When you hear someone diagnosed with dementia, what do you think that means? When you hear someone diagnosed with Alzheimer’s what does that mean? You may think they are the same thing. In a way they are the same thing. So, what is the difference? The difference is that dementia is “not a specific disease. It's a term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday a