A guide to understanding dementia 5 Alzheimer’s versus dementia What’s the difference? Many times we are asked what is the difference, or are there any differences? So, let’s help clarify the differences for you in a simple way. Dementia is an umbrella term for anything that can cause issues with brain functioning such as confusion, memory loss, or loss of problem solving ability. While Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in older people. In a nutshell... ...dementia is a symptom, and Alzheimer’s disease is the cause of the symptom.