Five Things People Don’t Tell You About Dementia
Whether you’re navigating a dementia diagnosis for yourself or a loved one, it can be a complicated journey. Here are five signposts.
1. There Are Different Types of Dementia
Often there is some conflation between what exactly Dementia and Alzheimer’s are. “Dementia” is an umbrella term for the progressive loss of cognitive and intellectual functioning. It is caused by a variety of diseases that damage braincells and impair neural pathways.
Alzheimer’s (most common)
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia in the UK. It is named after Alois Alzheimer who first identified the condition in the early 1900s. Two substances called amyloid and tau clump together and form structures called plaques and tangles. These affect how the brain works.
Vascular Dementia
The second most common type of dementia. It results from a reduced blood flow to brain, leading to the damage of brain cells.
Dementia with Lewy bodies
Lewy bodies are clumps of protein that appear in the brain’s nerve cells, named after FH Lewy who first identified them.
This form of dementia can lead to hallucinations and delusions which can be frightening for both the person with dementia and those around them.
There are other forms of dementias, such as frontotemporal and mixed dementia – you can find more information and support on the Alzheimer’s Society website.
2. It’s not just part of getting older – but some of the symptoms are the same
Brain fog and mild absentmindedness comes to us all as we age. But dementia is more than this; if memory loss is affecting your daily life, your communication skills or leaving you unable to recognise close family members, it may be a sign of something more serious.
If your loved ones express a concern about your memory, but you don’t see a cause for concern, it may be useful to speak to a GP, or one of many UK dementia charities for support.
Barnsley Independent Alzheimers And Dementia Support is a great place to contact for all levels of support in Barnsley and surrounding areas – they even have a specialist dementia day centre in town.
3. Personality Changes
As dementia progresses, people’s personalities and behaviours may change, often in ways that others find difficult to understand. This can cause a lot of tension within families – but you must remember to the person living with dementia, their behaviour does not feel inappropriate. They are simply responding to something, whether this be an internal or external stimuli.
Examples:
- Hoarding or losing items – they may believe they are just keeping them safe.
- Repetitive behaviour
- Checking things
- Sundowning – you may see changes in behaviour towards the end of the day.
- Violent behaviour or bad language – people who have never sworn may start using language that is upsetting or shocking.
4. For Them, It’s the First Time
People living with dementia may repeatedly ask you to do something, bring something up or tell the same stories over and over again.
Whilst its important to let people continue to reminisce, it can be confusing for others to know what to do. You must remember that for them, this is the first time they’ve mentioned it.
Show them that you’re interested in what they have to say – perhaps they need reassurance or are just trying to connect socially.
If they become really fixated, you could try to gently divert their attention to something else, such as older photographs, a meal or a drink.
5. They May Not Remember What You Said—But They’ll Remember How You Made Them Feel
The emotional memory is usually affected far later on in dementia – how they felt will outlast what they felt it about.
They might remember the scent of the school cloakrooms, but not where they went to school; they might remember their wedding anniversary but not who they are married to.
They may no longer recognise you as an old friend or family member, but they will remember you as someone who makes them smile.
We hope these signposts have provided you some guidance, no matter where you are in your journey with dementia.
Home Instead Sheffield is here to support you; we’re proud to give our Care Professional specialist dementia training, assured by City and Guilds.