When a patient is told they are living with dementia it can be a stressful and confusing time for family members, as well as the patient. There is still a great deal of confusion about the term dementia and how it relates to Alzheimer’s disease or AD. The purpose of this article is to help provide a clear understanding for how the two terms relate to each other.

Dementia refers to cognitive changes in an individual with advanced age, usually memory problems. When someone is diagnosed with dementia they are suffering from memory loss with additional problems in at least one other area of cognitive functioning. The extent of these issues is severe enough to affect daily living.

According to Neil Levine, M.D. and ActivCare® Advisory Board Member, a good way to differentiate dementia and Alzheimer’s disease like this: Dementia is like fruit and Alzheimer’s is like a banana. To put it simply, dementia is a symptom and Alzheimer’s is a potential cause of that symptom. There are other causes of dementia as well. So someone with dementia doesn’t necessarily have AD. According to http://alz.org (Alzheimer’s Association), somewhere between 50 – 80% of dementia cases are caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

Dementia is a sign of a disease, but does not give information about what the disease may be. This is much like a fever indicates sickness without providing information about the sickness itself. So dementia is not a disease, but rather the indication of a problem or potential disease.

Some other causes of dementia include, but are not limited to, thyroid conditions and vitamin deficiencies. These conditions are reversible. If treated properly the symptoms of dementia can be reversed and the person’s brain will return to normal functioning. Some other potential causes of dementia include degenerative conditions such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Parkinson’s disease, Lewy Body disease, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. These causes are much less common than AD.

Some of the confusion regarding dementia and AD can be attributed to the difficulty of certain diagnosis. Alzheimer’s disease is actually impossible to diagnose with total certainty while a person is alive. Only through autopsy can AD be confirmed with 100% accuracy. While the patient is alive they might be diagnosed with “probable AD.” However, new research is being conducted that is providing for a highly accurate diagnosis of AD.

It is important to understand that dementia is not a less severe condition than AD. Although dementia is very common among people with advanced age, it is not a part of ‘normal’ living. Someone experiencing dementia should seek help from a professional healthcare provider. Early or mild stages of memory loss and cognitive dysfunction usually progress to become worse.

Once the dementia is diagnosed, family members should become proactive in planning for the care of a loved one. It can become very difficult and time consuming to care for someone as they progress to the later stages of dementia or AD. There are many options for Alzheimer’s care, also known as “dementia care” or “memory care.” Some of these options include special memory care facilities or communities where loved one’s can live under the care of well-trained healthcare providers.

ActivCare Residential Memory Care has been helping those with memory loss and dementia for over twenty years. ActivCare specializes in Alzheimers Care in Carlsbad.

ActivCare Residential Memory Care has been helping those with memory loss and dementia for over twenty years. ActivCare specializes in http://activcareliving.com/bressi-ranch/ Alzheimers Care in Carlsbad.

Author Bio: ActivCare Residential Memory Care has been helping those with memory loss and dementia for over twenty years. ActivCare specializes in Alzheimers Care in Carlsbad.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: alzheimers, dementia, memory, facility, home, san diego, carlsbad, california