love.

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is often to blame. Strokes, trauma, and other neurodegenerative conditions also cause dementia.

Dementia is described as a condition that makes it difficult not only to remember but also to make decisions on the usual things a person does. Consequently, daily tasks and activities become confusing and are eventually abandoned. It’s a neurodegenerative disease, meaning it damages and slowly destroys brain cells and their connections. Thus, symptoms slowly manifest and worsen over months and years.

In aging, memory and brain processes slow down—but seniors should not become forgetful and repetitive. Persistent issues with thinking, memory, and language may indicate mild cognitive impairment (MCI), where individuals can still manage daily activities. When usual tasks become difficult, the condition may have progressed to dementia.

Stages of dementia

In the early or mild stage of dementia, memory lapses—like struggling to find words or names—appear, along with trouble planning, organizing, and frequently misplacing items. In the moderate stage, patients may become suspicious, forget the date, have sleep issues, lose bladder or bowel control, and need more support with daily tasks.

In later stages of Alzheimer’s, they may forget meals, get lost in familiar places, or ask the same questions repeatedly. Even simple tasks, like basic math for a former accountant, become difficult.