Overview:
‘Dementia’ is a term used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions. It is an umbrella term used to describe the effects of closely linked diseases. These include Alzheimer’s disease and sometimes are the result of a stroke. Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. How fast dementia progresses will depend on the individual. Each person is unique and will experience dementia in their own way. There are about 750,000 people in the UK with dementia
The symptoms:
* Loss of memory – for example, forgetting the way home from the shops, or being
unable to remember names and places, or what happened earlier the same day.
* Mood changes – particularly as parts of the brain that control emotion are
affected by disease. People with dementia may also feel sad, frightened or angry
about what is happening to them.
* Communication problems – a decline in the ability to talk, read and write.
In the later stages of Dementia, sufferers may have difficulty carrying out everyday tasks, and will eventually need the assistance of another person in order to do even the smallest of tasks.
What causes Asperger’s syndrome?
Dementia can be caused by a number of diseases and conditions:
* Alzheimer’s disease – The most common cause of dementia. During the course of
the disease the chemistry and structure of the brain changes, leading to the death of
brain cells.
* Vascular disease – The brain relies on a network of vessels to bring it oxygen-
bearing blood. If the oxygen supply to the brain fails, brain cells are likely to die
and this can cause the symptoms of vascular dementia. These symptoms can occur
either suddenly, following a stroke, or over time through a series of small strokes
* Dementia with Lewy bodies – This form of dementia gets its name from tiny
spherical structures that develop inside nerve cells. Their presence in the brain
leads to the degeneration of brain tissue. Memory, concentration and language
skills are affected. This form of dementia shares some characteristics with
Parkinson’s disease.
* Fronto-temporal dementia (including Pick’s disease) – In fronto-temporal
dementia, damage is usually focused in the front part of the brain. At first,
personality and behaviour are more affected than memory.
All of the above conditions can be cased as a form of dementia. However, There are many other rarer diseases that can cause dementia. These include progressive supranuclear palsy, Korsakoff’s syndrome, Binswanger’s disease, HIV and AIDS, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Moreover, People with multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease may also be more likely to develop dementia as they get older.
Is there a cure?
There isn’t a cure for dementia. However, for some types of dementia there are medicines that can treat your symptoms and prevent them coming on as quickly. The treatment you’re offered will depend on which type of dementia you have.
Group and individual therapy is also recommended. these aim to stimulate the mind (this is sometimes referred to as cognitive stimulation therapy)
Reminiscence therapy may also help. Discussing past events in groups, usually using photos or familiar objects to jog the memory, although there are conflicting opinions on whether this is effective
How Stepping Out can help:
Stepping Out have the facilities and staff to care for anybody suffering with Dementia. Our staff are both experienced and qualified to handle such cases. Stepping Out are able to provide home care, helping with daily tasks which a Dementia sufferer may find difficult.
Or, in extreme cases where the sufferer needs full-time support and care, Stepping Out provide their own 24-hour staffed provisions.
