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

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

Causes of younger onset dementia that may be able to be reversed include:

• alcohol-related brain damage
• inflammation — due to health problems like multiple sclerosis
• infection — such as HIV
• heavy metal poisoning
• other health problems — like ones that affect your thyroid gland

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 most causes of 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.

Some people feel better when they find out what is causing their symptoms.

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

• your family and friends
• your doctor
• a psychologist

Living with younger onset dementia

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

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

NDIS support

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding for people under the age of 65 with a disability.

The NDIS could be a great help for someone with younger onset dementia. You will need to be assessed for an individual plan.

Here are some ways the NDIS might be able to help:

• paying for home modifications
• gardening, cleaning, home maintenance, and equipment
• showering, dressing, preparing meals, managing your medicines
• participating in activities, groups of interest and holidays.
• access to treatments like speech pathology or dietary advice
• finding or maintaining paid or voluntary employment
• financial management

You can read more about living with dementia. We also have information about getting support if you are caring for someone with dementia.

Can younger onset dementia be prevented?

Many types of dementia can't be prevented, but there are ways you can reduce your chance of developing dementia. Taking care of your health, staying active and spending time with others can help you maintain your skills and memory:

• Have regular check-ups with your doctor to make sure your blood pressure and cholesterol are at healthy levels.
• Keep health conditions like diabetes under control.
• Talk to your doctor if you are feeling depressed or anxious.
• Protect your head from injury by wearing protective headgear when playing certain sports or a helmet when riding your bike.
• Keep your eyes healthy — poor eyesight makes it harder to see things and can make you feel more isolated.
• Get regular hearing tests and wear your hearing aids if you need them.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can also help. This includes:

• keeping active
• quitting smoking
• reducing alcohol
• keeping a healthy bodyweight
• staying socially active by keeping in touch with friends and joining community groups and activities
• lowering your exposure to air pollution

Read more about ways to support your mental health and wellbeing.

Resources and support

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

Dementia Australia also coordinates support groups and peer support across Australia.

Call the Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 if you're a carer and need counselling support.

Services Australia has resources to help you care for someone with dementia.

Find out more about the NDIS support for people with younger onset dementia.

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 you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.