Dementia For Dummies – UK - Atkins Simon

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bits of information that are worth remembering because they will help you deal with problems and perhaps see them off before they arise.

      

These are key facts that anyone wanting to get a handle on dementia and what it’s all about will want to know.

      

This icon flags potential dangers and pitfalls that can lead to problems when managing dementia.

      

This icon points out information that’s interesting or in-depth but that isn’t necessary for you to read.

Beyond the Book

      In addition to the material in the print or e-book you’re reading right now, this product also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. These resources are crammed with useful summaries about everything you need to know about dementia. Check out the free cheat sheet at http://www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/dementia for more information about the condition and helpful reminders about the essentials of being a carer.

      And you’ll also find online articles at www.dummies.com/extras/dementia. There’s one looking at the tests that doctors carry out to diagnose dementia, another on the steps you need to follow to set up a lasting power of attorney and finally an article highlighting the top tips for finding a suitable care home.

Where to Go from Here

      By all means carry on reading from here in chapter order; if you do, you obviously won’t go far wrong. But if you have particular needs and interests when it comes to dementia and its care then you may well want to flit about through the book.

      If you want to understand the causes of dementia and the way the disease affects the brain then head to Chapter 4. If you need to grasp the difference between Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body disease and fronto-temporal dementia then I discuss these in Chapter 3.

      If the medical bits don’t really captivate you, but you want tips about being a great carer, then you can start reading from Chapter 10. Or if you’re worried you may have dementia and need to know how to have it diagnosed then you should start reading at Chapter 6.

      Basically, thanks to the layout of all For Dummies books, the choice of how you read through this book is completely yours. But, however you decide to set off, I hope you enjoy learning more about this increasingly important subject.

      Part I

      Could It Be Dementia?

      

Visit www.dummies.com for free access to great Dummies content online.

       In this part ...

      ✔ Find out what dementia actually is and the symptoms that someone may develop that lead a doctor to consider the diagnosis.

      ✔ Look at the main diseases that cause dementia, and at some other medical conditions whose symptoms, while similar, can be reversible with appropriate treatment.

      ✔ Discover the causes of the condition and the risk factors for developing it, and ways to possibly protect yourself from getting it.

      ✔ Explore the various stages of the disease and the symptoms to look out for as time goes on.

      Chapter 1

      Checking Out the Facts on Dementia

       In This Chapter

      ▶ Defining dementia

      ▶ Looking at the scale of the problem

      ▶ Understanding the link between age and dementia

      ▶ Recognising the four main types of dementia

      ▶ Considering other diseases that can cause dementia

      If you’re reading a book about dementia, you first need to understand what the term means. In my work as a family doctor I meet people with a whole heap of different ideas about what sort of condition the word ‘dementia’ suggests. For some, it’s the diagnostic label you give to people who keep having ‘senior moments’ and regularly forget what they’ve been up to, where they put their spectacles and the names of their grandchildren. To others, it refers to people who are old and confused, have urine-drenched armchairs, and spend all day shouting at the telly and letting their friends and neighbours know exactly what they think of them.

      While some of the above symptoms clearly can be part of the picture, neither of the people described fits the diagnosis. The first is probably just forgetful but otherwise well, and the second may simply be leaky and bad-tempered, with a poor sense of smell. Dementia has a very clear definition, because the diagnosis is never made lightly.

      This chapter looks in detail at what dementia is and what it certainly is not.

Understanding What Dementia Is

      Dementia isn’t a single entity, but the result of a number of different medical conditions that affect normal brain functioning.

      

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines dementia thus:

       [A] syndrome – usually of a chronic or progressive nature – in which there is deterioration in cognitive function (i.e. the ability to process thought) beyond what might be expected from normal ageing. It affects memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, calculation, learning capacity, language, and judgement. Consciousness is not affected. The impairment in cognitive function is commonly accompanied, and occasionally preceded, by deterioration in emotional control, social behaviour, or motivation.

      This definition, however, still contains a fair amount of medical jargon. So I’ll try to come up with a simpler, but still accurate, version by considering each of the key terms used by the WHO:

      ✔ Syndrome: This word describes the symptoms that are characteristic of a particular medical condition. People with the condition have most of these features but don’t have to show all of them to receive the diagnosis. Thus in dementia, one person may have poor memory for shopping lists but still be able to add up the prices on the bill, while another may have problems with both memory and calculations.

      ✔ Chronic and progressive: These terms mean that the condition is long term and gets steadily worse with time. Many people think that the word ‘chronic’ means that something is severe. But while dementia may be severe for some people, it’s mild in others; chronic here means long-lasting.

      ✔ Consciousness: Used in relation to dementia, this word takes on both of its meanings. People with dementia are both awake (as opposed to unconscious) and mentally aware of their surroundings, although what’s going on around them may not always make sense and may be confusing.

      

So dementia can be caused by a number of diseases of the brain that lead to a collection of progressively worsening

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