Dementia

Well done in the talk on Monday - the man spoke highly of u - thats the way it should be - so well done - keep this up - some more facts are laid out below - if u would like any more info on this topic - please see me as I have loads and loads of info that I can give u - please just come and ask - maybe u might like to do a project on it and maybe u might like to raise awareness in the community of this area - any ideas u have please come to me with them - thanks

Dementia – Everything You wanted to Know but forgot to ask.

 ‘Alzheimer’s’ and ‘dementia’ what’s the difference? Just as leukaemia (bone cancer) is a form of cancer, so Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia.

What is dementia? Dementia is a progressive illness of the brain where brain cells die causing the person with the illness to lose the ability to remember, to retain knowledge and skills, to make appropriate decisions and to look after themselves.

What are the two kinds? Senile dementia is caused by small blood vessels in the brain bursting and the cells that are deprived of blood flow die – this generally effects older people. Dementia caused by disease (mainly Alzheimer’s but there are others) happens when a plaque (like you would fell by rubbing your tongue on your unbrushed teeth) forms on brain cells and kills them – this can effect people at all ages – some as young as their 40s.

How does memory work? Brain cells send messages to each other by producing a substance called acetylcholine – this links thoughts in your head (to match a name to a face or a voice) like files in a filing cabinet or on a computer drive. Dead cells cannot produce the acetylcholine to make the memory links.

What can some drugs stop dementia? No drugs stop dementia – but they can slow it down if dementia is diagnosed early enough. The drugs help the brain to re-use the acetylcholine still in the brain – like re-using a tea bag to make a second or third cup of tea. But, eventually, the tea-bag will not be making tea anymore.

How many people are affected by dementia? One in every twenty people [5%] over 65 get dementia, rising to one in five [20%] over 80. This means that over 2,000 people live with dementia in Donegal (out of 44,000 in the Republic of Ireland) – but that will rise to 5,000 by 2035 (out of 100,000 nationally) because people are living longer and there are more older people. About 10% of all cases are people with ‘early-onset’ dementia – that is under 65 years of age – so that is 200 people in Donegal. The youngest person diagnosed in Donegal was 38 years old.

What is like to have dementia? Imagine if you were unable to answer most or all of the questions put to you each day – not just difficult ones but whether you wanted tea or coffee, or if you were warm or cold. Imagine the frustration of knowing what you want to say but being unable to find the word – imagine your annoyance if people constantly finished your sentences for you. Imagine your embarrassment at not being able to put a name to a face, or the loneliness of feeling you have no friends or family (because you can’t remember them) and on being dependent on someone to help you do the simplest tasks.

What can a person with dementia NOT DO? As the illness progresses, difficulty with memory mean that people with dementia cannot look after their financial affairs, drive, make meals and perform toileting tasks. Most people become doubly incontinent.

What can a person with dementia DO? People with dementia can still recall events from way back (even if they are confused about the facts). They can still remember songs from their youth. They can recognise someone who cares for them (even if they don’t remember the name or relationship).  And most importantly, they can still LOVE and BE LOVED.