Dementi A Common Concern About Senior Loved Ones Aging

Dementia Care: Identification and How to Proceed A common concern about senior loved ones aging is dementia. How will you know if they have it, and how do you proceed if they do? The best place to start is with a look at dementia. Dementia is a term that refers to the breakdown of cognitive activity which usually includes an impairment and/or loss of memory. While we do not yet know what causes dementia, there are signs and symptoms that indicate the onset. Additionally, there are certain conditions that frequently lead to dementia such as Alzheimer s disease and strokes. There are also different degrees of dementia. Some people may have an impaired short-term memory while their long-term memory is still excellent. Others may lose the ability to talk but can play instruments and write. Others may have all mental faculties one moment and have no recollection of who their loved ones are the next. Dementia comes in two main categories: dementia with an identified cause and those without. An identified cause might be a stroke, an illness, a thyroid condition, medication, and so forth. While there is no a cure for dementia, conditions related to identified causes may be reversible. For example, if dementia were related to a thyroid condition that was treated, the brain impairment may go away. If a brain is damaged by a stroke, however, recovery depends on the extent and locality of the damage. It is important to remember that dementia is not a mental illness and those with