However, if the person is depressed then it could be the depression not the dementia causing them ill-being. Delirium for example can be brought on as a result of an infection and this might be mistaken with dementia because for example the person could become confused and suffer with memory loss which are also signs and symptoms of dementia. It is very similar for age-related
Dementia Awareness Unit 237 Dementia is a condition which is the gradual loss of brain function, this also makes it degenerative. It can include symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, problems with speech and understanding. Dementia at the moment has no cure, as it has a number of diseases that coincide with it. Alzheimer’s is part of dementia. Functions that are affected by dementia are; Short term Memory loss, Language skills, the ability to interpret information, spatial skills, judgement and attention.
So expressing themselves using body language may be difficult do to lack of cognitive control in their limbs, or hands. They may also show the same signs as Alzheimer’s disease. • Lewy bodies dementia is very similar to Alzheimer’s disease, the difference being that they may have hallucinations and become fearful. This will affect communication due to their behaviour may mean they are too scared to talk, or be spoken to. Physical and mental health factors need to be taken into account when communicating with someone with dementia, they may also be hard of hearing, or have limited eyesight.
Discuss the deficits Mr Lusk has presented with. Mr Lusk has presented with many of the signs of Dementia. Mr Lusk’ inability to perform everyday tasks and reported progressive memory loss are both factors in Dementia. Mr Lusk’ is also wandering and getting lost in familiar setting this is a sign that Mr Lusk is disorientated with time and place which is an early warning sign of Dementia. Other early warning signs that Mr Lusk has presented with are deficits in language often people with Dementia forget how to speak simple words which can impact on the ability to have a conversation with the person, judgement, insight and thinking are also signs of Dementia people with Dementia have a hard time with abstract thinking and can’t problem solve as well as they use to.
237:- 1.1: The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. These changes are often small to start with, but for someone with dementia they have become severe enough to affect daily life. A person with dementia may also experience changes in their mood or behaviour. 1.2: The Key functions of the brain affected by dementia are: * Language * Memory * Perception * Emotional behaviour or personality * Cognitive skills (such as calculation, abstract thinking, or judgement). 1.3: Depression, delirium and age related memory impairment could be mistaken for dementia as they all manifest with similar symptoms.
The memory impairment may result in lack of attention, forgetting language, forgetting names and identity of friends and relatives and lose of ability to solve problems. confusion another effect of dementia, and also disorientation in which the patient forgets the direction, the time (date, month and year) and everything about the self. 1.2 Describe the types of memory impairment commonly experienced by individuals with dementia: dementia is a condition of the brain which causes a
Thalamus – Muscle movement and processing sensory information. Hippocampus – Processes recent memories into stored memory Limbic system - Emotions and smell. 1.3. Explain why depression, delirium and age related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia Depression is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. A person who is depressed can often show similar signs or symptoms to a person that has dementia.
(Weinstein, B. E. (2003). Sensorineural hearing loss is the hearing loss experienced by older adults that result from atrophic changes within the sensory and neural systems. This is associated with a loss of ability to hear sound and speech clearly. In addition to this there are other factors that can aide in hearing loss associated with age, these include: exposure to loud noises, genetic factors, trauma, vascular disease, infections and ingestion of agents that have an ototoxic effect such as dieuritcs or chemotherapy drugs. Untreated hearing loss can have significant consequences.
1.3 Explain why depression, delirium and age-related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia Because this are symptoms of dementia but the cause for them to happen can be different: - for depression: a person can be depressed but not suffer for dementia; - for delirium: it can be caused by an infection and the person could become confused and suffer with memory loss which are also signs and symptoms of dementia; - for age-related memory impairment: if someone becomes forgetful they might think or others might think they have dementia because a lot of people associate dementia with old age and memory loss but younger people can be affected too. 2. Understand key features of the theoretical models of dementia: 2.1 Outline the medical model of dementia Dementia has to managed and treated rather than the person. 2.2 Outline
People experiencing vascular dementia will, like those with Alzheimer’s disease, have problems with learning, remembering, recognition, planning and problem solving. However, there is a major difference in the two diseases. Alzheimer’s disease tends to affect the whole of the brain and to progress gradually and steadily. Vascular dementia tends to affect only certain areas of the brain, and this means someone may retain more of their abilities – and also more awareness of their condition. Dementia syndrome or ‘mixed dementia’are terms for a condition in which abnormalities characteristic of more than one type of dementia occur simultaneously in the brain.