Dementia Care Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre

Introduction  Dementia is not a single illness but a group of symptoms caused by damage to the brain. The symptoms include loss of memory, mood changes and confusion.  Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain. There are different types of dementia including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies andfrontotemporal dementia Dementia types of dementia

Symptoms Of Dementia  Memory Loss  Fronto-Temporal Dementia  Later Stages  Communication  Incontinence  Eating

Memory Loss  Usually recent memory loss is remarkable. Patient may forget names, routes, passwords etc. But he can remember well his days in younger age or school name or birth date, etc.  Person may get confused in unfamiliar environment & may get lost.  Difficulty in finding the words.  Changes in personality & behavior  Depressive symptoms, loss of interest may be there. Depressive symptoms  Early symptoms are often mild, called as cognitive impairment, slowly get worse. This is the right time to treat patients with current medications.  Some patients develop forgetfulness slowly while others fast.  Vascular Dementia symptoms usually develop suddenly but slowly recover & they may persist without much worsening.Dementia symptoms  Dementia with Lewy Bodies develops visual hallucinations & their activities become slower as Parkinsonism increases.

Fronto-Temporal Dementia  Fronto-Temporal Dementia typically has more changes in behavior & personality than Memory. Usually these develop very quickly, may be in months.  This develops early in sixties & person may be working before onset.  Symptoms corresponding to frontal lobe like repetitive behavior, difficulty in language, Mood disturbances may be there.

Later Stages  As dementia progresses memory become more disturbed. Patients tend to forget names of near relatives, also daily routine of person may get affected.dementia progresses memory  They tend to forget to eat & sleep. They can’t take care of themselves & may need assistance in everything.  They may find difficult to understand simple information, tasks or instructions.

Communication  There may be difficulty in speaking or may loss ability to speak. There is need to communicate them with nonverbal communications like touch & gestures. Mobility  Gradually their movement get restricted. They can’t move without support & may become bedbound. Sometimes rigidity may develop due to less movement. There are chances of bedsores which eventually lead to ore seriousness.

Incontinence  Actually they are not incontinent; they forget toilets & pass urine & stool anywhere. Diapers may be required, sometimes they are unwilling to use diapers & then the real problem occurs. Eating  Loss of petite & weight loss is common in later stages. It’s important to give them food on timely basis, sometimes multiple times as they forget or may say I just ate. Swallowing difficulties are common, may lead to choking. Aspiration pneumonias are common.

THANK YOU Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre Manjari Farm, Pune Solapur Road, Opposite Govind Lodge, Hadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra