Age

• Just like a human's other body parts tend to slow down and become less active with age, so too does the brain. It is common for people who are in their elderly years to have difficulty processing information and remembering simple steps. The brain also can shrink in volume, and there may be a loss of nerve cells as well.
  
  

Heredity

• Elderly dementia can also be a disease that is inherited. If a close family member, particularly a parent, suffered from dementia, the chances of the child of that person acquiring the same disease greatly increase. Unfortunately, this is sometimes a disease that may affect many members of the same family as they age.
  
  

Depression

• Depression can also be a trigger for elderly dementia symptoms. If the patient has suffered from depression for many years, simple things such as remembering birthdays, names or appointments may gradually become more difficult. It can also have a negative impact on problem solving skills. The stress that severe depression puts on the brain can contribute to the loss of neurons that enable a person to remember things properly and make decisions that are well thought out.
  
  

Medications

• When an elderly patient is taking a variety of daily medications, symptoms of dementia may develop. This is due primarily to the fact that dosage amounts of regular daily medicines may need to be adjusted as people age. The amount of medication a person needs to take when he is 50 could be vastly different by the time he reaches the age of 70 or older. This is because the natural body chemistry may be different, and there are possible changes in weight and stature that may have occurred over the years. It is always best to have a medication evaluation every few years to be sure those same prescriptions will adequately meet the needs of the person at a later time.
  
  

Alzheimer's Disease

• Unfortunately, the symptoms of elderly dementia can also be a sign of the onset of a disease known as Alzheimer's disease. This disease is characterized by frequent loss of memory, as in dementia, and develops into more severe mental illnesses that include losing the ability to reason, to interact with others, loss of speech and complete loss of perception. This disease has been reported to affect as much as 50 percent of all people over the age of 85. Due to the loss of much-needed nerve cells in the brain, Alzheimer's disease may even lead to death.