December 10, 2016 For many the terms dementia and Alzheimer's Disease are the same. Each one can make it difficult to communicate with a loved one. However, dementia and Alzheimer's are two entirely different diagnoses. There are many differences and, if you are concerned about a friend or relative, you will want to know what they are. What is Dementia? Dementia is not a disease. It is a syndrome. In other words, it is a health condition that causes a group of symptoms. Dementia can affect one's ability to communicate properly and perform their normal daily activities. Symptoms of Dementia Forgetfulness that progresses over time Lose track of the time Not able to complete complicated tasks Questions are repetitive Trouble making good decisions Confusion Paranoia Anxiety Depression Aggression Causes of Dementia Degenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, or Alzheimer's Disease Vascular diseases Chronic drug use Infections Reactions to medications Brain injury Brain tumor Poor nutrition What is Alzheimer's Disease? Alzheimer's Disease is considered a progressive disease or one that worsens over time. The disease is one that can rob one of their memory and their ability to take care of themselves. It is the leading cause of dementia. While there is no cure for Alzheimer's Disease, there are treatments and medications that can help to manage some of the symptoms. Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease Memory loss Trouble concentrating on tasks Not able to make good decisions Forgetting how to do simple tasks Depression Anxiety Mood swings Loss of inhibitions Causes of Alzheimer's Disease The following are all considered to be factors in whether or not a person develops Alzheimer's: Genetic factors Environmental factors Lifestyle factors While dementia and Alzheimer's Disease can often be confused as one and the same, the fact is that dementia can actually be caused by Alzheimer's. Dementia can be a symptom associated with many conditions, including other degenerative diseases. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer's Disease, it is important that you bring it to the attention of a physician. They can assist you in finding out the cause of your concerns. http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=7015&z=58
The key to prevent dementia may be what's on our plate. Make these changes to your lifestyle to lower your chances of dementia & Alzheimer's.
The Dementia Umbrella Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain. It is not one specific disease. Dementia affects thinking, behavior and the ability to perform every day tasks, and brain function is affected enough to interfere with the person's normal social or working life. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. #Dementia #Umbrella #Differential #Diagnosis #Types #Subtypes #Classification #Geriatrics
Get information and resources for Alzheimer's and other dementias from the Alzheimer's Association.
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Having a genetic risk for Alzheimer's can be really scary. But the National Institutes of Health found that people who adhered to at least four of five specific healthy lifestyle factors lowered their risk of Alzheimer’s by sixty percent. Best news of all? Even octogenarians can avoid Alzheimer’s by following these habits...
Vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood supply to the brain due to diseased blood vessels.
Discover what foods cause dementia and those that boost cognitive health. Unveil the connection between nutrition, memory loss, and brain vitality.
Therapeutic fibbing is a communication tactic to alleviate stress and meet people in ‘their reality’. Learn about dementia and therapeutic fibbing.
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Here are 15 nursing care plans (NCP) and nursing diagnoses for patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia.
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What is Dementia? Dementia is a group of brain disorders that disturb and damage cognitive (power of knowing) functions, affecting memory, one’s very personality, judgment, mood and social functioning. Cognitive function refers to all mental tasks we perform every minute from remembering our name to doing mathematical calculations. Memory is the often the first to go. Gradually one will also lose abilities of problem-solving ability, decision-making, judgment, managing physical space, putting words together communicating. One’s very personality also goes for a toss. Eventually people with dementia will NOT be able to take care of themselves they will require round-the-clock care. Dementia is a permanent, progressive disease that affects mostly people after 50-55 years. What causes dementia? All forms of dementia result from of nerve cells and/or the loss of communication among these cells. Some causes of dementia can be reversed, and others cannot. Treatable condition can cause dementia include a high fever, dehydration, vitamin deficiency and poor nutrition, bad reactions to medicines, problems with the thyroid gland, or a minor head injury. What are the different types of dementia? 1. Alzheimer’s disease 2. Dementia with Lewy bodies 3. Parkinson’s disease 4. Multi-infarct or vascular dementia Alzheimer’s disease: - AD is the most common cause of dementia. In AD, nerve cells in the brain die. Symptoms of AD begin slowly with memory problems. The brain damage in AD leads to serious problems in thinking, judgment, and the ability to carry out daily activities. Dementia with Lewy bodies: - Lewy bodies are abnormal structures found in certain areas of the affected brain. Lewy body dementia may affect speed of thinking of, attention and concentration, and visual spatial abilities more severely than memory and language. It can also cause hallucinations and large fluctuations in degree of alertness. Parkinson’s disease Starting with a slowing of the thought processes it leads to difficulty in concentration and results in total confusion. There could be stiffness and shaking of limbs, speech impairment and a shuffling gait (body posture) Multi-infarct or vascular dementia :- In MID, small strokes occur, and blood clots in the blood vessels in the brain cause the death of brain tissue. Symptoms that begin suddenly may be a sign of this kind of dementia. High blood pressure is a cause of strokes and MID Mistaken Symptoms The conditions produce signs and symptoms similar to those of dementia. Two conditions are sometimes mistaken for dementia: Depression: Depression can cause difficulty in remembering, thinking clearly and concentrating. Sometimes depression occurs in conjuction with dementia. In those cases emotional and intellectual deterioration can be especially severe. Delirium: Unlike dementia, delirium is a severe but it is a temporary state of mental confusion. It tends to be most common in elders with heart or lung disease, infections, poor nutrition, medication interactions or hormone disorders. A person who experiences the sudden onset of disorientation, loss of mental skills or loss of consciousness is more likely to have delirium rather than dementia. Who Suffers? Apart from the patient ,it is the care giver and the family who bear the brunt of the disease. It can affect family life ,one’s job, finances ,and one’s physical and mental health. People with dementia usually need more and more care as the disease worsens.The care giver is forced to drift away from family and friends ,because it is difficult to stay socially connected. People in the community may not understand the disease and its related behaviours. Some may be sad or fearful, causing them to retreat from contact with the care giver. Others may not visit because they believe your loved wouldn’t remember the visit anyway. Perhaps as a care giver responsibilities that you have become so immersed in your care giving responsibilities that you don’t have the energy to stay Who is most likely to suffer from dementia? The elderly, those with family histories of dementia, and those with stroke risk factors are at higher risk for dementia. More women than men have dementia because women in general live longer than men. How can I tell if someone suffers from Dementia ? Only Doctors can diagnose dementia through exhaustive medical history taking and thorough physical examination and allied tests. Tests of blood and urine may be done to look for problems. There are also tests of mental abilities (tests of memory, problem solving, counting, and language.) Other kinds of tests used may include brain scans using Computerised tomography(CT Scan) Magnetic resonanceimaging (MRI Scan) Positron emission tomography(PET Scan) How do you treat dementia? Drugs do not halt the disease or reverse existing brain damage; they can improve symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. This may improve the patient’s quality of life, ease the burden on caregivers, and /or delay admission to a nursing home. Medicines are used to help control behavioural symptoms of dementia such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression. Treating these symptoms often makes individuals more comfortable and makes their care easier for caregivers. Patients can benefit to some extent from treatment with available medications and other measures, such as cognitive training. Many people with dementia, particularly those in the early stages, my benefit from practicing tasks designed to improve performance in specific aspects of cognitive functioning. For example, people can sometimes be taught to use memory aids, such as mnemonics, computerized recall devices, or note taking. Behaviour modification – rewarding appropriate or positive behaviour and ignoring inappropriate behaviour-also may help control unacceptable or dangerous behaviours. No-drug treatments include assuring that the person with dementia has a healthy diet, exercise, social activities, regular medical care, and a safe environment. Caregivers can learn useful methods to help cope with problem behaviors Ray of Hope Scientist are working to develop new drugs that someday may slow ,reverse, or prevent the damage caused by dementia. Giving careful attention to physical fitness and exercise goes a long way towards keeping a healthy state of mind. Limiting the use of Alcoholic beverages is important, because heavy drinking over time can cause permanent brain damage . Some physical and mental changes occur with age in healthy people .However ,much pain and suffering can be avoided if older people ,their families, and their doctors recognize dementia as a disease , not part of normal aging . Advisors Dr. Noshir H.Wadia,Dr. Charles Pinto,Dr.Dilip Panikkar
Tools to preserve quality of life and to spark memories Continuing my series on Tips and Tools for Lewy Body Dementia in the later stages, we will talk today about maybe the most important and
As many as 40% of dementia cases can be associated with modifiable risk factors that could be reduced by changing lifestyle or behavior in midlife.1 The goal of being aware of these risk factors is to help lessen them in order to better your brain health. This study was coauthored by NeuroReserve medical advisors Mar
For more information on the author Home Instead Sarasota, CLICK HERE. Did you know that every three seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with dementia? Millions of people across the world have
It is important that you understand the difference between Alzheimer's and dementia. You can check out our guide here to learn more.
My husband's Mom with Alzheimers moved in with us a while ago and I realized pretty early on we have some serious differences in our idea of personal cleanliness. Here are some thoughts about why Alzheimer and Dementia patients don't want to wash AND some tips and ideas about how to get them clean!
It is challenging to stop a senior with dementia and Alzheimer's from wandering. Here are some wandering prevention tactics to keep them secure at home.
The key to prevent dementia may be what's on our plate. Make these changes to your lifestyle to lower your chances of dementia & Alzheimer's.
Seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease may show agitation or anxiety through fidgety hands. Signs of this ...
If you want to learn all about Alzheimer's, it's probably time to learn about the seven stages of this disease. Learn more here!
Get information and resources for Alzheimer's and other dementias from the Alzheimer's Association.
My husband's Mom with Alzheimers moved in with us a while ago and I realized pretty early on we have some serious differences in our idea of personal cleanliness. Here are some thoughts about why Alzheimer and Dementia patients don't want to wash AND some tips and ideas about how to get them clean!
The World Health Organization recently published new recommendations related to Alzheimer's disease. Here are three tips to prevent Alzheimer's Disease.
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Some fun and practical tips and ideas about how to stop "yelling" at your dementia or Alzheimers loved one!
Alzheimer's Disease is the leading type of Dementia that affects more than 6 million people within the United States. Alzheimer's typically affects those that
Some fun and practical tips and ideas about how to stop "yelling" at your dementia or Alzheimers loved one!
As a dementia or Alzheimers caregiver, one of the scariest thing to consider is having your loved one wander off and get lost, hurt or worse. Here are some tips, ideas and products to help you stay on top of your loved one's dementia wandering.
My husband's Mom with Alzheimers moved in with us a while ago and I realized pretty early on we have some serious differences in our idea of personal cleanliness. Here are some thoughts about why Alzheimer and Dementia patients don't want to wash AND some tips and ideas about how to get them clean!
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