What causes dementia?
Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behavior and feelings can be affected.
What is dementia vs Alzheimer’s?
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Alzheimer’s is a specific disease. Dementia is not.
How does a dementia patient feel?
Someone recently diagnosed with dementia is likely to experience a range of emotions. These may include grief, loss, anger, shock, fear, disbelief and even relief. Some people may struggle to deal with these emotions and they may move between emotions as they adjust.
Do patients with dementia know they have it?
Do People With Dementia Know Something Is Wrong With Them? Alzheimer’s disease progressively destroys brain cells over time, so during the early stages of dementia, many do recognize something is wrong, but not everyone is aware. They may know they are supposed to recognize you, but they can’t.
Should someone with dementia be left alone?
In general, once a patient enters the moderate phase of dementia (the phase in which they require some help with their basic activities of daily living like dressing, bathing and grooming), it is unsafe to leave them alone for even short periods of time. Finally, patients who have wandered should not be left alone.
How does dementia kill?
The brain controls our ability to co-ordinate swallowing and breathing. In end-stage dementia, this skill is lost. Your loved one may become dehydrated, or they may inhale food or fluids which can lead to choking and chest infections called aspiration pneumonias. These can be life-threatening.
Who is most at risk for dementia?
The greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s and other dementias is increasing age, but these disorders are not a normal part of aging. While age increases risk, it is not a direct cause of Alzheimer’s. Most individuals with the disease are 65 and older. After age 65, the risk of Alzheimer’s doubles every five years.