What is Dementia?
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Dementia is not a specific disease. It's an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases. There are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, including some that are reversible, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies. Symptoms While symptoms of dementia can vary greatly, at least two of the following core mental functions must be significantly impaired to be considered dementia:
What causes dementia? Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behaviour and feelings can be affected. While most changes in the brain that cause dementia are permanent and worsen over time, thinking and memory problems caused by the following conditions may improve when the condition is treated or addressed: depression, medication side effects, excess use of alcohol, thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies. Diagnosis of dementia There is no one test to determine if someone has dementia. Doctors diagnose Alzheimer's and other types of dementia based on a careful medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests, and the characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function and behaviour associated with each type. Doctors can determine that a person has dementia with a high level of certainty. Dementia treatment and care Treatment of dementia depends on its cause. In the case of most progressive dementias, including Alzheimer's disease, there is no cure and no treatment that slows or stops its progression. But there are drug treatments that may temporarily improve symptoms. The same medications used to treat Alzheimer's are among the drugs sometimes prescribed to help with symptoms of other types of dementias. Non-drug therapies can also alleviate some symptoms of dementia. How Alzheimer's medications work To understand how Alzheimer's medications work, you first need to understand the communication network in the brain. The picture below depicts nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Neurons are the chief cells destroyed by Alzheimer's disease. In the brain, neurons connect and communicate at synapses, where tiny bursts of chemicals called neurotransmitters carry information from one cell to another. Alzheimer's disrupts this process, and eventually destroys synapses and kills neurons, damaging the brain's communication network. As Alzheimer’s progresses, brain cells die and connections among cells are lost, causing cognitive symptoms to worsen. While current medications cannot stop the damage Alzheimer’s causes to brain cells, they may help lessen or stabilize symptoms for a limited time by affecting certain chemicals involved in carrying messages among the brain's nerve cells. Overview of disease progression The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease worsen over time. On average, a person with Alzheimer's lives four to eight years after diagnosis, but can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors. Changes in the brain related to Alzheimer's begin years before any signs of the disease. This time period, which can last for years, is referred to as preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Mild Alzheimer's disease (early stage) In the early stage of Alzheimer's, a person may function independently. He or she may still drive, work and be part of social activities. Despite this, the person may feel as if he or she is having memory lapses, such as forgetting familiar words or the location of everyday objects. Friends, family or others close to the individual begin to notice difficulties. Common difficulties include:
Moderate Alzheimer's disease (middle stage) During the moderate stage of Alzheimer’s, the dementia symptoms are more pronounced. A person may have greater difficulty performing tasks, such as paying bills, but they may still remember significant details about their life. You may notice the person with Alzheimer's confusing words, getting frustrated or angry, or acting in unexpected ways, such as refusing to bathe. Damage to nerve cells in the brain can make it difficult to express thoughts and perform routine tasks. At this point, symptoms will be noticeable to others and may include:
In the final stage of this disease, dementia symptoms are severe. Individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment, to carry on a conversation and, eventually, to control movement. They may still say words or phrases, but communicating pain becomes difficult. As memory and cognitive skills continue to worsen, significant personality changes may take place and individuals need extensive help with daily activities. At this stage, individuals may:
Top of Form Daily Care A person living with dementia will eventually need assistance with daily living. By using creativity and caregiving skills, you can adapt routines and activities as needs change. Use our resources to get ideas and connect with other caregivers. Examples of different aspects on assisting a person with dementia in caregiving: A daily Care Plan, activities of daily living, communication and Alzheimers, incontinence, bathing, dressing and grooming, dental care, treatments, medication safety, working with the doctor, adequate food and fluid intake, care of bowel and bladder function, skin and body health, infections and pneumonia, pain and illness The role of a caregiver During the late stages, the role as a caregiver focuses on preserving quality of life and dignity. Although a person in the late stage of Alzheimer's typically loses the ability to talk and express needs, research tells us that some core of the person's self may remain. This means you may be able to continue to connect throughout the late stage of the disease. At this point in the disease, the world is primarily experienced through the senses. Express caring through touch, sound, sight, taste and smell. Dementia help and support is available Since care needs are extensive during the late stage, they may exceed what you can provide at home, even with additional assistance. This may mean moving the person into a facility in order to get the care needed. Deciding on late-stage care can be one of the most difficult decisions families face. Families that have been through the process tell us that it is best to gather information and move forward, rather than second guessing decisions after the fact. There are many good ways to provide quality care. Remember, regardless of where the care takes place, the decision is about making sure the person receives the care needed. At the end of life, another option is hospice. The underlying philosophy of hospice focuses on quality and dignity by providing comfort, care and support services for people with terminal illnesses and their families. Ideally, discussions about end-of-life care wishes should take place while the person with the dementia still has the capacity to make decisions and share wishes about life-sustaining treatment. References The information was extracted from the following sites: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia http://www.neuropsychologysa.co.za/support-groups/alzheimers-south-africa-support-groups/ Other sites with helpful information on local care and support: https://www.newseveryday.co.za/news/online-dementia-support-group This is a South African Facebook support group that aims to provide a safe and accessible space for families and individuals impacted by dementia KwaZulu-Natal 031-702 4321: Support groups Amanzimtoti, Durban (Berea), Durban North, Hillcrest, Howick, KwaNgcolosi, Lower Molweni, Musgrave, Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, Pinetown, Port Shepstone, Scottburgh, Umbilo, Upper Molweni, Vryheid The Vales Care Centre Pennington : 039 975 1337 or email val@vales.co.za Comments are closed.
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