There are different types of dementia but the most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, there are about 55 million people who have Dementia. About two in every 100 people aged 65 to 69 have dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is very common among people who are aged 85 and above. It is a disease that progressively destroys the person’s brain cells over time causing them to lose their cognitive functioning. They start to lose their ability to think, remember and reason rationally. Those with Alzheimer’s disease could experience a change in their personalities and they may even start to lose control of their emotions. You will find that those with Alzheimer’s disease can be quiet at times but in the next moment, they can shout or scream in agitation. It is important to note that Alzheimer’s disease has different ranges in severity where some could be mild or severe. Mild dementia is at the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease affecting a person’s cognitive functions. The most severe stage of dementia is when the patient has to completely depend on other people to complete their basic activities.
Signs of Dementia
Dementia starts to develop when healthy neurons in the brain stop working and become disconnected with other brain cells that eventually die. Though it is normal for neurons to die as we grow older, dementia patients experience a greater number of neuron loss that affects their abilities. Some signs of dementia could include experiencing memory loss and poor judgment, confusion, difficulty in speaking, wandering and getting lost in familiar places, repeating questions and taking a far longer time to complete normal everyday tasks. By 2030, it has been reported that about 82 million people are expected to have a form of dementia. Dementia patients will experience social withdrawal which is because they start to lose their ability to interact and connect with other people. If your loved ones are starting to show signs of early dementia, you can consider bringing your loved ones to a memory care program so that they can preserve their cognitive functions and abilities.
Being Aware of Their Condition
You may have loved ones that have dementia and you may wonder if your loved ones are aware that they have dementia. It may be scary and confusing when you observe the way they behave. However, it is important to note that they are actually not aware of their condition or how they behave. From their perspective, they believe that there is nothing wrong. This could be due to a condition called anosognosia which is a condition where people are unaware of the condition of their mental health and how it affects them. However, it is important to note that anosognosia is not the same as being in denial. Being in denial means that the person is aware yet refuses to accept it. Anosognosia is something much different. Dementia causes some damage to the brain which makes it nearly impossible for the person to be alert and aware of what is happening around them. As such, dementia patients do not really know what they have this condition.
