Alzheimers/Dementia

Replies

By coffee

Re: Alzheimers/Dementia
Wed 4 Feb 2009 14:25

hi
is there a difference between Alzheimers and dementia?
Dementia describes the effects of certain conditions and diseases on a person’s mental ability, personality and behaviour. People with dementia commonly experience problems with memory and the skills needed to carry out everyday activities. There are many different causes of dementia but Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause. Dementia is not a normal part of ageing.

About 500,000 people in England have dementia and although it can occur at any age, it's more common in older people. About one in 20 people over 65 has dementia.

Dementia usually gets worse slowly, often over many years, and may mean that the person affected can no longer live independently. This affects both people who develop dementia and the people who care for them. It can shorten people’s lives and is an important cause of disability.

There are currently no treatments that can cure or stop the progression of most forms of dementia. However, drugs and other treatments can improve symptoms in some people, and you and your family can get the help and support you need to live with dementia.

Use this guide to find out more about dementia, what you can do, and how local services can help.
www.nhs.uk/Dementia

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is a loss of mental function that can prevent a person from performing daily tasks. Vascular dementia, caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain, is the second most common type of dementia. Lewy body dementia is similar to Alzheimer's disease, but the relationship between the two is not well understood.
yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com
hope this helps coffeex

By Ian0162

Re: Alzheimers/Dementia
Wed 4 Feb 2009 18:07

New Member

Regards dementia and diagnosis

With previously being in the care trade, registered nurse learning disabilities, and now a full time carer it is my opinion that assessment methods tend to be more like brain teasers or knowledge quizzes. In addition the fact that these assessments are unique situations may make any conclusions suspect due to the Hawthorne effect, i.e. behaviour changes when observed. Perhaps a more accurate assessment may be achieved by focussing on aspects of routine daily life such as what the person had for lunch, what tasks they had completed that morning or what they watched on T.V. Then compare this assessment with a later assessment covering the same topics.
As short memory loss is a symptom of dementia this may help any diagnosis. I must stress that this is an opinion and not a standard procedure.

By Ian0162

Re: Alzheimers/Dementia
Thu 5 Feb 2009 12:10

The government has this week launched a Dementia Strategy. You can read about it here:

www.carers.org

Sam_B

By Hindsight

Re: Alzheimers/Dementia
Fri 6 Feb 2009 04:11

Hi Numberlock, sorry to hear of your mums health, it must be upsetting with the 'what ifs'.

I think I am in the same position as you, I look after my mum and over the past year or so I have noticed her memory/behaviour change. Not noticably to most, but to people like me who are around her a lot. One example was last July, she became VERY aggressive one day, was very rude and was saying things that I had never said. She was saying I'd said things that are words I dont even use, and would never dream of saying to my parents 'you told me to F off and keep my big nose out' - I never said that, or anything like it. Other things like forgetting medication, thinking people have said things that they hadn't said (she did it to a friend too). A recent example, last week i think, my mum said that the dog was trying to jump onto her bed, and that it reminded her of when I was little and there would be me, my brother, the dog and my mum and dad in the same bed. Well we got our dog when I was 15, and at that point my parents were in seperate bedrooms, let alone that at 15 I wouldn't have been in bed with either parent!! I am quite worried about it, but I am reluctant to go to her GP incase he mentions that I asked him to assess her as she has had bouts of aggression in the past few weeks.

If you don't mind me asking, what were your mums first signs?

By Sugar

Re: Alzheimers/Dementia
Fri 6 Feb 2009 08:03

My dad at the age of 61 was recently diagnosed with PSP(progressive supranuclear palsy) its a form of Parkinsons Plus and also vascular caused dementia (the blood flow round the brain is not right and it causes problems, as you would imagine). He has been sick for about 3 years and his illness started with slurred speech,then forgotten words and a lot of memory loss,it has since december progressed to total loss of speech,he also cant walk,has to be fed and was just in hospital with a chest infection.
I have spent the last week crying,its a horrible illness and he needs almost constant care.
i feel useless as I dont live in the same town so I dont get to see as much of him as I would like and my brother does the majority of his care.I tell my brother he should apply for carers allowance as he does so much for my dad but he refuses ,says something about my dad getting it,but I am pretty sure that is wrong,dont think you can get carers allowance for yourself.
Anyway we are trying to get a home care package in place but as all other bureaucrats it takes time.
Ive never seen dad be aggresive but I guess it could be possible with dementia,there are many different forms.
Good luck to you whatever it is,and stay strong.
Its hard but they need you to be.

By Ian0162

Re: Alzheimers/Dementia
Fri 6 Feb 2009 09:11

Hindsight and Numberlock
Although our mother has not had an official diagnosis of dementia the first signs that we first noticed that her memory was being affected was in daily activities such as taking medication and money management.
Medication would be taken several times and as medication would be prescribed to be taken 3 times daily the potential for overdose was significant. Her G.P was decent enough to apologise as when we raised our concerns and it was discovered that 3 months medication had been prescribed in only 6 weeks.
Routine bills such as milk, tea and papers were also being paid repeatedly and we were grateful when this was brought to our attention.
However we soon realised that it was pointless attempting to discuss matters or suggest aids such as a medication tray or diary as in our mothers mind she had not taken the medication and had not paid the bill. It appears that although the long term memory triggers the thought and appropriate action the short term memory does not recognise that the action had been completed.
We also found that too much discussion or prompting would cause frustration and agitation.
Hope this helps

By Busy bee

Re: Alzheimers/Dementia
Sat 7 Feb 2009 21:54

Sugar. Carers allowance may be possible for your brother but it depends how many hours he cares for your dad and also how many hours your brother is in employment (if he works). Also it may affect other benefits (they give in one hand and take away in the other.!) However, your dad should be eligible for attendance allowance which is NOT means tested. Age Concern or si milar can help out wirh filling forms as they know right words to use or form can be downloaded I think. Good luck

By Numberlock

Re: Alzheimers/Dementia
Mon 9 Feb 2009 13:01

Hello Hindsight

Sorry for the delay in replying to you! You asked what were the first signs with my mum.

My mum lives about 70 miles away from me and I would visit her once a week, going up after work in time for tea and staying overnight. Normally she would make us a really nice meal and would always have gone shopping to get the food, plus a small bottle of wine for us to share, as this was the only time she would have a drink.

Going back to about September/October, this suddenly stopped. First of all she started to ask that I pick something up on the way from the chip shop, obviously not a problem in itself but more of a concern that she wasn't able to prepare a meal or go out to buy the ingredients. And then (more worryingly) she would have set the table, say "shall we go through to eat" and there would be nothing prepared.

She also started to have problems with simple things like changing the channel on the TV, understanding the timings in the TV magazine. She would also ask the same questions several times during the evening.

More recently, her appearance changed, she wasn't looking after herself, her clothes weren't always clean and she lost a lot of weight.

(However, please bear in mind that not long after this my mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer and it transpired that she had lost 5 pints of blood so was severely anaemic which obviously made her very confused and weak.)

Hope this helps, please do come back to me and keep talking, I know how it can feel to be alone in these things and hopefully we could support each other on this.

Best wishes

Numberlock

xx

By souffle

Re: Alzheimers/Dementia
Thu 12 Feb 2009 22:56

Hi Numberlock

I care for my Mum along with my husband, she lives next door to us and suffers with anxiety/depression and more recently has been showing signs of dementia, although we have not had a firm diagnosis of this.

Reading all the posts her symptoms mirror those already mentioned, i.e lack of personal care, confusion, short term memory loss, being unable to manage money, turn the tele on etc etc. however recently she was diagnosed with a urine infection, put on antibiotics and her confusion did improve a bit. so their general health does affect their confusion quite a lot. Mum's psychiatrist gave me a list of things which can affect it as well as urine infection, she included not sleeping properly, and being constipated, so i would think your mum's recent illness could be a contributory factor. That said, Mum has reverted a bit over the last few days, once the antibiotics were finished, and even seems to be suffering long term memory loss now as well, in that she couldn't remember how or where she met my Dad when questioned (they were married nearly 50 years). so i am a bit confused by it all as well, and just wish someone would come along and say "yes it's dementia" or "no it isn't its such and such" but it seems they are reluctant to do this - is this because they are old people, and they can't be bothered to carry out all the necessary tests, or because it might cost them more money if they make a firm diagnosis? Not sure, but have a sneaky suspicion both might be true. You can bet your bottom dollar that if you or I went along to the Dr's with the same symptoms, we would be whisked off to the hospital pronto for brain scans and tests galore - is this right? Why don't they treat the old person in the same way? its as if they say, oh theyre old, its expected that they will lose their memory/become confused etc. Why? Surely it isn't the case for all old people? Grrr it makes me cross!

Sorry rant over! Yes we all support each other on here. Its great to hear other people having the same kind of problems as you do - it makes you feel less alone. I've felt a lot better able to cope since i've started posting and reading the posts on this website. Thanks to all of you lovely people for all your input and help. I hope you get your care package for your Mum sorted out ok Numberlock. I'm waiting for respite to be sorted at the moment, so I can have a much needed holiday. Watch this space! Love Souffle

By Numberlock

Re: Alzheimers/Dementia
Fri 13 Feb 2009 07:40

Thanks for the reply, souffle, I couldn't agree with you more!

I have recently joined the Alzheimers website and they also have a great message board so do feel free to pop over there some time, I've had so much support already and as you say, it makes you feel less alone and more able to cope knowing that other people are in the same position.

Anyway, best of luck getting your respite care sorted - where are you planning to go on holiday? (Just being nosey now lol.)

Take care

Numberlock xx