Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Welcome
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Introductions
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Group Agreement
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What will be achieved from this session?
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Main Talking Points
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how to describe dementia
the symptoms of dementia
the different types of dementia
the differences between dementia, depression and
delirium
Myth: ‘dementia means you will become incapable
of living life with any meaning’
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
What is dementia?
Dementia is a term used to describe a group of
symptoms.
Memory
Difficulties
Difficulties
with
Thinking
Difficulties
with
Functioning
Communication
Difficulties
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Memory difficulties
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It becomes very hard to remember what has
happened recently
It becomes difficult to learn new things
Memories from the past can become more ‘real’
Can you think of any examples where a person with
dementia has difficulties with memory?
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
A combination of symptoms
Dementia is more than just difficulties with memory:
 Cognitive Difficulties: difficulties with thinking
 Functioning Difficulties: difficulties with doing
everyday tasks
 Communication Difficulties: difficulties with
language and comprehension
MYTH: Dementia is when a person just loses their
memory
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Thinking difficulties
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It becomes hard to work out how to organise
thinking to do everyday tasks
It becomes hard to concentrate and focus on tasks
Losing track when undertaking a task with multiple
stages
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
What causes dementia?
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Dementia is the result of brain cells being damaged
in an ongoing way
This happens as a result of a number of different
diseases, sometimes referred to as ‘types’ of
dementia
It is not a normal part of ageing.
MYTH: getting older means you will get dementia.
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Main diseases that cause dementia
There are 3 main diseases that cause dementia:
 Alzheimer’s Disease
 Vascular Dementia
 Lewy Body Dementia
There are lots of others
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
4%
2% 2% 3%
10%
17%
South West Dementia Partnership
62%
Alzheimer's
Vascular
Mixed
Lewy bodies
Fronto temporal
PDD
Other
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Diagnosing dementia
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Tests, for example the Mini Mental State Examination
+
Scans, for example a CT Scan (computerized axial
tomography)
+
Personal history from person and the person’s relatives
Discuss: why is it important for a person to have a
diagnosis?
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
The Dementia Journey
Awareness
Of
Difficulties
South West Dementia Partnership
Assessment
Diagnosis
Living with Dementia
Support for :
Person with Dementia
Support for Carers
End of life
care
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Changes through dementia
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Awareness - a person may begin to notice problems,
for example, forgetting things. Other people might
notice the person not managing their life in the usual
way.
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Assessment/Diagnosis - a person may start to
struggle with everyday living, needing prompts and
reminders. As it becomes more evident that the
person is having difficulties this leads to assessment
and a diagnosis.
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Living with
dementia
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South West Dementia Partnership
Living with dementia.– a person will
need increasing ongoing support in a
number of areas around everyday
living.
Enabling a person to live well with
dementia by focussing on a
person’s strengths and well being is
important throughout the course of
the illness.
It is also essential to provide
support, guidance and education
about dementia to the carers who
are living with the person.
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Effect on feelings and emotions
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Each person with dementia will respond to the
difficulties they experience in an individual way
depending on a person’s personality.
For some people having a range of difficulties in
memory and thinking can result in a person feeling:
….Frustrated
….Angry
….Upset
….Distressed
….Alone
….Frightened
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Person Centred Approaches
Working in a person centred way with people with
dementia will:
Promote well being
Use a person’s strengths
Encourage positive communication
(Refer to bite sized presentation ‘Person Centred
Approaches’)
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Other causes of confusion
Delirium:
Sometimes called ‘Toxic Confusional State’
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A person who has delirium can often show similar
symptoms to a person who has dementia.
Delirium often develops quickly and is usually
reversible.
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Possible causes of delirium
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Anaemia.
Low blood sugar, hormone imbalance.
Diarrhoea / Constipation
Intolerance to medication.
Infection: Chest Infection/ Urinary Tract Infection.
Period after major operation.
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
What happens:
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Hallucinations and Delusions are often present and
come on quickly
Thinking and reasoning are usually affected severely
Severe confusion is often present.
Important note: A person may have dementia and also
have delirium
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Depression
A person who is depressed can often show similar
symptoms to a person who has dementia.
This is because depression affects:
 Concentration
 Motivation
 Ability to manage everyday tasks
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Myth: A person with dementia
does not get depressed
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Important note: A person may have dementia and
also be depressed.
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Treatment options need to be explored for
depression and delirium.
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia
Main Talking Points re-visited
Any questions?
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Describe dementia
Name the symptoms of dementia
Name 3 different types of dementia
Describe what happens when a person has
delirium and depression
South West Dementia Partnership
Essential dementia awareness: describing dementia