Dementia
Dementia is a serious illness that happened when the brain is damaged due to injury or disease. This disease affects a person’s ability to remember, think, calculate, learn, and many other essential functions.
The latest studies showed that 55 million persons live with dementia worldwide and there are about 10 million cases registered yearly.
As people age, dementia becomes more prevalent (approximately one-third of all adults over the age of 85 may have dementia), yet it is not a typical aspect of aging. Many people reach their 90s and beyond without ever showing any signs of dementia.
The false understanding that substantial mental deterioration is a normal aspect of aging is reflected in the frequent use of the term “senility” or “senile dementia” to describe dementia.
Causes of dementia
Damage in brain cells is what leads to dementia. The interference damage inhibits communication between brain cells. Thinking, behavior, and feelings might be impacted when brain cells are unable to communicate correctly.
The brain is divided into a range of different regions, each of which has a distinct purpose (for example, memory, judgment, and movement). A certain area cannot function normally because of damaged cells.
Early signs and symptoms
Knowing the dementia warning signals is essential to ensure an early diagnosis.
- Memory loss that limits daily activities
- difficulty carrying out routine chores
- difficulties with language and speech
- Disorientation in regard to place and time
- impaired decision-making.
- issues with abstract thought
- Missing things
- mood and behavior changes
- changes in personality are noticed
- Moreover, a decline in the initiative
Stages of dementia
The stages can range in severity from the earliest stage, when it is only beginning to affect a person’s capacity to function, to the most advanced stage, when the person is completely dependent on others for basic daily functions.
Planning for the care of you or a loved one can be made easier by understanding the stages. The following stages belong to dementia patients.
There are 3 main stages of dementia disease, which states as:
1- Early-Stage
Mild Dementia/Mild Changes Life-quality, probably barely little influence
Your loved one will recognize family members and, for the most part, remember the past. You are responsible for making your own healthcare decisions. Your loved one could show up these symptoms:
- Forget common phrases and product names.
- Forget where stuff like their phone or spectacles were left.
- have some difficulty with regular activities including cooking, laundry, and shopping.
- make more mistakes when driving and experience discomfort in new environments.
- Having issues increased difficulty managing finances
- more frequently struggle to find the perfect words
- reduced awareness of recent events
- Moreover, increased difficulty in solving problems
2- Mid-Stage
This may be happening in two stages:
Firstly: Mildly Serious Modest /Mental Decline Impact on quality of life (moderate)
Most likely, your loved one will recall certain events from the past and still recognize friends and family. He or she can struggle to make decisions about their healthcare. For daily tasks, you might require some care at home. Your loved one could show up these symptoms:
- Have personality alterations and mood swings.
- Repeat the same inquiries repeatedly.
- Memory lapses cause you to lose things like the time, where you are, or your address and phone number.
- need assistance using the toilet or eating.
- have difficulty making fashion decisions, such as what type of clothes to wear during the season.
- In addition to having bladder issues.
Secondly: Moderately Severe and Serious Mental Decline in Life quality (Significant effect)
Your loved one could not recognize you and other family members and friends and won’t recall much, if anything, about the past. He or she can struggle to make decisions about their healthcare. For daily tasks, you could require care in your home around the clock. Your loved one might show up these symptoms:
- Demonstrate significant personality changes and mood swings.
- possess delusions, such as the belief that it is time to leave for employment when none is available.
- not being able to dress or use the restroom without assistance.
- walking off or becoming lost.
- sleep throughout the day but have trouble at night.
- ignorance of experiences and occurrences.
- alterations in eating patterns.
- speaking problems and difficulties
Late-Stage
Very Serious Mental Decline (Final stage) Impact on quality of life (Extreme)
Your loved one won’t recognize or recall any of the people they used to know. He or she will probably no longer be able to decide what medical care to receive. For daily activities, you will require care within the home around-the-clock. Your loved one might show up these symptoms:
- lose the capacity to speak, swallow, or eat.
- not being able to dress or use the restroom without assistance.
- not being able to sit or walk without assistance.
- linguistic skills decline at this period
- complete loss of bowel and bladder control.
- muscle control loss
- they may stop moving and be confined to a bed or a wheelchair.
- Frequently unable to identify familial members
- Almost always feeling foggy
Diagnosis of dementia
There isn’t a single test that can identify dementia in a person. Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are identified by doctors based on a thorough medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and the distinctive cognitive, functional, and behavioral impairments that are unique to each type.
A person’s dementia can be identified with a high degree of precision by medical professionals. The symptoms and brain alterations of several dementias often overlap, making it more difficult to pinpoint the precise type.
Doctors occasionally diagnose “dementia” without identifying the specific form. If this happens, a professional visit with a neurologist, psychiatrist, psychologist, or geriatrician may be required.
Possible treatments
The main objectives of continuous dementia care are to keep the patient as safe as possible at home as well as to support and advise the caregivers.
Every three to six months, the patient will require standard follow-up appointments. The patient’s functioning and medications will be under the doctor’s close observation.
How can you help?
By making an effort to comprehend how the person with dementia sees the world, you can provide assistance. Give the individual a chance to discuss any difficulties and participate in their own daily care.
- Assistance with using the bathroom, clothing, and other everyday tasks.
- Keep trying to communicate with your loved one.
- Listening to music or reading a book are two examples of communicating in methods other than talking that might occasionally be helpful.
Be patient when answering their repetitive and many questions.
Consult your doctor if you believe you or a loved one may be displaying symptoms of dementia. Treatment can begin as soon as the condition is identified.
Resources and References: WIKIPEDIA, NHS, World Health Organization WHO.
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