What is Young Onset Dementia?

Dementia is often thought of as a disease that primarily affects older adults. And while most dementia cases involve those over 65, not all of them do. Last week, we talked about frontotemporal dementia, which is the most common form of dementia for people under the age of 65. Frontotemporal dementia is just one cause of young-onset dementia, or dementia that occurs in younger adults. Alzheimer’s disease is another cause of Young-onset dementia.

Those with young-onset dementia have unique challenges. They may still be employed, be raising kids, and taking care of parents. Some of the first symptoms of young-onset dementia include personality and judgement changes, which sometimes leads to misdiagnosis.

There are resources available for families who have received a diagnosis of young-onset dementia. One group, Lorenzo’s House, provides support for families that have received a diagnosis. You can find a full breadth of their resources by visiting their website. The Alzheimer’s Association and the Association for Frontotemporal Dementia also have resources on their websites.

The video below from the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada provides a helpful description of young-onset dementia and how its similarities and differences to older-onset dementia.