Understanding Dementia

The most common symptoms of Dementia are: • Memory loss, especially of more recent events  • Hallucinations and delusions • Confusion • Balance problems • Loss of bladder or bowel control • Sleep disturbances, including insomnia and acting out dreams — physically moving limbs, sleep talking, screaming, hitting or even getting up and engaging in daytime activities. • Difficulty finding their way around, especially in new or unfamiliar surroundings  • Problems finding the correct words…

What causes Dementia The most common cause is Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for up to 60% of all cases. Alzheimer's disease is caused by the destruction of certain brain cells leading to the loss of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Vascular dementia, which occurs after a stroke, is the second most common dementia type. But there are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, such as thyroid problems and vitamin B complex deficiencies. Dementia can also be caused by…

Swapna Kishore was a caregiver for her mother for many years. She has created many online resources for dementia caregivers in India, including an English website, Dementia Care Notes and its Hindi version Dementia Hindi. Here, she answers some questions by PatientsEngage.  Please tell us about your mother's early dementia symptoms and how her condition progressed. My mother's early symptoms included mild disorientation, memory problems, and repeating herself…

Cerebral Assessment Systems has received marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Cognivue, a cognitive-assessment tool that functions somewhat like a video game. A patient can perform the inexpensive and simple test while a time-strapped primary-care physician tends to other patients. The 10-minute, non­invasive examination can detect subtle lapses in the brain’s perceptual ability that may signal the early stages of mental decline caused by dementia. The…

Mrs. Kalyani talks about her 85-year-old mother and what it took to keep everyone happy. My mother, Vijayalakshmi, is 85 years old and her behaviour can be like that of a young child. She has mobility problems. She needs to be monitored 24x7, mainly to protect her from falling and injuring herself. My mother needs to be taken to the bathroom every 1 ½ hours to 2 hours without fail. Otherwise she would wet the bed or go in the room. While eating she wants the TV on and she will be so engrossed…

The longer we live, the more likely we are to develop dementia. And, it is the one that tends to terrify us most. Evidence suggests that changing your lifestyle can help to reduce your risk of dementia. What does the current evidence really tell us about prevention? 1. Watch your body mass index In general terms, it appears to be healthier to be neither underweight nor obese in middle age. 2. Take regular exercise The study found that regular exercise (30 minutes walking…

Dick Lee has been a caregiver for his father, who was diagnosed with dementia a year ago. SINGAPORE: Singer-songwriter Dick Lee was on Tuesday (Mar 17) named ambassador for Singapore’s Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA) for a year, as the association celebrates its 25th anniversary. "It has been difficult seeing my father struggle with symptoms of dementia," said Mr Lee. The most trying moment he faced was when his father "shut down overnight" after a mild stroke that left the senior Mr…

Provides respite care for Alzheimer's patients who suffer from "sundowning". Many with Alzheimer's are at their most active after dark. A New York care facility has launched an after-hours camp-style program to entertain them until the morning—and help their caregivers get some sleep. For months, Ortiz would sleep during the day and be up much of the night wandering around the apartment. Her daughter was too afraid to sleep—afraid her mother might fall and hurt herself or even try to leave…

Sir Terry Pratchett, 66, fantasy author, died eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He was the creator of Discworld series "Terry faced his Alzheimer's disease (an 'embuggerance', as he called it) publicly and bravely," said Mr Finlay. Knighted in 2009, he said: "It would appear to me that me getting up and saying 'I've got Alzheimer's', it did shake people." "The thing about Alzheimer's is there are few families that haven't been touched by the disease. People come up to…

Hogewey is an amazing "village" on the outskirts of Amsterdam. It's a step back into the 1950s boasting pretty, manicured streets, a grocery, cafe, coffee shop, restaurant and even a beauty salon and barber shop. There are 152 residents in Hogewey, and all have something in common—dementia. Hogewey is a treatment facility for dementia and Alzheimer's patients. It is set in the 1950s because the dementia patient's long term memory is preserved much more vividly than short…