Over 850,000 people have dementia in the UK, including 1 in 6 people over the age of 80. Each year, unpaid carers provide over 1.3 million hours of unpaid private care to loved ones with dementia. We know that dementia can affect every part of a person’s life and can equally impact that of their carer – from their relationships, their mental health, and their physical well-being.
What does dementia care involve?
We understand the importance of supporting all those living with and affected by dementia to ensure that everyone maintains a high quality of life.
Dementia home care can help to reduce the severity of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and withdrawal from social life. Provided in conjunction with familiar routine and memory care activities, a specialist care provider can help maintain your loved one’s dignity and independence whist providing mentally stimulating activities to help limit changing behavioural and cognitive symptoms.
What are the signs & symptoms?
Dementia is a progressive disease characterised by symptoms of memory loss and diminished capacity of a person to care for themselves of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type.
The 5 most common types of dementia are:
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Alzheimer’s disease
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Lewy Body disease
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Vascular dementia
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Frontotemporal dementia
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Mixed dementia (most often Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia)
Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia and affects each person differently. It causes the brain to shrink dramatically, reducing a person’s ability to care for themselves and relate to others. It may even result in changes in personality and relationships. By age 85, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is almost 50 percent.
General Alzheimer’s symptoms
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Memory lapses
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Marked changes in mood or personality
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Trouble with abstract thinking
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Difficulty completing familiar activities
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Disorientation
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Poor or impaired judgment
Lewy Body
Lewy Body Dementia shows a similar pattern of decline to Alzheimer’s. Some early symptoms include sleep disturbances, followed by Parkinsonian-like tremors and stiffness, and also visual hallucinations.
Vascular dementia
Vascular dementia is a result of brain damage caused by multiple strokes. There are many overlapping symptoms with Alzheimer’s disease, although memory loss may not be as seriously apparent. A common early symptom is impaired judgment, or an inability to make decisions.
Frontotemporal
Frontotemporal dementia begins inside the forehead region of the brain. Symptoms generally develop at a younger age (around 60yo) and people survive fewer years than those with Alzheimer’s. Early symptoms include changes in personality and behaviour, and difficulty with language.
Mixed dementia
Increasing evidence suggests that many people have “mixed dementia” – more than one disorder present. The most common combination is Alzheimer’s and Vascular dementia.
Symptoms of dementia could be caused by multiple factors, such as advancing age, family history of other diseases, cardiovascular disease, or a history of head trauma. You may want to ask others to pay attention and keep track of unusual behaviours, mood changes, decisions but most importantly you should encourage your loved one to see a doctor.
For more information, download our guide to living with dementia.
Questions to ask
If you think your loved one needs dementia help at home, you may want to ask some of the following questions:
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Do the signs and symptoms of dementia match those of your loved one?
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Has your loved one already been diagnosed and is showing signs they need extra help?
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Are you struggling to provide care for your loved one or do you need extra help?
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Do you want to keep your loved one in their own home?
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How many hours a week are you already caring?
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How much help do you think you need?
