What Dementia Means for Your Aging Loved One and How to Identify It
Posted by Donna Mae Scheib on December 19, 2016
What Dementia Means for Your Aging Loved One and How to Identify It
Determine if your loved one is struggling with dementia.
You’ve probably heard the term “dementia” many times before, but you may think it’s the same thing as Alzheimer’s. People often use these two terms interchangeably, but they aren’t equivalent. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia but there are many different types of dementia. If you have dementia, it does not necessarily mean that you have Alzheimer’s.
We all tend to become more forgetful as we age, and many older people have mild memory loss that doesn’t affect their daily lives. If you have memory loss that gets progressively worse, however, it may mean you have dementia. Dementia affects your memory as well as your ability to think and plan.
As a caregiver, it can be frightening to imagine our loved ones forgetting who we are and not being able to recall cherished memories. But the possibility of developing older-age dementia is one that cannot be ignored. The good news is that dementia rates are sharply declining among seniors in the US. Dementia rates in people over the age of 65 fell from 11.6% in 2000 to 8.8% in 2012, according to a recent study. This decline translates to about one million fewer Americans suffering from the condition.
While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, the decline in dementia shows that there are many things that can be done socially, medically, and behaviorally to prevent dementia or at least significantly reduce the risk.
Early Symptoms of Dementia
Typically, the first symptom of dementia is memory loss. The person suffering from memory loss may not notice it, but family and friends will. Your loved one might start out suffering from short-term memory loss, such as when he or she is able to remember things that happened years ago but can’t remember what happened just 10 minutes ago. Things that a person with early dementia might struggle with include the following:
- Using or understanding words
- Doing things that require planning, such as going to the grocery store
- Getting lost in familiar places
- Communicating
- Reasoning
- Focusing
Eventually, you may notice a shift in personality. For example, a once shy person may become outgoing. This is due to a change in judgment caused by dementia. Seniors might also become apathetic and uninterested in their hobbies and interests. Later, dementia sufferers may stop bathing or brushing their teeth and become unable to care for themselves.
Memory Care for People with Dementia
If a person with dementia prefers to live in a community setting or needs more care than could be provided at home, moving to a senior living facility with memory care services might be the best option. Memory care facilities are specially designed to care for people who have been diagnosed with some form of dementia.
Making the decision to move into an assisted living facility isn’t an easy one. The following questions can help you determine whether moving your loved one to a residential care facility would be a good option:
- Is the person’s care beyond my abilities?
- Is the person unsafe in his or her home?
- Is the person’s health at risk?
- Am I, the caregiver, becoming stressed out, irritable, and impatient?
Making the transition to a senior living facility can be a stressful experience. You may often wonder if you’re doing the right thing. Ease the burden of choosing an appropriate senior living facility for your loved one by gathering as much information as you can and weighing your options carefully.
Find Senior Living Communities on Senior Living Link
Senior Living Link is a free senior living directory that allows you to browse assisted living community listings from around the country. Our site is independent of any community, so our listings are unbiased and transparent. Visit our Memory Care Facility Directory to research memory care facilities in your local area.