Did you know there are over 100 types of dementia? The condition has become very prevalent in today's society, which is why we at Kemble at Home have made it our mission to raise as much awareness as possible and make Herefordshire a dementia friendly county.
In case you were confused about the terminology, dementia is an umbrella term for the different types of the condition. So Alzheimer's Disease is a type of dementia, and it is also the most common. The others you may have come across are vascular dementia, dementia with lewy bodies, parkinson's etc.
Despite the common belief, dementia does not only occur with the elderly, but can happen with many working age people - some even in their 20s, even though this is not very common. This is why it is important to understand that dementia does not naturally occur with age, but is a disease, just like any other which may occur in the body.
As Alzheimer's Disease is a disease of the brain, it means it can affect any function of the brain, not just the well known memory loss. Motor skills, communication and vision are only a few of the functions that the brain controls, therefore a loss of any of these skills may be a sign of dementia.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Understanding can, like with anything, help us with early diagnosis, so we have listed some of the symptoms you should look out for:
1. Difficulty in finding the right words.
2. Being forgetful about names, appointments and where things belong.
3. Struggling with everyday tasks like using a knife and fork, or dressing.
4. Personality changes, like being a very shy person before, and a very bold one now.
5. Mood swings and anger.
6. Being unable to make judgments.
7. Getting confused too often, experiencing disorientation.
8. Struggling to multitask.
9. Depression, loss of interest in activities, friends, family.
12. Being repetitive.
13. Seeing things that are not there, like mistaking a black mat with a hole, or a swirly carpet with snakes.
14. The most common one, and one that everyone knows about, memory loss.
On this Alzheimer's Disease Day, we would like to remind everyone that like any other disease, healthy lifestyle can reduce your chances of developing the condition. So don't take your health for granted - those who have lost it, know only too well how important it is!
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