Dementia & Alzheimer’s are medical conditions that are associated with memory loss. Many Americans struggle with these conditions, which may occur at different ages and manifest varying conditions. Memory loss can be debilitating as it affects our ability to live a normal life. For example, people suffering from these memory conditions may struggle with everyday tasks such as shopping, managing their finances, etc. In extreme cases, the conditions may put their lives in danger. For example, people suffering from memory loss problems may not remember important doctor appointments or medication dosages. This, in turn, could put their lives at risk. To understand these conditions better, here are some terms that are associated with Dementia and Alzheimer’s
Anosognosia
This term refers to the condition where people with Dementia and Alzheimer’s may struggle to understand the limitations that these conditions put on them. For example, some people with Dementia and Alzheimer’s may struggle to understand and accept that the condition could affect their ability to make sound judgments or even process rational thought. This, of course, compounds the problem as they are likely to make poor financial decisions and not be able to accept that their decisions were not the correct ones.
Appropriate Care
This is a term used to refer to an approach used to manage Dementia and Alzheimer’s conditions. In this approach, the patient is asked by caregivers to accept our shared reality. This is even though this common reality may be outside their ability to perceive. This is because our reality is fashioned by our ability to remember as well as our ability to process rational thought. Both of these are affected in cases of Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Appropriate care attempts to remedy this through an approach that helps deal with these conditions’ negative effects in a retirement community‘s memory care program.
Habilitative Care
This approach is the opposite of appropriate care. This term refers to an approach to managing Dementia and Alzheimer’s where caregivers accept the altered reality of Dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. Instead of trying to help them get over these shifts in perceptions, the focus is to change the conditions around the affected person so that they can live a safer and even more productive life. The key focus of this approach is to ensure that the patient’s emotional needs are met. It also aims to assist them in living a better quality of life by preserving dignity and autonomy.
Person-directed Care
This is a term that refers to an approach in the care and management of Dementia and Alzheimer’s where the intervention is tailored around the specific needs of the patient. Unlike the two that we have discussed, which are based on established protocols and schedules, this approach is more tailored to the patient’s specific needs. As a result, it could incorporate elements of appropriate and habilitative care
Remembering Self
This term is used in the management of Dementia and Alzheimer’s and refers to our ability to recall earlier times, especially good memories. This ability to engage with our past often helps us with current and future decision-making as it offers a framework for our decision-making activities.
