Interplay of Dementia and the Representations of Advanced Old Age

Dementia, characterized by cognitive decline due to changes in specific brain regions, has become a major global cause of disability among older individuals. While not an inevitable consequence of ageing, the risk of developing dementia significantly increases with age, challenging historical ambiguities that once linked dementia to both "pathological" and "normal" aspects of ageing. Despite success in garnering public support for research, efforts to destigmatize Alzheimer's paradoxically strengthened the link between ageing representations and dementia. The medicalization of memory loss and the focus on early diagnosis further complicated the relationship between representations of ageing and dementia. The paper explores the role of dementia in articulating anxieties about population ageing, autonomy loss, and advanced old age. It investigates the specific role of dementia as a symbolic framework for articulating broader concerns about frailty and agency in later life.