Contact your primary care physician if you are seeing signs of cognitive decline in your loved one. Most primary care physicians can perform an initial assessment and evaluation. It is important to get this diagnosis as soon as possible. Early intervention can slow down dementia’s rate of progression.
Mixed dementia is a term that describes a diagnosis of more than one type of dementia occurring simultaneously in a person. Research indicates that dementia patients older than 85 years of age are more likely to have mixed dementia. Learn more about it here.
Even though the reasons for anxiety in people with dementia vary individually, there are some common threads. Caregivers most often manage anxiety with a focus on the following five common causes.
If your loved one has just been diagnosed with dementia you may feel stunned, knowing that the condition is life-changing – it is never easy on a family. It can feel frightening. You may wonder what the next steps should be. Dementia is progressive in nature, but as you gain knowledge about the condition, and as you set some plans in place, it can help make the process smoother, and it will enable you to provide the best care for your loved one.
Apps that challenge the brain and provide entertainment are no longer geared entirely towards the younger population. Many apps are available that seniors enjoy, and even better, there are a variety of simple apps on the market that can help your loved one who has dementia.
While senior centers are designed to provide all seniors with recreational and social opportunities, adult day care centers are a resource for people with physical needs or limited functioning due to memory loss. Adult day care is especially helpful for patients in the earlier stages of dementia.
Most of us recognize the feeling of thirst, and it naturally leads us to reach for liquids for rehydration. But the sensation of thirst in our loved ones with dementia can be something they no longer recognize, and they may not be able to express how they are feeling when they are thirsty.
If you’re a caretaker for a loved one with dementia, at some point, they may experience delusions – strong beliefs that have no real basis in reality, which can form into paranoia which worsens as dementia progresses. Paranoia adds an extra layer of stress to the already difficult job of caretaking, but there are ways you can soothe your loved one and manage their symptoms.