Forgetfulness is an early sign of dementia, but also normal as we age; experts explain the difference

40 per cent of us experience some memory loss after the age of 65. But normally that loss is so mild it does not interrupt our lives. The biggest culprit is multitasking, a psychology professor says. Yet there’s a difference between ordinary forgetfulness and the kind that leads to dementia. A friend and I meet for coffee. Her mother has dementia, as did mine, and we share the fear of developing that illness. So we are both keenly aware of how well our memory is working. Memory loss is often an early sign. I find myself fretting every time somebody says, “Remember when …” and I don’t. But memory loss is also normal as we age and a rusty memory does not necessarily mean we are about to be tipped into the abyss that is Alzheimer’s disease.