In the U.S., 33% of older adults have some form of dementia when they die. Additionally, over seven million older adults have Alzheimer’s disease, affecting 25% of older women and 10% of older men. Alzheimer’s is just one form of dementia.
Developing effective treatments for dementia begins with understanding the underlying causes.
What Is Dementia?
Dementia is a term that encompasses several conditions that affect cognitive abilities. Common symptoms of dementia include:
- Behavioral changes
- Cognitive decline
- Memory loss
- Mood changes
It’s normal for older adults to have slower mental processing times and occasional forgetfulness. What distinguishes mental symptoms of typical aging from symptoms of dementia is the severity and impact.
Symptoms of dementia escalate until they interfere with a person’s daily life. Behavior and mood changes may damage relationships. Cognitive decline may interfere with their ability to perform routine tasks independently. Memory problems could cause them to get lost or forget to perform self-care tasks, and so on.
What Causes Dementia In The Elderly?
The causes of dementia include:
- Damaged nerve cells
- Lost nerve cells
When nerve cells can’t communicate with the brain because they’re damaged or lost, brain functions are impaired.
The causes of dementia are typically categorized by the nerves, genes, proteins, or vessels that cause the condition.
Causes include:
- Alzheimer’s disease: Alzheimer’s is the most common primary cause of dementia.
- Frontotemporal dementia: This impacts the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes. Symptoms of frontotemporal dementia often include:
- Behavior and personality changes
- Cognitive decline
- Impaired judgment
- Issues with language and communication
- Issues with movement
- Lewy body dementia: Lewy body dementia involves clumps of proteins that impair brain function. Symptoms may include:
- Difficulty paying attention
- Hallucinations
- Lack of coordination
- Tremors
- Mixed dementia: Two or more causes of dementia are present.
- Vascular dementia: When damaged blood vessels prevent enough blood from reaching the brain, it can cause strokes or vascular dementia. Common symptoms of vascular dementia include:
- Difficulty focusing
- Difficulty problem-solving
- Poor organization
Risk Factors For Dementia
Absolute risk factors are those you can’t change and include:
- Age: Dementia is more common in those 65 and older.
- Down syndrome: The rate of early-onset Alzheimer’s among those with Down syndrome is high.
- Ethnicity: Dementia is more common among Black and Hispanic older adults.
- Family history: A family history of dementia may increase your risk of getting dementia.
Risk factors you may be able to prevent or manage include:
- Brain injuries: An example would be wearing a helmet when cycling to help prevent brain injuries.
- Diabetes: Diabetes can damage blood vessels, which can increase your risk of dementia.
- Heart disease: Protecting your heart health can reduce your risk of dementia.
- High blood pressure: Preventing high blood pressure helps protect your blood vessels from damage.
Other factors that can increase your risk of dementia include:
- Depression
- High alcohol consumption
- Pollution
- Smoking
- Untreated hearing loss
- Untreated vision loss
Early Warning Signs
Early warning signs of dementia include:
- Behavioral changes, such as withdrawing from social engagements.
- Communication challenges, such as difficulty recalling words.
- Confusion with dates, places, and times.
- Inability to complete routine tasks.
- Issues with mood, such as developing anxiety, depression, or losing interest in favored activities.
- Misplacing items.
- Short-term memory loss.
Can Dementia Be Prevented?
It’s possible to reduce your risk of getting dementia by making lifestyle changes that improve your health.
Ways to decrease your risk include:
- Consume a healthy diet.
- Decrease alcohol consumption.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Manage conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Quit smoking.
- Socialize with friends and family.
- Support your brain health with mentally stimulating activities, such as reading.
You can also reduce your risk by seeing a mental health professional to receive treatment for anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues.
How Skilled Nursing Can Support Dementia Patients
At skilled nursing facilities, seniors can receive expert dementia care. Skilled nursing teams include caregivers and medical professionals who provide:
- Daily assistance
- Ongoing monitoring
- Around-the-clock support
Skilled nursing professionals also monitor residents and their environments to ensure their safety and, when needed, provide safety support, such as canes or walkers.
Our facilities are equipped with features that promote safety, such as:
- Good lighting
- Grab bars
- Handrails
- Non-slip flooring
- Wide hallways
Low beds also help prevent falls, and motion sensors or pressure pads notify staff when someone moves from a chair or bed and may need assistance. Residents may also wear buttons to call for staff.
In addition to practical safety measures and staff support, skilled nursing facilities provide therapy services tailored to residents’ needs and recovery goals. Skilled nursing staff work closely with residents’ families to ensure open communication and provide families with the information they need to support their loved ones with dementia.
Why Choose Haven Health?
Haven Health features experienced care teams who provide compassionate, personalized support for every resident. Our objective is to help each resident achieve their treatment goals, so they can return home or move to a long-term care facility.
To achieve our objective, our teams feature highly trained caregivers and medical professionals who collaborate to ensure each resident has a treatment plan tailored to their unique needs and goals. We provide support every step of the way and, when needed, adjust care plans to ensure the resident’s safety and well-being.
At Haven Health, we involve residents’ families in the treatment process and promote open communication, so you’re aware of your loved one’s progress and understand how to support them after treatment. Call us today to find out how we can help your loved one with dementia.
Sources:
Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. (2026).
Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet. (2023).
Dementia. (2025).
Dementia. (2025).