Is it just "Getting Old" or is it Dementia?

Have you seen the new advertisement by the Alzheimer's Society to raise awareness of dementia?  (See it here) .  As our population grows older the single biggest health risk is dementia which is a progressive decline in major functions i.e. memory, reasoning, communication and skills for daily living.  Of course there are other reasons for memory loss and as soon as you feel that something is not quite right, it is best to get some advice, help and a definite diagnosis as early as possible.

It is especially important to get an early diagnosis so that  treatment can be accessed as early as possible to slow down deteroriation and enable the person with dementia to have as full and independent a life as possible.  Family and friends can also access support to help them to cope with the changes ahead and support the person with dementia  more effectively.

How do you tell if there is something really wrong?  Everyone gets a little forgetful as they get older. Someone who has early signs of dementia may have difficulty in having a conversation as opposed to forgetting the occasional word.  Someone who may have dementia will regularly misplace things and have difficulty retracing steps to find them as opposed to occasionally losing things. Someone with early dementia will display poor judgement and decision making on a regular basis as opposed to occasionally making a poor decision.

 The Alzheimer's Society suggests this quick checklist which could be early signs of dementia:

• struggling to remember recent events, but easily recalling the distant past
• struggling to follow conversations or programmes on TV
• forgetting the names of friends or everyday objects
• repeating things or losing the thread of what's being said
• having problems thnking or reasoning
• feeling anxious, depressed or angry aout memory loss
• feeling confused even when in a familiar environment

If any of the above sounds familiar then it is time to encourage your loved one or friend to see a doctor. Take a list of all the symptoms which you are worried about, a list of any medication, and also the patient's medical history.  The doctor will do an examination and will try and rule out anything which may cause similar symptoms such as a uniary tract infection.  He may then refer to the local memory clinic for more detailed tests. 

Once a diagnosis has been made the person with dementia and family may ask "what now?"   Although there is no current cure for dementia there are a range of treatments and support services which will help the person with dementia to live a full and active life.  In the next blog I will outline some of the support which is available to people with dementia and their carers. 

Surecare provides home care support for people with dementia facilitating maintenance of daily living skills.  This enables  them to live at home for as long as possible leading full and active lives.  For more information on SureCare go to www.surecarewarks.co.uk