Dementia has caused challenges and heartache for many families I have met. A loved one who no longer recognizes you could be difficult to deal with. I've had clients who didn't know their own children and didn't know their environment. Even though they have lived in the same house for over 30 years; now it's a strange new place to explore. Closets, bedrooms and garages once frequented are now entered with caution and wonder. Everyday objects are puzzles just waiting to be solved. The more the illness progresses, the more difficult it becomes to grasp the present. The past, like an old friend, beckons and comes to life, bringing to the surface old friends and relatives of yesteryear. Stories of days gone by are repeated and relived again and again. I'm constantly searching while wanting to understand what's going on. Not being able to piece together the answers is frustrating. Frustration is accompanied by irritability and insomnia, turning days into nights and nights into days. Daily tasks have become impossible, confusing and painful. Dementia sometimes goes years undetected; it is one of the most difficult diseases to diagnose. Because dementia is an incurable disease that progresses over time, we must be diligent in finding a cure to prevent more victims. History In the 17th and 19th centuries, dementia was synonymous with madness. However, many knew that people with this disease suffered permanent and irreversible damage unlike mental disorders in which the brain remains intact (2006). Dementia was often referred to as senile, which is common with old age. Studies over the years have shown that this disease is much more serious and causes damage to certain areas of the brain. Alois Alzheimer in 1910 noticed tangles, plaques and arterios...... middle of paper ......its with time we must be diligent in finding a cure to prevent further of victims. More research is the key to finding the answers that will help our loved ones overcome this terrible mind-altering disorder. Studies and testing are important to protect our future and future generations. Works cited Alzheimer and dementia. (2013). Signs and symptoms retrieved from https://alz.orgCHARACTERISTICS AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DEMENTIA. (2002). In Encyclopedia of the Human Brain. Retrieved from https://hodges.idm.oclc.org/login?DEFINING AND DIAGNOSING DEMENTIA. (2005). In The Cambridge Handbook of Age and Aging. Retrieved from https://hodges.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://www.credoreference.com.hodges.Dementia. (2006). In The Encyclopedia of Aging. Retrieved from https://hodges.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://www.credoreference.com.hodges.idm.oclc.org/entry/spencage/dementia