THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMER’S Answers for caregivers of seniors at home in Los Angeles California
Article by Hadas Abouaf, RN, BSN, & Russell Ford
In everyday conversation it’s common to hear “Alzheimer’s Disease” and “dementia” being used interchangeably, as if they’re one and the same thing. This is a common misconception.
Doctors and scientists group the different things that can go wrong with the brain by their symptoms. Dementia describes a group of symptoms, and is not the name of a disease. These symptoms, related to organic illnesses, are characterized by issues an awake and alert person has in thinking, learning, memory, language, physical coordination, perception, and judgment ? with accompanying changes in personality and behavior. Dementia is a broad general diagnosis given to a person whose thinking, particularly memory, is so impaired that it affects everyday functioning. Over a hundred disorders cause dementia, and their different symptoms depend upon what parts of the brain they attack.
Progressive senility was erroneously believed to be a natural stage of aging. Severe memory loss is never a part of a completely healthy person’s growing older. And contrary to popular belief, dementia does not mean either madness or insanity, although many people still confuse it with the term demented (which implies psychological illness). Dementia is derived from two Latin words which mean away and mind.
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common of all dementias affecting the elderly population. Of every person diagnosed with dementia, approximately 55% will have Alzheimer’s. Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is known as a diagnosis of exclusion. It is made when all other types of dementia and other illnesses have first been ruled out. Alzheimer’s is so gradual in its progression that this trademark slowness helps doctors to differentiate the AD type of dementia from other faster-developing dementias, such as those caused by brain tumors, vitamin deficiencies, and thyroid problems. Additionally, memory loss that begins and progresses very rapidly or that starts before age thirty-five is probably not due to Alzheimer’s.
To be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, there must be signs that the person’s memory has declined, along with the deterioration of at least one other cognitive or “thinking” function such as language, sense of time, judgment, reasoning, or executive function (which includes the ability to plan, organize, and start or stay on task). The defining characteristics of Alzheimer’s are: 1) A subtle onset followed by a slow decline in memory (not caused by reversible conditions such as thyroid imbalance); 2) A slow deterioration in one or more other mental functions such as language; and 3) Having problems in daily functioning as a result of the mental changes. Be aware, too, that the side effects of drugs, even those prescribed by doctors, can produce Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. Drug “intoxication” is reportedly the leading cause of confusion and forgetfulness among elderly people.
According to the most recent nationwide research statistics, there are now about five million people with Alzheimer?s and three to four million people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in the United States. That same research report states that for about 60% of people with early Alzheimer’s, the condition is either not recognized by their family or not evaluated by a doctor.
If you believe you might have (or presently know you do have) Alzheimer’s type of dementia, or any other dementia, you’ve noticed that your abilities to function day-to-day are already diminished. While there is no cure, as yet, for Alzheimer?s Disease, there are drugs on the market that help prolong the cognitive phase, and there is intensive research being carried out to do better than that.At CarenetLA, our experienced staff assigns the finest professional non-medical in-home caregivers to assist our clientele. We are proud to offer caregiving at its very best. Many of our personal attendants are specialists in providing care to persons who have either dementia associated with Alzheimer’s Disease or other types of dementia. Our owners and their staff are dedicated to sharing knowledge which we hope will prove beneficial to the entire community of senior citizens as well as to their families. To learn more about CarenetLA and the services they provide, please call 310-393-1282 or visit http://www.carenetla.com.
About the Author
Hadas Abouaf is a gerontology certified registered nurse. She started her career by being a caregiver to an elderly woman who needed help with all of the activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, transportation, medication reminders, etc. Following the birth of Hadas? first child in 2004, Hadas, along with her father Jeff, started carenetLA, a non-medical in-home care giving company.