Understand and Enable Positive Interaction and Communication with Individuals Who Have Dementia Essay

Understand and enable positive interaction and communication with individuals who have dementia

Different types of dementia affect communication in different ways.
Alzheimers disease
This is the most common form of dementia . during the course of the disease the chemistry and structure of the brain changes , leading to the death of brain cells . it typically begins with lapses in memory , mood swings and difficulty in word finding . later the person may become confused and may find it difficult to understand what is being said.
Vascular dementia
This describes all forms of dementia caused by damage to the blood vessels to the brain
Symptoms can occur suddenly after a stroke or over time through a series of small strokes known as multi infarct dementia.
Lewy bodies
This form of dementia gets its name from the tiny spherical structures made of proteins that develop inside nerve cells . their presence inside the brain leads to the degeneration and death of brain tissue affecting memory , concentration and language skills . People with lewy bodies often suffer hallucinations.
Frontal lobe dementia
Frontal lobe dementia including Picks disease   , in this form of dementia damage to9 brain cells is more localised than in Alzheimers   disease , usually beginning in the front part of the brain . Initially personality and behaviour are more affected than memory but in later stages symptoms are similar to Alzheimers.

An early sign that someone's language is being affected by dementia is that they can't find the right words – particularly the names of people. The person may substitute an incorrect word, or may not find any word at all. There may come a time when the person can hardly communicate accurately or successfully by using language. This may be distressing for their loved ones, but it's a normal aspect of their memory loss.

As the symptoms of dementia progress it will become more difficult for the person to recall the word they need , put the right...