MHM Magazine

Issue 5 | 2021 | MENTALHEALTHMATTERS | 9 MHM TYPES OF MEMORIES AND THE EFFECT ON THE PERSON LIVING WITH DEMENTIA BY LORAINE SCHIRLINGER (REGISTERED NURSE) Memory is the capacity to store and retrieve information. All three memory processes – sensory, short-term and long-term memory are affected by Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. It’s a misconception that Alzheimer’s completely eradicates memory however. One of the many tragedies of the Disease is that there are periods of lucidity, although periods of memory loss do become longer as the Disease progresses. Short-term memory is crucial for the development of long-term memory. Automatic procedures like walking, or moving your hands to your mouth to eat, are infiltrated by the Disease. A prime example of this is a person’s ability to stand and walk. People By by Loraine Schirlinger, Sylvia Birkhead, Kim Lewitte, Yolanda Steyn for Alzheimer’s SA DIFFERENT DOMAINS OF ALZHEIMER’S AND RELATED DEMENTIAS Alzheimer’s remains one of the most misunderstood diseases despite the fact that up to 80% of dementias are Alzheimer’s Disease. The stigma of fluctuating memory loss being ‘something we all have’ and that it’s a ‘normal part of aging’ is still common. Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging. It’s crucial not to dismiss the importance of education for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.