Senility is the extreme stage of cerebral arteriosclerosis, which produces in the aged symptoms approaching dementia. The mind of the senile person becomes feeble and he may be so confused that he requires constant care and attention, and cannot be left alone. This condition is also marked by extreme forgetfulness. In such moments, he may begin to do something in one part of the house and then suddenly go off to another room, forgetting what he had started out to do. In other instances, the senile person may wander away from his home and walk confusedly about, not even having presence of mind to ask directions.

Often, the rest cycle is reversed, and the senile person sleeps during the day instead of at night. He will be active all night, moving about from room to room while the rest of the household sleeps.  At daybreak, drowsiness sets in and he may sleep and doze the rest of the day.

In the most advanced stages of senility, all touch with reality may be lost and symptoms of dementia manifested. Coherent communication with others becomes impossible and helplessness, incontinence, and loss of brain function are noted. At this stage, hospitalization is often the best solution, and a large percentage of beds in mental institutions are devoted to senile persons.

In treating senility, the doctor will check and prescribe accordingly for high blood pressure, overweight and diabetes. Any correctible illness or condition will also be treated, including diet deficiencies and anemia, both fairly common among senile persons. In most cases, the teeth and digestion of the aged will be in such poor condition that a bland diet of chopped meats and strained and pureed vegetables will be advised. An effort should be made to cater to the special tastes and preferences of the individual, who maybe “cranky” about his food. In treating the reversed sleep cycle, a combination of mild stimulant in the morning and a moderate sedative at night is effected in most cases, although the situation may be fairly difficult to control. Tranquilizing drugs, among other measures, have been found effective in treatment of the extremely confused. Much remains to be learned and done in the care and treatment of senility.

This information was taken from the New Illustrated Medical and Health Encyclopedia.