Dementia is perceived as part of the normal process of ageing. Memory loss is almost normalised, and this means that little help or formal health care is sought and often, only in the late stages. Lack of knowledge of dementia, its symptoms and causes also cause many people, especially in individuals with low resources and low educational attainment, to attribute what happens as the result of an external factor such as stress, alcohol consumption, sequelae of another illness/being in hospital, and in some cases, of someone “wishing you ill”.

On the other hand, hiding the illness/symptoms to others outside the household (at times even to close family members) or the person with dementia when the dementia is in its advance stages, is a common practice. Moreover, even health professionals sometimes hide the diagnosis to the person and will disclose only to the family members or primary carer.