Dementia

Question: How long does dementia take to stop all signals and end a life? I know there's no set timetable, but at least some averages would help. I'd like to think of dementia's onset as similar to a plane beginning its descent, but we don't know if it's coming down from 20,000 feet or 60,000 feet. We're just beginning to cope with my father having this condition.

Answer: I guess it depends on the person. My grandfather lived with it for 2-3 years before he passed away. He had no idea who i was in the end, he had no idea who my grandmother was either. . It was heartbreaking to see my grandfather in his final weeks. But i look at it from the point of view that know he is at peace. You need to cherish each moment you have and try too remember what he was like when he wasnt sick. My condolences go out to you and your family. Good luck and god bless

Question: How to take care of an elderly person with dementia? A close friend's mum is in the early stages of dementia and they don't know how to care for her and handle her 'dark moments'. I really want to help them but need some advice too, so anyone who could help with information on care and maintenance of dementia or any tips on useful websites which could give more info....I'd really appreciate it.

Answer: I don't want to sound cold and heartless, but your friend's mum probably should be placed into a nursing home where they can watch after her 24/7. The downside is that nursing homes sometimes get a bad rap and maybe it is for good cause, maybe not. Just consider it and if it is decided that is the way to go, make sure you choose a home you trust. Do the research on them also.

Question: What's the difference between dementia and Alzheimers? My great aunt was just diagnosed with dementia. I asked my mom what the difference was between dementia and Alzheimers since they seem to be the same thing to me. Does anyone have any info? A little more info...she walked out of the house at 2am and was found by the cops, who then brought her to the hospital. They ran some tests on her and said it was dementia. Please say a prayer for her. I love her a lot.

Answer: Dementia is a loss of mental skills that affects your daily life. It can cause problems with your memory and how well you can think and plan. Usually dementia gets worse over time. How long this takes is different for each person. Some people stay the same for years. Others lose skills quickly. A variety of conditions can cause dementia, including injuries to the brain from tumors, head injury, or stroke; diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease; or long-term alcohol dependence. People (especially older adults) who are depressed may seem to have dementia when they do not (pseudodementia). Alzheimer's disease is more severe than the mild memory loss that many people experience as they grow older. Alzheimer's disease also affects behavior, personality, the ability to think clearly, and the ability to carry out daily activities. Close family members usually notice symptoms first, although the person affected also may realize that something is wrong.

Question: What is the average life span of someone with dementia? My mom is 53 and has dementia and my siblings and I need to know when we should start planning her funeral. We are all under 30yrs. old and don't even know where to start. She has no assets or life insurance, so we will have to pay for everything.

Answer: Talk to her doctor. From the very little that I know, Alzheimer's tends to be a few years once it's bad whereas dementia can be quite a while. Like I said, though, I'm not very knowledgeable and I suspect each case is different. Talk to her doc.

Question: How long is a 47 year old expected to live after diagnosis of dementia? My mom was recently diagnosed with dementia. I remember a family friend saying her mother had dementia too. I dnt think her mom lived for at the most 5 years after that. Although her mother was elderly mine really isn't. It seems to be hitting my mom real hard and the worst part is that im only 13 about to be 14. :(

Answer: I'm sorry about your mom. There is really no way to tell how long she will live. It depends on the cause of the dementia, and how early or late it was diagnosed. Also, each person is different, so some people may live longer than others.

Question: What is the tax responsibility for 83 yr old with dementia living off social security? My mom is 83 and has dementia. Her sole income is the social security of about 13K per year. What is her tax responsibility? What is mine if I have power of attorney?

Answer: Your mom should not have any tax responsibility at all. As a power of attny you should not have any. Unless you are being paid to administer her money.

Question: How can you differentiate between dementia and depression? I think an elderly client of mine might have dementia, but she may just be depressed. Is there a medical test I could administer to give me a likely diagnosis?

Answer: With all due respect to the previous poster, I would not take Wikipedia as an authoritative source for anything. Dementia is a symptom of a number of disorders, one of which is depression. So the distinction you are trying to make is whether her (potential) dementia is due to depression or to another cause. Your client would need to see a doctor, because there are a number of medical and potentially reversible causes of dementia apart from depression, including certain types of anemia and hypothyroidism, which are sometimes very insidious in the elderly. Other causes might include occult (subclinical) UTI, renal or liver failure, occult cancers, or polypharmacy (too many prescribed medications). (The fact that I've had to take too many shelf exams induces me to include syphilis on this list, but don't mind me, it's just the Step 2 talking.) There are also numerous neurological disorders that cause dementia, of course, but again, the client would need to be seen by a doctor in order to diagnose them. That's the bottom line, anyway--there is no way that anyone except a trained medical professional should in any way attempt to diagnose or treat such a patient. It's not a simple process. There are some basic tests that we would give her, but I would not suggest that you try and use them--they need to be taken in conjunction with the rest of the medical picture. In any event, the important point is that dementia is the symptom and the real issue will be figuring out WHY she has it, if she does, and there's no simple lay test for that. You don't say what kind of client she is, but if you are concerned about her, suggesting that she see her physician would be a very good idea. If you are in contact with anyone else who is responsible for her (a child or guardian), I would let them know your concerns. Good luck, and I hope things improve for your client!

Question: How do you deal with the frustration of dementia? My elderly mother and father live with me, my husband and our three teenage sons. My father has dementia. He is a difficult stage right now because he is lucid enough to be able to object to any kind of help we suggest to him. He was never a reasonable man so now when he is difficult as a result of the dementia it's really hard not to feel impatient with him. If he had always been an easy going person, then it would be easy to see the difference between the man and the illness, now it's just the same cantankerous person, only he doesn't remember anything past 5 minutes, is incontinent but in denial about it so he won't wear incontinence underwear, and gets really nasty with my mother over just about anything. She could have someone in the home to give them advice, but he won't accept that they need any. He refuses to have an operation on his prostate ( which is huge) and would help with the incontinence. I could go on. Anyone with any tips to stay sane?

Answer: If you have not done it already, go to Amazon or some other book seller and order a copy of The 36 Hour Day. This is -the- manual and strategy book for people dealing with people afflicted with dementia. This is an essential tool for dealing with Alzheimer's or dementia of all types and stages. Have everyone in the family who is a caregiver read the book. http://www.amazon.com/36-Hour-Day-Alzheimer-Dementing-Illnesses/dp/0446610410 Also consider joining an online support group. One that I find helpful is alt.support.alzheimers which is available on any newsreader like Outlook Express or via Google Groups. There are numerous very smart people there who can answer your questions and give you practical support for dealing with AD & dementia. If he incontinent he needs to wear adult pants - get the slip on kind and insist he wear them. It may take some time to get used to them but it sure beats cleaning up after him 24/7. Make sure you have a full power of attorney and medical power of attorney. This is extremely important - critical. Tell him you need these papers filled out so he can continue to live with you. After reading the book make sure you learn the art of fibbing with a purpose. You can not reason with a demented person because their brain is broken and unable to reason. You have to make all the decisions then tell the afflicted person whatever needs to be said to accomplish your goals. Do not discuss serious issues and do not argue with him since neither does any good. Work with his Dr to get the surgery scheduled and just have him sedated if necessary. Yes all this is easier said than done. Fortunately my demented relative is a tiny woman who is usually cooperative rather than a man. Men with dementia often cause many more problems than women. good luck - been there & doing that

Question: What is a biological mechanism for dementia? I'm doing a research paper on dementia and I have no idea what a biological mechanism is. Could someone please explain?

Answer: Honestly, that's not an easy question to answer in a sentence or two.  Basically, a biological mechanism is a system by which a living organism modifies, changes, etc. itself and its environment.  I think it's easier to grasp the concept by example.  There are "mechanisms" other than biological.  An abiotic system is free of biological organisms and abiotic transformations are accomplished, naturally, through non-biologic mechanisms.  For example, the modification of water from a liquid to a gasseous state by the application of heat is a result of an abiotic mechanism.  Another good example involves oil spill clean-ups.  There are a variety of methods used to clean oil from the water and shoreline.  One way is through the use of solvents and detergents. I'm familiar with one particular product that is a solution of diluted acids, water and sodium silicate that chemically reacts with hydrocarbon molecules and binds them into a solid silica matrix.  That would be an example of clean-up through the use of a chemical mechanism.  However, oil can also be removed by boremediation.  Boremediation is the use of certain bacteria (some laboratory-created) and fungi that sustain themselves on hydrocarbon.  When introduced, these living organisms "eat" the oil, producing modification/change of their environment.  That is an example of a biological mechanism.  So, essentially, you wil be focusing on the biological causes of dementia, whether the cause is viral, bacterial or prion-based.  I can think of a few.....symptoms of dementia can be seen in certain conditions caused by viruses.  Examples would be HIV-induced dementia, viral meningitis, viral encephalitis and PML, or progressive multi-focal leukoencephalopathy.  Both viral meningitis and encephaltitis can be caused by several types of viruses, while PML is caused by polyomavirus.  The HIV virus is able to pentrate the blood/brain barrier and infect the tissue directly.  Bacterial causes of dementia include Lyme disease (spriochete Borrelia burgdorferi), neurosyphilis (3rd stage of disease - caused by bacterium treponema pallidum).  Some persons would argue that dementia induced by prions should be classified as a biological mechanism.  Prions, or proteinaceous infectious particles are protein inside the body that becomes infectious.  The prion enters brain cell and converts the normal protein within that cell to a prion.  Prions are exactly the same as normal proteins, except that they do not fold normally - the helical structure of the amino acids, which is normally thighly wound, loosens up.  The priors completely clog the infected brain cell and it dies, releasing all the prions, which subsequently attack adjacent cells.    Eventually, the destruction of all of the brain cells creates holes in the brain tissue.  The problem with prions is that, like viruses, they are not similar to other living organisms and some believe that prions in fact, are not "alive" (many also argue that viruses are not "alive" by the usual definition of the word, as they have no basic metabolic activity and are incapable of procreation, eating and excreting).  However, I noticed that the EPA, after debate and scientific study, declared prions to be a "pest" under the current law, with "pest" defined as a form of animal life injurious to health.  So, it can be argued a biological mechanism for dementia are the actions of viruses and prions.  I hope that helped a little :-)

Question: Would dementia drugs be helpful/safe in healthy people who wanted a to boost memory? I was wondering whether drugs such as galantamine (Reminyl) are safe in healthy patients who are not suffering from dementia, and whether they can be of benefit as a nootropic.

Answer: No... and you should never take drugs that are not prescribed for you.

Question: Dementia????? My grandfather has dementia i think he seriously has no controll of the hurtful things that come out of his mouth he got into a fight with my grandma all because i dropped a cd and she yelled at him for throwing a fit about so he told her to go drop dead he is now unemployed so i dunno if that's affecting it he emberasses me, and treats my bf like crap could he have dementia?

Answer: apart of dementia is the loss of ability to control some emotions. but he could also be stressed and and depressed because of his situation.

Question: How do you deal with a parent who is getting Dementia? My mom is 77 years old and is showing signs of dementia. She becomes disoriented at time and can' remember things. Example she did not know what house she was in today when I talked to her on the phone. She is also a diabetic and is on Kidney dialysis. My dad takes care of her but doesn't seem to get the dementia, almost like a denial.

Answer: First thing you should do is take her to a good geriatric physician and get a thorough exam and memory test. She may just have a urinary tract infection. This can cause confusion and disorientation in elderly people. My mom had that and she ended up in a geriatric psych hospital because she became completely paranoid and delusional. If it's truly dementia that she has then you should check to see if your state or county has an aging services department. They can give you good information and usually have lists of social workers or counselors who are experts in dealing with dementia. They can give you advice for your dad as well as your mom. Don't try to take this on alone.

Question: What should be considered prior to the use of restraints, physical and chemical in dementia patients? I am doing research on dementia patients. This question is one that i need to answer.I am currently studying aged care in nursing. Which is in line with the guidelines in the mental health act.

Answer: Prescription drugs to calm them.

Question: What is a good book to read for an older women who is suffering from dementia and has trouble seeing? My grandma is suffering from dementia mainly because she is extremely un-exposed and hardly leaves her house. I want to give her a book to read to help stimulate her brain but Im not sure what will be interesting. It has to be something that is easy reading with words that aren't too small. Any suggesstions?? I really want to know as soon as possible.

Answer: great idea! i would suggest looking around the house to see what kind of books she already has. the worn ones are her favorites. let me also suggest a game of scrabble once or twice a week

Question: Can anyone recommend a book about caregiving for dementia? I am a 20 year old college student and I live with my grandma who is developing dementia. Can anyone recommend a good book on caregiving for people with dementia?

Answer: Hi, my grandfather died of Parkinson's Disease, but he also had really bad dementia. It's tough. I found this book to be very helpful, even though he didn't have Alzheimer's. Hope it helps! http://www.amazon.com/Alzheimers-Caregiv…

Question: my mother was diagnosed with dementia. how do i tell the difference between this and nhp? my sister heard of nhp on tv. how do we get it diagnosed. mom was told she has dementia, she has all the symptons of the disease and is being treated for it.

Answer: Do you mean NPH? There are many different causes of dementia, and NPH (normal pressure hydrocephalus) is one of them. The main features of NPH are an abnormal gait, urinary incontinence, and dementia. Did the doctor tell you what the cause of your mom's dementia was? Sometimes it can be hard for doctors to figure that out. Here is a web site that explains more about NPH -- see if it sounds like what your mom has: http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic277.… It also talks about how to test for it and how to treat it. I'm sorry your family is going through this. I've been there and it's not easy. It's great that you and your sister are taking an active interest. Your mom is not going to be able to advocate for herself, so it's really important for you all to do that for her. Good luck.