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When the Mind Shifts: Dementia, Personality, and Ageing

  • Writer: Amy Lok
    Amy Lok
  • 2 hours ago
  • 4 min read

What’s the first thought that comes to mind when you see the term ‘dementia’? Memory loss? Something that happens to you as you age? The word ‘dementia’ has been used quite broadly, so let me explain it a little better. Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. It includes memory loss, changes in behaviour, and difficulty with problem solving. It comes in many types, such as Alzheimer’s disease. 


It is important to note that dementia is experienced differently by everyone, and that it is not only found in the elderly (65+), nor is it a natural part of aging. In this article, we will focus on some emotional and behavioural changes caused by dementia. I will also share my experience interacting with senior patients as a non-clinical hospital volunteer. 


Dementia and the brain

To understand the emotional and behavioral changes due to dementia, we should first look at the brain, its structure, and the functions of different regions. Damage in the brain does not happen in isolation – different types of dementia target different regions, but as the disease progresses, multiple networks get affected. In most forms of dementia, the limbic system - which is a region that helps processing emotions, is damaged. 


This can change how someone feels and can even cause delusions, making them more anxious and affecting their daily life. The damage in the brain differs for the type of dementia. For example, Alzheimer’s disease starts in and around the hippocampus (also part of the limbic system), which processes fresh memories. This is why memory loss is one of the first symptoms of Alzheimer's. In Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the frontal lobes are more highly affected.


The frontal lobes play many roles, such as processing information, organising, and decision making. It also controls personality and behaviour, including how one acts socially. This may be the reason if the person with dementia says hurtful or rude words without meaning to.




Behavioural changes related to dementia

Dementia can directly cause behavioural changes due to changes in the brain, for example, being unable to express their needs or acting inappropriately. However, it can also be less straightforward than that. There are three types of basic human needs, and all three of them - physical, social, and psychological needs can be affected. 


Physical needs: 

  • In discomfort, such as feeling sick or uncomfortable in their position

  • Due to the environment, such as the room being hot or noisy


Social needs: 

  • Feeling lonely and isolated, bored, due to a variety of reasons, such as not having family close by, or feeling like no one understands them

  • Trying to hide their condition from other people because of embarrassment or guilt


Psychological needs: 

  • Being frustrated with losing independence

  • confused, depressed, and unmotivated to do the things they used to enjoy


Behavioural changes vary from person to person, and can be hard to identify, especially if the person struggles to communicate. But they are important to address. 


Anecdotes 

During my time as a hospital volunteer, I helped out in a ward dedicated to elderly patients with a range of conditions, including dementia and diabetic foot problems. It was a completely new experience for me, and I had no idea what to expect. Most patients were nice to me, and other hospital staff thanked me when I helped them out. However, I did notice some odd behaviours. There was a lady who let out random shouts, someone who didn’t know where they were and was terrified when they saw me, a man reacting strongly and refusing his lunch, a few were awake but unresponsive…and the list goes on.

 

There was one encounter that particularly struck me. One time, I was serving soup, and I got to this lady. She stopped what she was doing, looked me in the eyes, and said, “I am alive.” Over and over again. I didn’t understand what she meant by that, whether it was a moment of clarity, convincing herself, due to her condition, or something else entirely. But she looked so serious when she said it that it stuck with me. It was a tiny glimpse of her sense of self. Something that gradually fades with dementia, no matter how hard you fight to keep it, the disease may overcome you.


Conclusion

As the population ages, more and more people will get dementia in some form. Yes, there are ways to reduce your risk of dementia, like doing regular exercise, not smoking, and staying socially active; however, it is impossible to prevent it entirely. As of now, the best way to fight back is to treat those with dementia with some respect, compassion, and honor small moments of shared joy and humanity.


Written by Amy Lok


References



Alzheimer's Society. (2022, August 3). What Is dementia? Www.alzheimers.org.uk; Alzheimer’s Society. https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/what-is-dementia


Behavior & Personality Changes. (2025). Memory and Aging Center. https://memory.ucsf.edu/caregiving-support/behavior-personality-changes


National Health Service. (2023). What is dementia. Nhs.uk; NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia/about-dementia/what-is-dementia/


 
 
 

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