There are thousands of documented medical conditions. Everyday, more are being discovered by doctors. Diseases fall into two categories. One category, known as Communicable diseases, consists of diseases that are can be infected or transferred from person to person. This happens mostly when there is exchange or contact of body fluids, personal items or respiratory gases. Communicable diseases are easier to treat though. On the other hand, non communicable diseases cannot be passed from one individual to the other. Risk factors such as lifestyle, diet and genetics play a big role in this category. These diseases are much harder to treat and they involve costly treatment regimes. One of the non-communicable diseases is Dementia. This is a translation from Latin, which simply means madness of the mind. Dementia mostly affects the aged. It involves gradual memory loss over time. Early onset Dementia occurs if the patient has not yet reached the age of 65. It also affects children, especially those who are severely ill and have suffered from Meningitis, which affects brain cells. This is therefore called Juvenile Dementia. Against popular perception, Dementia is not a single disease. It is a term that represents a group of conditions that affect the brain, which in the process, affects speech, visual perception, attention, memory and problem solving. Individuals suffering from Dementia have trouble with managing cash transactions and simple tasks, remembering appointments and loss of short memory. Most of the cases are progressive. This implies that they start small and unnoticeable, but eventually grow to be worse over time. The symptoms of Dementia are quite easy to spot. However, a doctor should be consulted just to make sure the right diagnosis is done. Dementia is mainly caused by damage of the brain cells. This occurs during the ageing process. This interferes with brain cells communication with each other. The condition becomes more problematic if the brain cells affected lie on one part of the brain. This affects the activities that are associated with that side of the brain. Patients usually suffer from emotional instability and fitting well in social situations. Doctors are yet to come up with a standard test for Dementia. Tests are done for other medical conditions like Alzheimer. The doctor usually carries out physical examinations, laboratory tests and behavioural changes to certain situations. Due to overlapping of symptoms and changes in the brain, it is quite difficult to determine what kind of Dementia the individual is suffering from. Treatment depends upon the cause and progression of the disease. Most cases do not have a cure. Treatment is therefore aimed at slowing or stopping the progression of the disease. The best alternative for Dementia is the hiring of a home care professional. The professional renders services like recreation, education, meals, supervision and monitoring, emotional support and home care. More specialised services include mental and psychiatric support. Feeding of patients with feeding tubes may be done in advanced cases, where the patient is not able to swallow. The home care provider is best placed to handle the patient as he or she understands the patient, can talk with them well and can know how to control the patient’s emotions. Prevention is simple. Physical and mental exercises, change of diet and change of lifestyle are best prevention methods. Just like in many cases, smoking and drinking should be avoided.