Problems can include wandering and getting lost, trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating questions, taking longer to complete normal daily tasks, and personality and behavior changes.
They may struggle to find words or forget what they want to say. You may feel impatient and wish they could just say what they want, but they can't. The person with Alzheimer's may have problems with: Finding the right word or losing his or her train of thought when speaking.
People with dementia often experience changes in their emotional responses. They may have less control over their feelings and how to express them. For example, someone may overreact to things, have rapid mood changes or feel irritable. They may also appear unusually distant or uninterested in things.
Experiencing memory loss, poor judgment, and confusion. Difficulty speaking, understanding and expressing thoughts, or reading and writing. Wandering and getting lost in a familiar neighborhood. Trouble handling money responsibly and paying bills.
Helping the person with memory loss to manage their emotions
They may begin to withdraw from social situations or stop doing things they usually do. Memory loss can also lead to people misplacing items that they then might think others have moved or stolen.
People with Alzheimer's often have difficulty communicating or verbalizing because of problems with memory and critical thinking. It is difficult for them to find appropriate words, and they may easily forget what they want to say or do. Such difficulties can tax a caregiver's patience.
The Connection Between Lifestyle and Alzheimer's
Goal 6 of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease promotes health behaviors such as increasing physical activity, eating a healthy diet, and quitting cigarette smoking and excessive drinking.
Over time, the disease causing the dementia spreads to other parts of the brain. This leads to more symptoms because more of the brain is unable to work properly. At the same time, already-damaged areas of the brain become even more affected, causing symptoms the person already has to get worse.
Untreated vascular risk factors such as hypertension are associated with a faster rate of progression of Alzheimer's disease. Pneumonia is a common cause of death because impaired swallowing allows food or beverages to enter the lungs, where an infection can begin.
"Frequent visits and social interactions, exercise, music, dance, jokes, and serving patients their favorite foods are all simple things that can have a lasting emotional impact on a patient's quality of life and subjective well-being."
People with dementia can still have nice feelings too. They can feel happy, safe and calm. Some people with dementia may seem like their usual self a lot of the time and you may only notice small changes every now and then. Some people with dementia may not have as many good days.
For seniors diagnosed with Alzheimer's, living at home is often ideal because it provides them with benefits, like: Comfortability with their surroundings. Higher level of trust in caregivers. More personalized attention.
Administration: The examiner reads a list of 5 words at a rate of one per second, giving the following instructions: “This is a memory test. I am going to read a list of words that you will have to remember now and later on. Listen carefully. When I am through, tell me as many words as you can remember.
One of the tools used to care for dementia patients are activity boxes. These boxes are meant to foster resident engagement in meaningful life tasks and roles. Activity boxes provide residents with a sense of purpose and belonging and utilize resident's cognitive and physical capabilities.
I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.
According to the United Kingdom Alzheimer's Society Dementia 2012 Report, 61% of people with dementia felt lonely, and 77% were depressed or anxious.
Being persistently lonely during midlife (ages 45-64) appears to make people more likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) later in life. However, people who recover from loneliness, appear to be less likely to suffer from dementia, compared to people who have never felt lonely.
Loneliness and isolation is a problem for lots of older people, but it's particularly difficult if they are also struggling with dementia. In fact, more than a third of people with dementia say they feel lonely and have lost friends, according to research by the Alzheimer's Society.
The physical changes of late-stage dementia are partly why the person is likely to need much more support with daily living. At this stage they may: walk more slowly, with a shuffle and less steadily – eventually they may spend more time in a chair or in bed.
Avoid asking too many open-ended questions about the past, as it could be stressful for a person with dementia if they can't remember the answer. While it might seem polite to ask somebody about their day, it's better to focus on what's happening in the present.
The lethargy that many Alzheimer's patients experience is caused not by a lack of sleep, but rather by the degeneration of a type of neuron that keeps us awake, according to a study that also confirms the tau protein is behind that neurodegeneration.
Many people with Alzheimer's continue to live successfully on their own during the early stage of the disease. Making simple adjustments, taking safety precautions and having the support of others can make things easier.
Try gentle touching, soothing music, reading, or walks. Reduce noise, clutter, or the number of people in the room. Try to distract the person with a favorite snack, object, or activity. Limit the amount of caffeine the person drinks and eats.