DEM 301 UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND EXPERIENCE OF DEMENTIA
WHAT ARE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF DEMENTIA
Alzheimer's disease – The possible risk factors are increasing age, possible genetic link, being female and Down's syndrome.
Symptoms: word finding problems, forgetting how to do everyday activities, confusion, forgetting names of people, places and appointments , mood swings and withdrawn.
Vascular dementia – possible risk factors lifestyle( lack of exercise, too much alcohol, smoking and eating fatty diet) medical or family history (BP, high cholesterol) and ethnic back ground
Symptoms: problems concentrating and communicating, depression, symptoms of stroke such as weakness or paralysis, epileptic seizures periods of acute confusion
Lewy body disease - Increasing age
Symptoms: symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinsons diseases- problems with attention and alertness , spatial disorientation, difficulty in planning and co-ordinating mental activities, trembling, shuffling, visual hallucinations , fall asleep very easily by day, faint, fall or have funny turn, abilities fluctuate daily or even hourly.
TYPES OF MEMORY IMPAIRMENT EXPERIENCED BY PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA
short term and long term memory loss not able to express themselves in words not able to concentrate on things not able to reason or understand the information not able to get dressed properly unable to make decisions cannot remember their way around slows ability to process the information HOW WE PROCESS INFORMATION AND HOW DEMENTIA CAN AFFECT THIS
Communication is the way we share information or exchange ideas. Sender conveys a message and receiver conveys a response, this is how we interact with each other.
People with dementia may not be able to send or receive information effectively, so it is up to the partner in communication to make the interaction successful. By using pictures, signs, facial expressions, touch.
We behave