With aging it is normal to have some decrease in our thinking abilities, including memory. That is, because we really have lost brain cells resulting in the slowing of our responses. For example, if we put our keys in the same place each time we will know where they are. However, if we get distracted or preoccupied, we may put the keys in a new place without paying attention, and the next day we cannot find them. Rather than a concern with memory loss, we should recognize that it was a lapse in attention and concentration, and so the location of the keys was simply never recorded in our long-term memory. Another age-related issue is that it takes more effort to retrieve stored information. This explains why we temporarily forget a person's name or cannot recall a specific word.What we know as memory is actually a three-step process. First, there is short term memory, lasting a matter of seconds or a few minutes. Unless the second stage occurs those bits of information will disappear. The second stage includes the thought process of attention and concentration, allowing those pieces of information to be encoded into long term or remote memories. Thus, we will remember our high school graduation 45 years ago seemingly easier than where our keys are. The third stage is to retrieve and use consolidated information.With Alzheimer's and some dementias, the disease begins to attack the part of the brain that encodes those short-term memories into long term and remote memories. Without encoding and consolidating these thoughts it becomes impossible to retrieve this information. A case in point would be that it is no longer a question of trying to find your checkbook but one of remembering to pay your bills. Recognizing the difference between normal aging and a more serious decline in our ability to think/ remember and requiring medical attention will make an important difference in the care of our loved ones.This article was submitted by Morley Shaw, PhD., of Haven Behavioral Senior Care at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center. For more information call 719-565-4000.