Understanding Dementia

Dementia is the name for a group of brain conditions that make it harder to remember, reason and communicate. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s. Other types include Vascular, Frontotemporal and Lewy body. Years ago, dementia was often called “senility”. It was even thought to be a normal part of aging. We know that it is not normal. It is caused by ongoing damage to the brain.

Symptoms of Dementia

Symptoms differ depending on which parts of the brain are affected and the stage of the disease. The most common symptoms include:

• Memory loss, including trouble with directions and familiar tasks.
• Language problems, such as trouble getting words out or understanding what is said.
• Difficulty with planning, organizing, concentration, and judgment.
• Changes in behavior and personality.

Stages of Dementia

Dementia is a progressive disease. This means that it gets worse over time. Symptoms differ for each person. There are three basic stages.

• Early: May be seen forgetful, confused, still able to handle most tasks without help.
• Middle: More and more help is needed with daily tasks, trouble recognizing family and friends, wanders, gets lost in familiar places.
• Late: Severe problems with memory, judgment and other skills. Help is needed with nearly every aspect of daily life.

The Saint Louise University Mental Status (SLUMS) is a screening tool that is used to assess issues with memory and reasoning. This tool can also be utilized to track the illness over time.

Prognosis

At present, there is no cure for dementia.

Medications Are Key to Treatment

Medications can slow the progression of symptoms of the disease; an analogy would be jumping out of a plane with a parachute as opposed to without one. This is why early diagnosis and treatment are important.

Other medications are utilized to help manage the presenting target symptoms that can become problematic in areas of mood, behavior and sleep.