Management of Dementia

  • Dementia
    is a broad term for a range of conditions that involve loss of mental ability and so cause problems with memory, language, behaviour and emotions. Dementia is most common in the elderly. Around five percent of people over the age of 65 are affected to some extent.  According to Alzheimer’s Disease International with increasing life expectancy, this is expected to surge to 75.6 million in 2030. Disease awareness and understanding is a huge challenge  
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 19 September 2015

Managing the condition

Dementia generally gets worse with age but the development of symptoms can often be slowed with drugs or other treatments. Treatment of dementia usually aims to improve memory and concentration, reduce psychiatric problems, and improve the quality of life for both the patient and their family.

Read here for various treatment options: http://www.patientsengage.com/conditions/dementia/treatments

Improving quality of life: There are several psychological techniques to help people cope with dementia. These include reality orientation, which involves regularly reminding patients of information such as the day, date, season and where they are. Aromatherapy and art or music therapies are also thought to be beneficial.

Although people with mild dementia can usually cope with minimal support, they need more help looking after themselves as the disease progresses. 

Exercise programmes are beneficial with respect to activities of daily living and potentially improve dementia. 

In advanced cases of dementia, finding a place in a residential or nursing home may be the best option for both the patient and their carer.

Take charge: Notes for the caregiver

  • Caring for a dementia patient is challenging. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
  • Do everything you can to help the patient retain their sense of identity and self-worth
  • Always be calm and talk gently, no matter how the patient responds
  • If the patient seems distracted or absent-minded, draw their attention by touching or stroking them to communicate and show love 
  • Have a clock and calendar in the room to keep the patient in touch with the present
  • Monitor food and fluid intake and elimination — dehydration or constipation can exacerbate confusion
  • Make sure the house is well-lit and safe – so the patient does not fall or trip
  • If the patient is confused, consider labelling items or rooms, such as bathroom (in words or pictures)
  • Take all the help you can get from family members and friends to care for the patient or help with household chores while you look after the patient

Consider the following therapies:

  • Validation therapy: This validates the patient’s thoughts and feelings and also helps them work through them. It follows the patient’s reality, not yours. 
  • Music therapy: This is an effective way to gain communication with the patient.
  • Reminiscence therapy: Discuss past events that are positive that bring peace and happiness to the patient.

Activities for the patient:

  • If they are physically able, take them out to a park or flower show
  • Give them some simple responsibilities, like buttering the toast at the breakfast table or watering the plants
  • Have them listen to audiotapes
  • Have them spend time around children or pets
  • Give them hand, neck and foot massages
  • Brush their hair

Related reading: http://www.patientsengage.com/conditions/10-tips-communicating-patient-dementia

Remember:

  • Don’t argue with the patient
  • Avoid background noise
  • Don’t ask them a lot of questions

Know your support team:

  • Psychiatrist 
  • Neurosurgeon
  • Dietitian 
  • Physiotherapist 
  • Nursing care
  •  
Community
Alzheimer's and Dementia
Caregiver Community
Condition
Dementia

Stories

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  • Common anticholinergic drugs like Benadryl, Nytol linked to increased dementia risk
    Nytol, Benadryl, Ditropan and Piriton among the medications identified by scientists as raising likelihood of dementia A report published online this week in JAMA Internal Medicine offers compelling evidence of a link between long-term use of anticholinergic medications like Benadryl and dementia. Anticholinergic drugs block the action of acetylcholine. This substance transmits messages in the nervous system. In the brain, acetylcholine is involved in learning and memory. In the…
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     "The experience of caring for someone with Alzheimer's can be incredibly isolating, at a time when you need support the most. We are grateful that this process has helped us come together as a family and as a community to celebrate that most precious gift of all : our memories"   http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/opinion/a-marriage-to-remember.html?emc=edit_th_20140826&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=53809129&_r=0    
  • Extended use of sleeping pills linked to Alzheimer's
    Taking the drugs known as benzodiazepines, which include diazepam and lorazepam, for three months or more was linked with a greater chance of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease five years later. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/11083674/Sleeping-pills-ta… For our community's tips on sleeping please check out http://www.patientsengage.com/?q=discussions/are-you-sleeping-well-what-works-you  
  • Understanding Dementia
    This gives you an understanding of what is Dementia, who are affected by it, symptoms of various stages and what you can do ...http://alz.org.sg/about-dementia/understanding-dementia
  • Vitamin D deficiency increases risk of Dementia
    In a population-based study of its kind, a team of researchers has found a link between vitamin D consumption and the risk of developing dementia. Older people who do not get enough vitamin D could double their risk of developing the condition. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280704.php
  • Powerful Self-Portraits Reveal Artist's Descent Into Alzheimer's Disease
    Utermohlen's self-portraits provide a stark look at the devastating effects of Alzheimer's. As the artist struggled to keep in touch with the world around him, his works became flatter, more abstract, with a new loss of details and spatial sense. By 2000, Utermohlen's memory and technical skills had deteriorated to the point where his heartbreaking portrayal of himself was simply a scribbled skull and the barest shadows of facial features. http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/william-…
  • Caring for someone with Dementia
     Family members, friends, and colleagues want to support persons with dementia, but are unsure how to proceed. Swapna Kishore, who was a dementia caregiver for well over a decade, offers guidance and insights.  http://swapnawrites.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/caring-for-someone-with-dementia/