Memory impairment or dementia affects millions of people and their families. Clinically defined, it is an organic mental syndrome that affects long and short-term memory; cognitive functioning as well as abstract thinking and judgement.

Symptoms may include memory loss, confusion, speech impairment, personality change, agitation, anxiety, depression, withdrawal and wandering. Alzheimer’s disease, the primary cause of dementia, is irreversible.

As the disease progresses, those affected lose their ability to care for themselves and function independently. When an individual reaches this stage, many families seek specialized, experienced, care options in a cost-effective setting.