Dementia - Symptoms and Care

Dementia - the facts

Dementia is a disease which involves the progressive loss of mental abilities and most commonly occurs late in life. Of all persons over age 65, 5-8% suffer from dementia. This percentage increases considerably with age...

Prevalence of Dementia

◦ Over Age 65 5-8%
◦ Over Age 75 15-20%
◦ Over Age 85 25-50%

The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, accounts for 50-75% of all cases of dementia. Another 20-30% is due to blood vessel disease ("multi-infarct dementia" or "mini-strokes"). The remaining cases result from a variety of less common disorders.


Symptoms and Problems of Dementia

The affected person sometimes recognizes the first signs of dementia. Often family or friends first detect the problem. Typical early symptoms include memory loss, and difficulty performing complex tasks. A person may mislay items, become lost while driving, get confused in the middle of a conversation or lose a prior ability to balance a checkbook. As the condition progresses the deficits become more pronounced and interfere further with daily activities.


Symptoms of Dementia

• Marked Loss of Memory for Recent Events
• Losing items
• Getting Lost in ‘familiar’ Places
• Missing Appointments
• Loss of Ability For Abstract Thought, Planning And Doing Complex Tasks
• Trouble with Cooking, Paying Bills, Driving
• Can’t Understand Books, Movies or News Items
• Difficulty Finding Common Words And Names
• Substitution of Approximate Phrases ("Where is the thing for sweeping?" for ‘broom’)
• Misidentifying People (Confusing sister with [deceased] mother)
• Use of "Empty Phrases" ("You know", "That thing")
• Difficulty Inhibiting Behavior
• -Impulsivity, ‘Thoughtless’ Comments, Socially Inappropriate Behaviors

Natural Course of Dementia...