What is younger onset dementia?

Younger onset dementia is any form of dementia that occurs in people between the ages of 14 to 65 years. It's sometimes called early onset dementia.

Younger onset dementia is the same as dementia in an older person. But the disease can affect your life in different ways. As a younger person, you are more likely to be:

• employed full time
• raising a family
• financially responsible for a family
• physically healthy

What are the symptoms of younger onset dementia?

The symptoms of younger onset dementia can be different to those seen in older adults with dementia.

Symptoms may include changes in your:

• behaviour
• language
• personality
• executive function — such as attention, memory and planning

Your work colleagues may notice that your abilities at work are affected.

Many other conditions can produce symptoms that are like dementia, such as:

• vitamin and hormone deficiencies
• depression
• side effects of medicines
• infections
• brain tumours

What causes younger onset dementia?

There are many different causes of dementia in younger people. Some causes of early onset dementia are:

• Alzheimer's disease — the most common cause of dementia in younger people
• vascular dementia — caused by problems with blood flow to your brain
• frontotemporal dementia — which affects the front part of your brain
• dementia with Lewy bodies
• alcohol-related brain damage

Each type of dementia has its own symptoms and causes specific changes in your brain.

When should I see my doctor?

See your doctor if you are concerned that you have younger onset dementia.

An early diagnosis lets you plan for the future.

How is younger onset dementia diagnosed?

Unfortunately, there is no single test that can confirm younger onset dementia.

Your doctor will talk with you about your symptoms and your medical history. They may also examine you. They may arrange for:

• cognitive tests to check your memory and thinking
• urine tests and blood tests
• medical imaging to look at your brain — such as an MRI scan

Read more about the tests used in diagnosing dementia.

Your doctor can diagnose younger onset dementia once other causes of your symptoms have been ruled out.

An early diagnosis allows you to plan for your future. You can start to talk about the medical treatment and further help you will need.

How is younger onset dementia treated?

There's no cure for younger onset dementia, but occupational therapy can help you to stay independent.

A diagnosis of younger onset dementia can come as a shock. You may feel angry or sad. There can be a huge sense of loss. These feelings are normal.

You may find it helpful to talk about your diagnosis with:

• your family and friends
• your doctor
• a psychologist

Planning for the future

Planning ahead makes the future easier for you and your loved ones. If you have younger onset dementia, it's important to make decisions while you still can.

Things that you may want to consider are:

• finances
• legal matters — is your will up to date and easy to find?
• medical care — including end of life planning
• work — do you want to continue working?

Younger onset dementia can affect your ability to work. You may need to change roles or stop working earlier than expected. This can put extra financial strain on your family.

If you decide to keep working, you will need to talk to your employer about your condition. It's important to plan for this discussion. You may want to take a trusted person with you. Employers must make reasonable adjustments to let you do your work.

If you chose to leave work, it's important to think about your options for financial support. This may be from:

• income protection
• accessing your superannuation early
• applying for the Disability Support Pension through Services Australia
• applying for support from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

You can read more about living with dementia and about getting support if you are caring for someone with dementia.

Resources and support

Dementia Australia's younger onset dementia page is a good place to start for further information. You can call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500.

Dementia Australia also coordinates support groups across Australia. Support groups can give comfort and assistance for carers, relatives and friends of people with dementia.

If you care for someone with younger onset dementia visit Carers Australia. You can call the Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.