Understanding Dementia

With age comes the tendency to forget things. As people grow older, names or facts often take longer to recall. Recounting a story or event takes more effort. Verbal pauses become more common as senior citizens take a few extra moments to remember what they were trying to say or to accurately recall some forgotten detail. Such bouts with memory lapse are not uncommon. Simple forgetfulness is part of life for most elderly individuals.

What Causes Dementia?

Dementia is a condition that impairs the brain’s ability to function normally. Several causes can be linked to the condition. Strokes, brain tumors, head injuries, and natural deterioration of mental capacities over time can all result in dementia.

Often, dementia signals the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative and ultimately terminal condition that affects many elderly people. Vascular dementia, a form of dementia commonly associated with strokes, is common among sufferers of Alzheimer’s.

Fortunately, in some cases, dementia can be effectively treated. Correctable problems like an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), lack of vitamin B12, certain drug combinations, and fluid on the brain (hydrocephalus) are just some of the things that can cause reversible dementia.

What are the Symptoms of Dementia?

The first noticeable symptom of dementia is usually memory loss. While the person actually afflicted with the condition may be aware that they are having trouble remembering things, it is often family or friends who first notice that something is really wrong.

As dementia progresses, a person begins to experience difficulty performing previously simple tasks, such as planning their day, making decisions, running basic errands, and understanding or using certain words. Often, sufferers of dementia will have difficulty remembering what they are doing or will feel lost in what would normally be familiar places. Over time, people with dementia may forget how to carry out normal, daily behaviour.

They may stop bathing, brushing teeth, or combing their hair. People in advanced stages of dementia quite often lose the abilities to recognize loved ones and take care of themselves.

How is Dementia Diagnosed?

While there is no one medical test to determine if a person has dementia, doctors do have a number of methods for diagnosing the condition. Once a patient complains of suffering dementia-like symptoms, a physician will conduct a thorough medical exam.

He or she will review the patient’s medical and family history, often talking to the patient’s loved ones, to determine if there is any hereditary propensity to suffer from dementia.

The doctor will also usually conduct a series of memory test, such as asking the patient to recall what day or month it is or to recall names or events that the patient should know. These tests are designed to tell if the patient’s capacity to remember is normal or if there is any need for concern.

If, after examining a patient, a doctor determines that the person’s mental capacities are less than normal, the doctor will most likely conduct a series of tests to determine if there is some reason other than dementia.

He or she might conduct blood tests, check for thyroid problems, make sure the patient is not suffering from an infection, or perhaps even order an MRI of a CT scan to rule out the possibility of a brain tumor or some injury to the brain. Such tests can also reveal any shrinkage in the brain, which could indicate that dementia has indeed set in.

Signature HealthCARE of Marietta, GA.

Signature HealthCARE is a family-based organization that is revolutionizing the long term care industry through a culture of resident-centered healthcare services, personalized spirituality, quality of life initiatives, and employee development and empowerment. Signature HealthCARE is redefining care by earning the trust of every resident, family and community it serves.