Dementia destroys brain cells, causing the person to lose the ability to speak and to understand speech (aphasia). The person typically has difficulties remembering the right words and processing what others are saying.

This condition worsens as dementia progresses.

In the early stages of dementia, the person may carry on conversations only occasionally forgetting a word or using the wrong words. With the disease advancing, dementia patients usually have trouble remembering or learning new phrases, confusing the meaning of the words, or resuming a conversation after an interruption.

They may jump from topic to topic without completing the sentence and struggle with understanding speech and language. The person’s language also becomes unclear and extremely limited.

All of this can be very frustrating for dementia patients, their caregivers, and family members.