Objective:

To analyze the meaning of dementia by those affected by it, and to give them a voice.

Material and methods:

Descriptive phenomenology through interviews with people of both genders who are over 50 years old and living in Tarragona (Spain), with a diagnosis of mild or moderate dementia, mainly related to Alzheimer's disease.

Results:

Three main themes emerged: 1) normalization of memory loss in early stages as part of the natural aging process; 2) self-awareness of progressive memory decline, which is concealed from others, and 3) adaptation processes and strategies to coexist with their condition after diagnosis.

Conclusions:

The most evident features were the lack of specialized infrastructures within the health system in terms of care, prevention programs, and early detection.

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