What’s the Difference Between Dementia and Senility?
All around the globe, more than 55 million people are living with dementia.
Having dementia alters an individual’s entire life. They may start forgetting the names of their loved ones, becoming confused during everyday activities, and losing necessary motor skills.
If you’ve researched dementia and memory loss, you’ve more than likely seen the term ‘senile’. It’s important to understand this term in comparison to diagnosed dementia.
Below is a guide on the difference between dementia and senility. Whether you know someone with dementia or not, it’s important to understand the meaning behind these terms.
What Is Dementia?
Dementia occurs when there’s deterioration in the cognitive function of an individual that extends beyond typical aging. While many elderly adults have been diagnosed with dementia, not every adult will experience dementia.
Signs of dementia include short-term memory loss, trouble with communication, frequent confusion, and vision loss. Because it has such an impact on an individual’s health, many people with dementia invest in memory care.
There are multiple types of dementia including Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and Lewy Body Dementia. It’s important to understand the type of dementia you or your loved one is experiencing in order to properly tailor their care plan.
What Is Senility?
The term ‘senile’ is often used to describe the loss of cognitive abilities. It’s not often used in any sort of official sense because it’s come to hold a negative connotation, often meaning ‘crazy’ or ‘delusional’.
As mentioned above, many elderly individuals have dementia, but dementia isn’t inevitable for every aging adult. In contrast, senility speaks on common aging issues faced by all elderly adults.
Signs of senility include occasional forgetfulness and an overall decline in an individual’s physiology. In the case an elderly adult experiences ongoing memory loss, it’s important to test for dementia.
Keeping Your Brain Healthy
As you age, there are ways to keep your brain healthy and properly functioning!
A top tip for brain and body health is daily exercise. Take time each day to walk your neighborhood, dance to your favorite song, or swim a few laps in the pool.
You should also be investing time into challenging and growing your brain. Do a puzzle, or learn a few words in a new language.
Don’t forget to eat healthy foods and get plenty of sleep. These healthy habits help your brain and heart.
Effects of Aging: The Difference Between Dementia and Senility
Many individuals develop dementia as they age, but almost every individual experiences a form of senility in their late life. It’s important to understand the difference between dementia and senility.
Dementia is a medically diagnosed deterioration of an individual’s cognitive abilities. Senility refers to aging-related cognitive difficulties. It’s important to note the term ‘senile’ is not often used due to its negative connotation.
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