Love, Dignity and Respect
What is Alzheimer's and Dementia?
What is Dementia?
Dementia is a broad category of brain diseases that cause a long term and often a gradual decrease in the ability to think and remember that is great enough to effect a person's daily functioning. More than one type of Dementia may exist in the same person. There is at present no known cure for Dementia, that means that there is there at present nothing that can reverse it, slow it down or even stop its progress (Source: Wikipedia)
Figures show that diagnosed cases rose annually with 65%. About 780 000 cases were already diagnosed in South Africa. In the USA about 5million were diagnosed already. Read more
What is Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of Dementia and makes out between 50 to 75% of all diagnosed cases.
The 10 Warning signs (Source: Healthline Newsletter - Article written by Valencia Higuera and Mary Allen Ellis).
A person must have at least 2 types of impairment that significantly interfere with everyday life to receive a dementia diagnoses.
1. Subtle short term memory changes
2. Difficulty finding the right words
3. Changes in mood
4. Apathy
5. Difficulty completing normal tasks.
6. Confusion
7. Difficulty following story lines
8. A failing sense of direction.
9. Being repetitive
10. Struggling to adapt to change.
What do I do?
What do I do when my loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or one of the other dementias?
Improve your knowledge about the illness. Find out as much as possible so that you can prepare yourself (and your family) for what the future holds.
Secondly, find a care facility as soon as possible so that your loved one can be taken care of as best as possible. Most family members think that they are able and willing to take care of such a person, just to find out (most of the time too late), that the illness demands too much of them to handle.
Remember that a care facility is equipped to take care of the symptoms, moods and general needs.
Would you like to know more about Alzheimer's and Dementia?
Contact us for an information session
Johan is willing to conduct an information session. Please contact us for more information.