Dementia Myths - BUSTED!

Dispelling the myths of dementia

Dementia is an often misunderstood disorder, and those misconceptions can cause confusion, and sometimes trouble for people with dementia and their caregivers.

Today, I thought I would start a list of dementia myths and share whether they’re true.

Dementia Myth #1: The Terms Alzheimer’s and Dementia are Interchangeable

Many people will say, “Oh, she has ‘old-timers’,” often meaning Alzheimer’s. But do they really mean Alzheimer’s or do they mean dementia?

Dementia is the overriding diagnosis of several more specific disorders. In my article, What Is Dementia Exactly I get into more detail about these various types.

Someone can have dementia and not have Alzheimer’s Disease at all. They could have a different form of the disorder.

This is important because each subtype of dementia affects people differently, and they have different causes, some of which are yet unidentified. By incorrectly labeling the disease, you may impair the treatment or expectations.

Dementia Myth #2: Dementia is Just Part of the Aging Process

I had a great-grandmother who lived to be ninety-six. She was as sharp on the day she died as she’d been forty years earlier.

Did she get confused sometimes? Yes.

Like the day after the 1974 Xenia (Ohio) tornado, but many people were confused. Not all of them got out on the county road in front of their farmhouse and hitchhiked into town, though, so they could get to their son’s house.

No. Grandma Harlow had all of her marbles until the day she died.

Not everyone will get dementia.

Additionally, there is early-onset dementia, so you can’t say it’s a part of the aging process then either.

Photo by Laura Fuhrman on Unsplash

Dementia Myth #3: The Only Impact of Dementia is Impaired Memory

Sooooo many other parts of your mind and body are impacted by dementia, yet people only seem to associate it with memory loss.

In addition to impaired memory, people with dementia may have difficulty with language and speech, problem-solving, making correct judgments, decision making, and abstract thinking.

Working with numbers and finances can become a real problem, for example, and it has nothing to do with memory.

In my father’s last five weeks, he lost the ability to go to the bathroom. Not that he was incontinent, quite the opposite. Urine stayed in his bladder, and when the doctor told me his bladder could explode, he wasn’t exaggerating, or so he said. Your bladder can rupture if it becomes too full.

Dementia Myth #4: You Can Prevent Dementia

I wish this were true, I really do, but if someone is trying to sell you a cure for dementia, ask them if they also have some swampland in Florida you can buy.

I’ve read studies that say a Mediterranean or the MIND diet are associated with fewer signs of Alzheimer’s pathology - words straight from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Note that it says ‘associated with’ and ‘fewer’ - not for sure and not preventative.

The studies on Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia are fascinating, and I guess with a researcher background, I tend to dig into these types of things.

Now, I hear you. But what about vascular dementia? Well, yes, you can make changes in your diet and exercise regimen, and you can visit your doctor regularly and ask for suggestions to reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease. But even then, these aren’t preventatives but ways to reduce your risk.

Dementia Myth #5: People with Dementia are Aggressive and/or Violent

We have a condo across the street that kind of got labeled the dementia house because three consecutive owners developed dementia in one form or another. In all three cases, coincidentally, violence was involved.

For my father, he wasn’t violent until the very end when something big died in his brain. Before that, he was a pussycat. He was the sweetest person you’d ever want to meet.

Although, as I say that, there was always an exception, and that was when someone was cutting down a tree that was within his line of sight. Then, he’d get fired up. Otherwise, it was thank you Darlin’ anytime I made him a meal, got something for him or took him somewhere.

In some people with dementia, it’s worth seeking medical help if your loved one becomes aggressive or violent. It may be that they’re experiencing pain that they can’t verbalize.

People with dementia also get anxiety, which can make anyone a little cranky. There are many causes outside of a dementia diagnosis that can cause violence and aggression. Be sure to engage a doctor to dig into this problem further.

Myth #6: Dementia is Hereditary

While your risk is increased, you aren’t guaranteed to get dementia just because one of your parents had it.

Whew right?

Hold on though. Some forms of dementia carry a higher risk, Alzheimer’s Disease being one.

Additionally, since vascular dementia can be caused by a stroke or heart disease, one could argue that it may be hereditary since stroke and heart disease are.

Still, my education tells me that people often mistake heredity for lifestyle.

What I mean by that is that a family may live or eat in a specific way, putting them at higher or lower risk of developing these conditions. That can be mistaken for a genetic component when, in fact, it’s lifestyle.

Myth #7: Dementia is a Death Sentence

My father didn’t die of dementia. He died of a stroke - at least that’s what I believe. We did no autopsy. I base my opinion on the fact that the antipsychotics he was taking at relatively high doses presented a higher risk for stroke, plus he had a family history of stroke.

His death certificate says heart attack, and I could actually argue for that too, based on how stressful his last five weeks were.

People with dementia often die from complications of something else, just like the rest of us. It isn’t the brain disorder itself that kills them, but something else that their body simply couldn’t fight off.

My grandmother who had Alzheimer’s died of a stoke at age ninety-three. Her mother lived to be one hundred and three years old. While she had dementia, she died of congestive heart failure.

Myth #8: People with Dementia Don’t Know What’s Going On

Ohhhh don’t make this mistake.

My father had a keen sense of what was going on around him. He might not have always known how to process the incoming information, but he knew.

People with dementia may have difficulties in communicating, but don’t mistake this for not knowing what’s going on.

Consequently, don’t talk about them like they aren’t there or can’t comprehend what you’re saying.

As their disease progresses, yes, they may have more difficulty processing incoming information, but don’t treat them like they aren’t there.

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Myth #9: Dementia is Caused by Aluminum

Oh Lordy. I had never heard of this until I started my search of dementia myths and this one has shown up twice, so it goes on the list.

Dementia is not caused by aluminum.

If this were true, almost everyone would have dementia because aluminum is/was found in cookware, soda cans, and a host of other products.

The early studies done on this turned out to have been done on animals that were already susceptible to aluminum poisoning, so the testing isn’t valid.

Studies done since have disproven this idea. There is no link between dementia and aluminum.

Myth #10: There is no Treatment for People with Dementia

There is, in fact, treatment to slow the progression of the symptoms. Additionally, there are conditions that make dementia worse, and in those cases, treating those conditions can help.

Anemia, congestive heart failure, depression, UTI, and thyroid disorders can all make dementia symptoms worse, so treating them may alleviate some of that confusion.

As far as medications to slow the progression, patients and doctors must work together to freely and openly communicate until the proper dosages can be determined.

For Dad, the side effects of the medication was undesirable and he refused them. Would it have helped? No way to know. He said no and we respected his wishes. And when he said no, he was still of fairly sound mind.

Myth #11: People with Dementia are Powerless Victims

For the first several years, people with dementia live just like you and I. They live happy, normal lives. Yes, they experience some occasional symptoms, like my mother, but overall, you wouldn’t know something was coming on unless you spent a lot of time with them.

Of course, as the disease progresses, people with dementia rely more on caregivers to help them navigate the day, but I would never consider someone with dementia to be a victim.

Myth #12: People with Dementia Cannot Learn

When we got our dog, Charli, I worried that Dad wouldn’t be able to remember her name. She just turned five in March (2025), so we got her well into Dad’s dementia journey.

But he did learn it, and pretty quickly too. I was actually quite amazed. But she also became a very important part of his life. We took her every time we went to visit him in memory care.

People who have dementia can learn, but it may take more effort and time. Their concentration isn’t what it once was, and this makes it harder, but not impossible. I know Dad would forget her name sometimes, but since I feared he wouldn’t learn it, I thought this was still a win.

Myth #13: A Dementia Diagnosis Means no Quality of Life

This isn’t true at all, and to some extent, this lands on a caregiver at some point.

Now don’t get angry with me, hear me out.

Dad played pickleball until COVID hit and everything shut down. We live in Ohio, where everything shut down pretty quickly. I believe that lack of activity contributed more to his steady decline than anything else.

Before COVID, he played pickleball probably four to five days a week. Once he was forced to stay home all day, every day, his arthritis got way worse and his mind more quickly began to deteriorate.

People who are diagnosed with dementia can still live full, rich lives, but some of that depends on the caregiver, at some point, and how willing they are to keep their loved one active and engaged in activities they enjoy.

Wrapping Up Dementia Myths

I found other myths, like coconut oil prevents or cures dementia - something like that.

My best advice is that if you hear something, do your own research. Ask your loved one’s doctor about it. Don’t just take it for Gospel.

Today with AI, people can make up anything they want and make it appear to be real. One stupid meme on social media goes viral and everyone believes that what it says is true.

Be smart about the care of your loved one. Do your research first and determine whether there’s any validity to what you’re reading or hearing.

The research is ongoing and extensive, and maybe a day will come when someone will find a cure or a preventative, but that day isn’t here yet. Any snake oil salesman who promises you a cure today is just out for your money.

Do you know of another myth? Share it in the comments below!