As a person ages, forgetfulness can become a recurring theme. Many will immediately assume that a memory loss disease is beginning to form, but there’s no need to jump to conclusions. There are some memory lapses people can experience that are completely normal.

Absentmindedness – “Wait, what did I come into the kitchen for?”
Going about your day and suddenly forgetting the task at hand isn’t something that you need to worry about. It’s perfectly normal to space out and forget your most recent short term memory. This just means that you weren’t focusing or paying as much attention as you should have been. However, walking or driving home and forgetting where you live is a whole other story (assuming you’ve lived there for years).

Foggy Memory – “Remember 20 years ago… when we went to that place for that thing.”
Remembering something that happened a few hours ago is simple. Trying to remember something that happened a few years ago is a horse of another color. The brain is always looking to make room for new memories, so it’s common for your brain to lose its grip on older ones. Therefore, the more time that is put between you and a memory, the more likely you are to forget certain details of it.

Lack of Retrieval – “What was your name again?”
How many times have you been introduced to someone and a minute later you forgot what their name is? Thanks to aging, neurons in the brain will lose strength in their connectivity to each other. This will cause new information to not be retained unless it is repeated multiple times. So the next time you’re introduced to someone new, say their name in your head three or four times.

There’s a difference between a memory lapse and memory loss, so be sure to consult your doctor to help understand what ails you or your loved one. For other useful tips and information, visit our blog! If you’re interested in learning more, or visiting The Arbors Assisted Living community, schedule a tour by contacting one of our five convenient locations:

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