Cognitive impairment
Deterioration or loss of intellectual capacity. Can result from a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Often leads to a need for continual supervision to protect the affected individual or others. Can be measured by clinical evidence and standardized tests that reliably measure impairments in the area of (1) short- or long-term memory, (2) orientation as to person, place and time, or (3) deductive or abstract reasoning.