Dementia Awareness - Explain what is ment by the term dementia

by anneesa (student)

Dementia Awareness

Q 1.1 Explain what is ment by the term dementia

Dementia is a disease which, unfortunately effects mainly the elderly. It comes in various forms, for example:- Alzimers, Pakinson’s and Huntington’s disease. It is often a progression from a stroke and to date there is no cure.

Q 1.2. Describe the key functions of the brain that are effected by dementia

Temporal lobe is responsible foe vision, memory,laugage, hearing, learning
Frontal lobe is responsible for decision making , problem solving, control behavior and emotions
Parietal lobe is responsible for sensory information from the body, also where letters are formed, putting things in order and spatial awareness
Occipital lobe is responsible for processing information related to vision
Cerebrum lobe is biggest part of the Brain its role is memory, attention, thought, and our consciousness, senses and movement
Hippocampus is responsible for memory forming, organizing and storing and emotions

Q 1.3 Explain why depression, delirium and age related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia

Depression can be mistaken for dementia because when someone is very depressed their memory can be affected and they may find it difficult to remember new information. This is similar to dementia except that someone who's depressed may be able to recall the new information after a short time whereas an Alzheimer's sufferer cannot usually do so.

Delirium can be easily confused with dementia due to similar symptoms. Delirium is characterized by the sudden onset, fluctuating course, a short duration (often lasting from hours to weeks), and is primarily related to a somatic or medical disturbance. In comparison, dementia has typically an insidious onset, (except in the cases of a stroke or trauma), slow decline of mental functioning, as well as a longer duration. Some mental illness, include depression and psychosis, may produce symptoms that must be differentiated from both delirium and dementia.

People who are aging normally may misplace things or forget details, but people who have dementia may forget entire events. People who have dementia have difficulty doing normal daily tasks such as driving, cooking, and handling finances. Age-associated memory impairment is not necessarily a sign of dementia or early Alzheimer's disease

Q 2.1 Outline the medical model of dementia

Medical model- this creates dependency, restricts choice, disempowers, devalues, reinforces stereotypes and can be thought of as oppressive. The medical model focuses on the impairment as the problem and will focus on cure.

Q 2.2 Outline the social model of dementia

Social model- this is personal centred, focusing on the rights of the individual, in turn empowering the individual, promoting independence, giving choice and looking at what the individual is able to do.

Q 2.3 Explain why dementia should be viewed as a ...

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Q 2.1 Outline the medical model of dementia

Q 2.2 Outline the social model of dementia

Q 2.3 Explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability

People who have dementia are not aware of requirements for living. They can forget to do the essential things that are vital. Taking medicines, hygiene and even eating are often forgotten. They can get lost or hurt and not understand what is necessary to correct a situation. Turning on the stove or water and forgetting to turn it off, locking doors, crossing streets etc. can be dangerous even deadly. In the same way you would not think as an infant incapable of self care a person with dementia cannot be either. Considering the facts that they cannot act in the manner of a responsible adult makes them disabled.

Q 3.1 List the most common causes of dementia

Dementia indicates the reduced mental and cognitive brain function in those it strikes and it is often an age-related, progressive disorder with no cure. However, some types of dementia are a result of an underlying or secondary disorder and, in some cases, treatment of the disorder may reduce or reverse the symptoms of dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular dementia
Dementia with Lewy Body

Q 3.2 Describe the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia

Symptoms of dementia vary considerably by the individual and the underlying causes of the dementia. Most people affected by dementia have some, but not all the symptoms. The symptoms may be obvious or they may be very subtle and go unrecognized for sometime.

The first sign of dementia is usually loss of short-term memory. The person repeats what he/she has just said or forgets where they have placed an object just a few minutes ago. The most commons causes of dementia are:-

Alzheimer’s disease

Vascular dementia

Dementia with Lewy Body

The common warning signs for dementia are:-

Asking someone the same question over and over, again and again
Repeating the same story word for word, again and again
Forgetting how to carry out activities the use to be done regular with ease.
Losing the ability to carry out simply operations such as paying bills etc.
Getting lost in familiarly surroundings or misplacing household objects
Neglecting personal care (bathing)or wearing the same clothes over and over again
Relaying on someone else to answer questions or to make decisions that used to be handled alone

Restlessness, hallucinations and delusions prominent, may react adversely to phenothiazines.

The most common symptoms in dementia are:-

Frequent and progressive memory loss. People with dementia seem to forget more and more and the most recent events seem to be forgotten most quickly. Occasionally though, clear “pockets of memory” are still present and these are usually triggered by familiar faces, smells, touches, songs or rituals.
Language difficulties: People with dementia are often unable to understand instructions or to follow the logic of moderately complex sentences. He or she may not understand his or her own sentences, and have difficulty forming thoughts into words. Occasionally everyone has trouble finding the right word, but a person with dementia often forgets simple words or substitutes unusual words, making speech or writing hard to understand.
Confusion: This behavior causes a person with dementia to become “estranged” from others and to be unpredictable in interactions. Confusion can also occur “acutely”, that is, suddenly and limited in time (for example, triggered by a hospital stay). In addition to this general confusion, people with dementia are disoriented in time and place. They often forget the current time and get lost in a familiar environment.
Inability to perform familiar tasks. People with dementia often find it hard to complete everyday tasks that are so familiar we usually do not think about how to do them. In particular, people with dementia have great problems carrying out activities in the proper sequence. For instance, they may not know in what order to put on their clothes.
Difficulty with abstract thinking. People with dementia often show unusual difficulty to perform mental tasks. For instance, planning tasks, making decisions, or organizing projects become more and more difficult. They also lose the ability to make simple monetary transactions such as paying a bill.
Misplacing belongings. Anyone can temporarily misplace his/her wallet or keys. A person with dementia may put things in unusual places such as an iron in the fridge or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
Rapid mood swings: People with dementia become extremely moody, switching between emotions within a matter of seconds for no apparent reason. Alternatively, a person with dementia may show less emotion than s/he used to do previously.
Behavioral changes: A person with dementia may seem different from his/her usual self in ways that are difficult to identify or explain. A person may become suspicious, irritable, depressed, apathetic, anxious, or agitated, especially in situations where memory problems are causing difficulties.
Apathy/ lack of initiative: A person with dementia may become very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or appear to lose interest in hobbies.

Q 3.3 Outline the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia

The medical model characterises dementia by global cognitive impairment, which is associated with deterioration in functioning and, in many people, behavioural and psychiatric disturbances. Although most prevalent in people over 65, the condition can develop in younger people. There may be differences in aetiology and other characteristics between these two groups, and it is important to recognise this because patients may benefit from different approaches There are four main types of dementia Alzheimer disease (AD) accounts for 60% of all cases and is characterised by plaques and tangles in brain structures that lead to the death of brain cells. It is progressive, affecting more parts of the brain over time.

Vascular dementia (VaD) accounts for 15?20% of all cases and is caused by a problem in the supply of blood in the brain

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) accounts for 15?20% of all cases and is caused by small protein deposits in nerve cells that block chemical messages in the brain.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) accounts for 5% of all cases and is a progressive degeneration of the frontal lobes of the brain. Many people, especially older people, will present with a mixed dementia, which is a combination of two or more of the above types.

Q 3.4 Identify prevalence rates for different types of dementia

The prevalence of both early onset and late onset dementia increases with age, doubling with every five-year increase across the entire age

• The prevalence of early onset dementia appears to be higher in men than in women for those aged 50–65, while in later life, late onset dementia was considered to be marginally more prevalent in women than in men.

• Alzheimer’s disease is the dominant subtype, particularly at older ages, and among women, whereas front temporal dementia accounts for a substantial proportion of early onset cases among younger men.

• The prevalence of dementia in institutions varied little by age or gender, increasing from 55.6% among those aged 65–69 to 64.8% in those aged 95 and over.

• Estimates of the prevalence of dementia among all those aged 65 years and over living in EMI (elderly mentally infirm) homes was 79.9%; nursing homes 66.9% and residential care homes 52.2%.

Q 4.1 Describe how different individuals may experience living with dementia depending on their age, type of dementia, and level of ability and disability

People with disabilities are at greater risk of developing dementia at a younger age particularly those with Down’s syndrome.

They often show different symptoms in the early stages of dementia, they are less likely to receive a correct or early diagnosis of dementia and may not be able to understand the diagnosis may experience a more rapid progression of dementia may already be in a supported living environment, where they are given help to allow them to live independently may have already learned different ways to communicate (e.g. more non-verbal communication if their disability affects speech) will require specific support to understand the changes they are experiencing, and to access appropriate services after diagnosis and as dementia progresses.

Q 4.2 outline the impact that the attitudes and behaviors of others may have on an individual with dementia

A positive attitude towards the dementia patient can go a long way in improving strengths and minimizing weaknesses.