While everyone can be forgetful now and then, there's a fine line between momentary memory failure and what could be the sign of a more serious problem.

To help individuals determine this, Claire Day, vice president of constituent services for the Delaware chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, said individuals can start by asking themselves a question.

"Is it disrupting your daily life?" said Day in an interview with the Delaware News Journal. "One of the things I really point out is that you are looking for change - a change in your ability when it comes to writing, working or living independently."

Something else to take into consideration is one's age. David Simpson, associate director of clinical services at the Sank Memory Care Center in Wilmington, told the source that the risk for Alzheimer's disease doubles ever five years after the age of 65.

Simpson added that family members should also observe any changes in behavior that seem out of the norm, such as consistent forgetfulness, getting lost in what are normally familiar environments and difficulty forming sentences.