What is dementia?

Submitted by Emma Hamilton on Tue, 09/03/2010 - 3:38pm

People living with dementia will need more support from the people around them as the disease progresses.

Dementia is a term used to describe the symptoms of a number of conditions that cause damage to the structure and chemistry of the brain.

Dementia causes damage to the brain that leads to a progressive loss of memory, orientation, judgement and insight. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease.

One of the major risk factors for dementia is increasing age. Approximately one in four people aged over 85 years has dementia.

Dementia is not a normal part of ageing and the early signs of dementia can often be difficult to detect.

Most cases of dementia are degenerative. This means that symptoms will get worse over time.

Some common early signs of dementia include:

Memory loss - people may forget how to make their way home or have problems remembering familiar names and places.
Mood and personality changes - people with dementia may experience anxiety or depression as they struggle to cope with loss of memory and changes in thinking. Sometimes a person's personality will change. They may act out of character, be less inhibited or appear flat.
Difficulties with communication - people with dementia can forget the name of a common object or misuse words. They may have problems reading and writing or following a conversation.

People with dementia gradually lose the ability to undertake normal everyday activities, communicate with others and make decisions.

Progression of dementia is influenced by a number of factors and everyone will experience dementia in their own unique way. Eventually a person with dementia will be dependent on others for all aspects of daily care.

In the early stages of dementia a person may feel frightened and need lots of reassurance from friends and family. People with dementia can enjoy quality of life with the support of people around them.

It's important to encourage a loved one with dementia to remain independent for as long as possible and do the things they enjoy.

What causes dementia?