co-authored by Jared Benge, Ph.D.

At some point, you have probably thought: “OMG! This is the third time this week I’ve forgotten where I put my phone. I must have dementia!” But Apple AirTag would never have generated nearly $1 billion in sales if people always knew where their iPhones were when they wanted to leave the house. There are a lot of myths and anxiety surrounding dementia, in large part because the topic can be confusing.

If you are asking whether you have dementia: Chances are you don’t. Forgetting where you left your keys is common. Forgetting the word for “key” and what a key does fits with dementia. At any given time, less than 1% of the US population over the age of 60 experiences dementia, with the rate increasing steadily as the years go on. Among people 85 and older, 13% have dementia. But to be clear, 7 out of 8 don’t have dementia, even in late life. As they say in nightmare dystopias, “The odds are in your favor.”

Dementia is actually not a disease, per se. It is a broad term that encompasses changes in thinking that differ from what is typical with age, represent a major change for the individual, and are significant enough that someone is unable to function independently in daily life. The changes may include declines in memory, disorientation and confusion, or difficulty holding a conversation. There may also be changes in mood or personality, such as agitation and frustration.

In mild dementia, problems with thinking make it difficult to perform complicated tasks, such as driving, managing finances, or handling complex daily activities. To be clear, making mistakes is common, but when thinking skills consistently interfere with the ability to do these tasks, this could be a sign of mild dementia. Moderate and severe dementia refer to stages of decline in which more basic daily........

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