Remember the days when the popular view of old people was that they just gently drifted off with the fairies in their rocking chairs?
Maybe once that's how it seemed.
But today's diagnosis of dementia is brutal. We're encouraged to talk about people 'living with' the disease, rather than 'suffering' from it. But the truth is that as dementia progresses, suffering happens. Not just for the person with the disease, but for everyone who cares for and about them.
The diagnosis is still a relatively new thing. When my mum was pronounced to have it, I didn't know what it was. When she passed away in 2008, the vicar of a large church in her home town who conducted the funeral said he had never come across a case before.
Now though there is a wealth of information within easy reach. And charities like the Alzheimer's Society and AgeUK offer support nationwide and locally. Communities offer clubs and befrienders. Retailers train their staff to interact positively with those with dementia. We have come a long way in our understanding.
But what about a cure? Or preventing the onset of dementia entirely - or delaying it at least?
A great deal of research has been focused on dementia in recent years. There's been a small breakthrough in finding a drug that might help in some circumstances. Studies are regularly coming to light encouraging us to look at steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones. We have a round up of latest thinking about preventing dementia on our When They Get Older website.
We are getting there, but it seems to be baby steps. The knowledge that there is greater understanding in the world of this devastating illness is good, and we can but hope that the energy being focused on solutions will soon bear fruit.