My elderly mother has a good friend in her retirement community. She has become increasingly concerned about her friend (I’ll call her Mary). My mother wants to help Mary but each day is a repeat of the day before. Mary can’t decide what to order for dinner, then doesn’t like it and won’t eat. Mary forgets to attend events and wears the same outfit for several days. Mom keeps telling me “but Mary has a Ph.D.” I remind Mom there are likely physical changes in Mary’s brain that’s causing this. Our talks prompted me to read up on dementia.
We should all be aware of this common disease as we care for our aging parents. As with every other aging issue, it is so very important to be proactive. We need to educate ourselves now on behalf of our parents and our families. Read on to learn about the symptoms and diagnosis of dementia as well as ways to help.
What is Dementia?
* Not an inevitable part of aging but 50% of those over 85 suffer from dementia
* Not a specific illness. It’s a group of symptoms that have many causes (such as disease, infection, injury, etc)
* Some causes can be reversed (dehydration, early hydrocephalus, reactions to medications)
* 30-40% are thought to be caused by series of small strokes that go unnoticed
* 60% of all dementia are results of Alzheimer’s disease
Symptoms of Dementia:
* Memory loss
* Confusion
* Language difficulty
* Disorientation
* Poor grooming
* Poor judgment
* Mood swings
* Personality changes
* Math difficulty
* Repetition
First step is diagnosis:
* Mental and physical exams. It is critical to identify and treat any reversible causes.
* There are medications to ease the symptoms and slow progress of the disease.
* Diagnosis helps your aging parent understand what is happening, take care of business affairs and along with the family, plan for their future.
How can you help your aging parent with dementia?
* Remain calm
* Simplify your parent’s world (remove clutter, keep noise down, offer simple choices, give instructions one at a time, avoid change)
* Look for the thing that might be upsetting your parent
* Let your parent do whatever tasks he can
* Stick to a routine
* Get her/him to exercise (helps sleep, reduces fall, reduces agitation)
* Be aware of depression (common in early stages of dementia)
* Pets, music and art therapy have been shown to be helpful
* Strokes, hugs and kind words are all reassuring and calming
Hopefully this brief information will help my mother understand her friend Mary better and be able to reach out to her in a positive way.
If you want to read more about Dementia, check out my source, “How to Care For Aging Parents” by Virginia Morris.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
i am having a problem. my mother inlaw lives with us. she has excessive behavior , terrible mood swings, and is mean. i need info and don’t know what to do?! who can help?
If I saw this in my mother, I would contact her primary care physician to get an exam and evaluation. Be sure you share your mother-in-law’s behavior with the doctor. In Virginia Morris’ book, How to Care for Your Aging Parents, she says the doctor will do some or all of the following: take patient history, examine mood and mental state (sometimes using the MMSE, Mini-mental state exam), lab tests, and neurologic exam.
The doctor should then be able to make a diagnosis, provide appropriate treatment and follow-up; and also, share local resources for you to turn to for help.
If he can’t supply a list of local resources, go to the site http://www.eldercare.gov (input your zip code) and you’ll find your local Area on Aging office.
Here’s a Webmd article on Dementia that you may find helpful: http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/alzheimers-dementia
Another resource for any form of dementia is Alzheimer’s Association, 800-272-3900 or http://www.alz.org
I hope this info helps you. Dale…