After last week’s CAREjourney’s blog posting and the Alzheimer’s Association release of 2011 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, CAREjourney has seen several discussions and questions from dementia caregivers. Many of the questions are answered in the report, but we thought we would share some of the information on our blog.
The Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report stated that 1 in 8 Americans have Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. You may be a family caregiver caring for an aging parent, or perhaps you have a caregiver job. Regardless, this statistic is startling.
Based upon some of the feedback we have seen, there is a perception that dementia and Alzheimer’s is the same disease. But, it is important to understand that dementia is actually a symptom of Alzheimer’s. It is a symptom that affects several diseases. By definition, dementia is a progressive neurological, cognitive, or medical disorder that affects memory, judgment, and cognitive powers. If you are a dementia caregiver, you are familiar with this symptom. It is caused by various diseases and conditions that result in damaged brain cells or connections between brain cells.
There are several common types of dementia. We will share the five most common, based upon the 2011 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figuresresults.
Alzheimer’s Disease – This is the most common type of dementia and accounts for 60 to 80 percent of the cases. Some symptoms may include difficulty remembering names and recent events; apathy and depression are often early symptoms. Later symptoms may include impaired judgment, disorientation, confusion, behavior changes and difficulty speaking, swallowing, and walking.
Vascular dementia—(Also known as multi-infarct or post-stroke dementia or vascular cognitive impairment) – This dementia is considered the second most common type of dementia. Impairment is caused by decreased blood flow to parts of the brain, often due to a series of small strokes that block arteries. The symptoms often overlap those of Alzheimer’s. However, the memory may not be as significantly affected as much as Alzheimer’s .
Mixed dementia – This type of dementia is characterized by abnormalities of Alzheimer’s and another type of dementia — most commonly vascular dementia. Recent studies show that mixed dementia is more common than previously thought.
Dementia with Lewy bodies – This dementia’s pattern of decline may be similar to Alzheimer’s including problem with memory and judgment in addition to behavior changes. Alertness and severity of cognitive symptoms may fluctuate daily. Visual hallucinations, muscle rigidity and tremors are common in this type of dementia.
Parkinson’s disease – This disorder usually involves movement problems but also develops dementia in the later stages of the disease.
There are several other types of dementia. Some of those can be found in the2011 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures at www.alz.org. If you or a loved one is experiencing any signs of dementia, it is very important to discuss your concerns with your doctor. As you review the report’s findings, you will see that you may have options in delaying some other symptoms or progressions of diseases.
Please send us your questions or discussion suggestions atfeedback@carejourney.com and add “Cj Blog” to your subject. You can also share your comments on our Facebook Fan Page.
Your CAREjourney Guide,
Staci Witten
*Source – www.Alz.org 2011 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures
