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We are all hearing so much about dementia.  It is in the news and our family, friends and neighbors are talking about this disease more and more.  We hear terms such as Alzheimer’s, Dementia and other diagnoses but are unsure how these terms differ and what they mean.  I recently talked with the husband of one of our new clients and explained – in non-medical terms – how to differentiate out all the words and what they mean.  He said this was helpful and requested I email it to him.  What follows is a brief synopsis of our conversation:

Dementia is the umbrella term of all diagnoses that has to do with cognitive impairment.  It is a broad term for diseases of the brain that cause memory problems and affect our thinking and behavior.  The largest numbers of people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.   The most seen dementia’s include vascular dementia, Parkinson’s dementia, and Lewy-Body Dementia.  Alzheimer’s dementia is often diagnosed by brain scans that visualize plaques and tangles in the brain from accumulation of a type of protein called Tau.  While people with Alzheimer’s look different, they are often the most mobile.  In the early part of their disease, they like to stay busy and seek out movement and activity.  It is important if families are needing to find a facility to care for a family member as this disease progresses, finding one with circular hallways are wise so that their loved one can walk without being restricted.  These individuals are at risk for losing weight as their activity level can burn through a lot of calories quickly.

Vascular dementia is often accompanied by other diagnoses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated levels of lipids which is also called Hypolipidemia (the levels of fat in our blood) and occasionally depression.  They are more likely to gravitate to less activity and generally want to relax and need to be encouraged to get up and move.  It is important to discuss all the diagnoses related to vascular dementia and how best to treat all along with the diagnosis of vascular dementia.

Parkinson’s dementia is occasionally seen at end of life.  The Parkinson’s Association notes that somewhere between 50 -80% of individuals with Parkinson’s Disease will develop dementia as their disease progresses.  The average time from the start of their Parkinson’s disease to developing dementia is about 10 years.  Parkinson’s is a disease that affects movement, coordination, balance and gait. 

Lewy Body Dementia is a disease that also affects movement, gait, balance and coordination.  However, as this disease progresses many individuals suffer from sleep disturbances waking at night with bad dreams and hallucinations.  Some even kick out and do so violently that they can fall out of bed.  Providing them with mats that prevent injuries if they fall out of bed is helpful as this disease progresses and living on a single story is also helpful.

There are other lesser known dementias such as alcohol-related dementia with people who suffer from alcoholism. Others include: Frontotemporal Lobe Dementia and Picks Disease.  There are many sites for more information but starting with Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org is a great start.  They have information for individuals newly diagnosed, information for caregivers on diseases and diagnoses as well as support groups.