Building Adult Ministries, Leadership for Adults Over 50

Q: I keep forgetting things and it scares me. Do you think I have Alzheimer’s Disease?

A: Most often we find that memory changes are due to the normal processes of aging and include episodes of what have become known as “senior moments.”

How often over the course of your life have you misplaced your car keys, forgotten a birthday, or lost your car in the parking lot? Until recently, you probably would not have been concerned about these events. However, the current focus on the issue of memory loss and Alzheimer’s Disease has produced a paranoia surrounding the occurrence of these “senior moments.” Changes in the memory process, however, are likely to occur because of chemical changes in the brain where the memory is stored.

There are simples tools you can use to help your memory:

* keep lots of lists
* maintain a detailed calendar
* play mental games that challenge your memory
* designate a place for everything

A memory problem is serious if it affects your activities of daily living. Memory glitches such as the inability to recall names of things or people, addresses, or phone numbers are most likely okay. You haven’t lost the memory; it just takes longer to retrieve the information.

If you have trouble remembering how to do things you’ve done many times before—or if you have trouble learning new tasks, difficulty completing a task that requires following steps (i.e., cooking with a recipe), or making decisions or handling money—you may have a more serious problem.

Talk with your doctor. It’s important to find out what is causing your memory problem.