Understanding Alzheimer's Dementia

Alzheimer's Dementia is the most prevalent cause of cognitive loss or "ability to think" impacting Americans over the age of 65.

The Alzheimer's association recently reported that 6.2 million American's are living with Alzheimer's. That number is projected to more than double to nearly 13 million...

The Primary Causes:

• Age

• Genetics

Signs and Symptoms of Dementia:

• Early Stage (2-4 years with diagnosis): Recent memory loss begins to affect life; cannot remember simple request; disoriented; loss of spontaneity; changes in personality/mood; poor decision-making.

• Middle Stage (2-10 years with diagnosis): Increased memory loss; decreased attention span and confusion; may not recognize family and friends; repetitive gestures/speech; restlessness; twitches and jerky body movement.

• Late Stage (usually ending in death): Complete memory loss; decrease ability to move; inability to recognize self; decreased self-care; decrease ability to communicate with spoken word; orally fixated; incontinent.

Our Strategies for the Dementia Patients:

• Encourage the patient's safety.

• Model appropriate behavior and do not reward the childish behavior.

• Support for the patient's decreased abilities.

• Keep a positive, upbeat tone.

• Smile and reassure.

• Stick to easy to understand words and short sentences.

• Be patient.

• Foster focus, limit background noise.

• Take advantage of the morning and early noon when patient feels best.

• Adapt to the patient's decreased impulse control:

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• Redirect or divert.

• Observe the triggers to difficult behavior and adapt to the situation.

• Refraining from asking multiple questions of the patient if they are upset.