Loss of memory Memory
The ability to process information that requires attention, storage, and retrieval. is one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease
A neurological disease that affects memory and behaviour. It is characterized by beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. There is no known cause but genetics and lifestyle are thought to play a role., and of many other dementias. As the memory impairment progresses, it comes to affect almost every aspect of everyday life. To speak in conversation, a person requires the ability to keep in mind the subject and the entire discussion in order to understand and respond. It is your short term memory Short term memory
The term short term memory is used to describe the ability to remember events and experiences that occurred only a short while ago, perhaps a few hours or even minutes earlier. Short term memory stores a limited amount of information in ones mind for only a temporary period. which allows you to do this. As Alzheimer's disease develops, recent/short term memory is one of the first abilities Abilities
Level at which certain actions and activities can be carried out. to decline. Problems with recent memory Recent memory
See short term memory. can cause the person you care for to forget the topic of a conversation, repeat themselves, or to forget someone's name after introduction. The inability to remember events which have just happened or are still occurring, also can affect the actions of the person you care for. They may not be able to remember how they arrived somewhere, or may leave a task incomplete because they have forgotten what they were doing. However, it is important to note that as a person ages, memory problems are common, and may not necessarily be a sign of Alzheimer's disease.

A notable exception to the "memory first" presentation of dementia is frontotemporal dementia Frontotemporal dementia
A type of dementia that mainly affects the frontal lobe causing a problem in executive function tasks.. This tends instead to present with behavioural problems, whcih can be confusing to others. The person's behavior is bad, yet they seem to remember well enough - including their bad behaviour. This makes the idea of dementia seem suspect to others, especially if the person with frontotemporal dementia remains oriented and is able to keep track of recent events. 

The first step in taking a more active role in symptom Symptom
In medicine a symptom is what the patient complains of. For example, a a patient may have symptoms of pain and fatigue. management is understanding how a symptom is affecting everyday life; the next step is communicating this knowledge to the care planning team and family members. SymptomGuide^TM is designed with these goals in mind.

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