Aging Quiz – Answer 1
The majority of older adults will become senile (defective memory, disoriented, demented) during old age.
Answer: False – Contrary to popular stereotype, dementia is not a normal part of aging or inevitable. Statistics will vary depending on the study, but most estimate that approximately 2-3 percent of older adults in their seventies experience some form of dementia, 5-10 percent of older adults in their eighties, and may jump to between 20-30 percent of older adults in the nineties. These statistics include mild as well as severe forms of dementia. Research concerning not only the treatment but prevention of dementia is ongoing and promising.