Causes of forgetfulness in the elderly Bad habits Bad habits may lead to forgetfulness, for example, some elderly people have the habit of smoking or drinking alcohol, which causes long-term damage to the brain and then shows the symptoms of forgetfulness. In addition, some elderly people are seriously picky eaters, resulting in insufficient nutrition for the body and not enough nutrition for the brain, so memory loss. Illnesses that affect the elderly may also cause forgetfulness if they suffer from some serious diseases. Alzheimer’s disease, for example, is a disease that causes severe forgetfulness and is more frequent, and there is no treatment for it. Also shrinkage of the brain, brain tumors and some traumatic injuries may cause memory loss. Although scientists are unable to explain exactly why, it is speculated to be related to a person’s genes. When one or both parents have a problem with forgetfulness, the gene may be passed on to the child, causing the child to become forgetful. Age Factors Age is also a possibility for amnesia, as you know, because with increasing age, the functions of the organs of the middle-aged and elderly continue to decline, and so does the function of the brain. As well as the slowing down of the nervous system response, this often causes amnesia.