Dementia

• What lifestyle factors increase the risk of dementia?

  • smoking
  • poor diet
  • lack of exercise
• What is alzheimer's disease?

  • most common type of dementia
  • proteins (plaques and tangles) build up in the brain->leads to shortage of chemicals in the brain which affects transmission of signals
• What are the early stage effects of alzheimers?

  • decline in short term memory
  • impairment in thinking/problem solving
  • difficulty completing routine tasks
• What are the later stage effects of alzheimers?

  • language impairment
  • lack of judgement
  • emotional outbursts
• What are the final stage effects of alzheimers?

  • unable to recognise family
  • almost total loss of memory
  • unable to feed or care for self
  • death
• What are the support needs for someone with early stage dementia?

  • informal help
  • medication
  • memory clinics
• What are the support needs for someone with later stage dementia?

  • community/specialist nurse visits
  • respite care
  • support in home with personal care
• What are support needs for someone with final stage dementia?

  • residential care/hospice care
  • personal/continence care
  • end of life care