Dementia

Dementia is a progressive brain dysfunction (in Latin 'dementia' means irrationality), which results in a restriction of daily activities and in most cases leads in the long term to the need for care. Many diseases can result in dementia, the most common one being Alzheimer's disease.

In our society of longer lifetime the probability of suffering from dementia increases with advancing age. Dementia predominantly occurs in the second half of our life, often after the age of 65 - some experts think that this is the 'price society has to pay' for our higher life expectancy and therefore the term 'dementia' activates similar fears and repression mechanisms as 'cancer' or 'AIDS'.

The frequency of dementia increases with rising age from less than 2 % for the 65-69-year-olds, to 5 % for the 75-79 year-olds and to more than 20 % for the 85-89 year-olds. Every third person over 90 years of age suffers from moderate or severe dementia (Bickel, Psycho 1996, 4-8). About half of those affected by dementia suffer from Alzheimer's disease.

About 5 % of people above 65 years of age, about 20 % of those over 80 years and about 30 % of those over 90 suffer from Alzheimer's disease.

The relatives share their fate with many people who are equally affected.

Early Indications Of Dementia?

Forgetfulness with effects at work

Most people sometimes forget names or appointments. If this happens more frequently and inexplicable states of confusion also occur, this might be an indication for a decline in memory function.

Difficulties with familiar activitiie

People who are very busy are sometimes absent-minded and for example forget the pot on the stove. People with dementia possibly not only forget the pot on the stove but also that they have cooked at all.

Language problems

Most people sometimes experience difficulties in finding the right words. Dementia sufferers often cannot remember simple words and instead they use inappropriate fillers which makes it difficult to understand the sentences.

Problems with spatial and temporal orientation

A lot of people sometimes forget e.g. the day of the week or they get lost in unfamiliar surroundings. Dementia sufferers might be in their own street and no longer know where they are, how they got there and how to get home again.

Impaired capacity of judgement

People not always choose clothes suitable for the weather. Dementia sufferers sometimes wear totally inappropriate clothes. For example, they wear a bathrobe while shopping or several blouses on top of each other on a hot summer day.

Problems with abstract thinking

For many people running a bank account is a challenge. Dementia patients can often neither recognise numbers nor carry out simple calculations.

Leaving things behind

From time to time almost everybody leaves their keys or a wallet behind. Dementia sufferers however might put things in completely inappropriate places, such as for example the iron in the fridge or a watch in the sugar bowl. Afterwards they do not remember where they put them.

Mood swings and behavioural changes

Everybody has mood swings. People with dementia may have very sudden mood swings, often without discernible cause.

Personality changes

With advancing age the personality of most people changes a little. People affected by dementia may experience a very pronounced personality change suddenly or over a longer period of time. Somebody who is generally friendly, for example, becomes unexpectedly angry, jealous or timid.

Loss of initiative

Nobody continuously works with the same motivation. Dementia patients sometimes loose the zest in their work and the interest in their hobbies completely without enjoying new activities.

Stages of Alzheimer's Dementia

Alzheimer's disease can take very different courses. It is a slowly unfolding, progressive disease which is accompanied over time by changes in the appearance of the patient. The disease is typically divided into three stages. In medical terms, Alzheimer's disease is divided into mild, moderate and severe or early-stage, mid-stage and late-stage Alzheimer. The mild stage is typically characterised by impairments of mental abilities as well as mood swings. In the moderate stage, behavioural disturbances usually increasingly develop, whereas physical problems are dominant in the advanced stage. The individual course of the disease is, however, very variable.

Treatment

There are a number of favourable conditions which can ease the situation of the patient and his/her relatives - these conditions concern in particular the actual care and the organisation of the environment. Improvements can be achieved through physical, emotional and also mental activation, for example with the help of physiotherapists or ergotherapists. These helpful approaches will be subject of the next units. There is even help for a number of physical problems such as incontinence, difficulties of food intake and problems of lying down.

In the early stage, training of thinking and memory functions should only be carried out carefully, otherwise there is the danger that the patient is always reminded of his/her diminishing mental abilities. This also applies to the formerly popular approach of reality orientation training.

As with numerous other diseases there is no cure for the illness but medication can improve disease symptoms. There are a number of drugs on the market today for improving brain function. Typically antidementia or psychotropic drugs are prescribed.

To return to the “Memory Loss” gateway page, click HERE

To return to the “Symptoms” gateway page, click HERE

To return to the HOME page, click HERE