Dementia Awareness

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D.I.S.C.
Dementia Information and Support for Carers

• Dementia Awareness
• Barry Weir

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Dementia Definition

• Dementia is a general term used for a range
  of physical conditions affecting the brain.
• Characterised by
• A progressive decline in mental abilities such as
  the abilities to remember, learn, understand,
  communicate and reason.
• A gradual loss of skills including those needed
  for everyday activities.
• Changes in personality or behaviour

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Who gets a Dementia

• Most people experience mild memory loss as part
  of the aging process.
• Not everybody will develop dementia.
• Society stats
• gt 65 1 in 1000
• 65 70 1 in 50
• 70 80 1 in 20
• 80 1 in 5

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Where do people with dementia live

• ? live on their own
• ? live with a carer
• ? live in long-term care
• ¾ of people in residential or nursing care have
  dementia

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What is a Dementia

• Dementia - is the accelerated death of brain
  cells caused by disease.
• It affects a persons ability to REASON, SPEEK,
  THINK, REMEMBER and make DECISIONS.
• Dementia is DEGENERATIVE

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The Brain

• Parietal Lobe
• making sense of the world
• Frontal Lobe
• Organising/decisions
• Temporal Lobe
• Memory
• Occipital Lobe
• Vision

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What are the difficulties

• Memory
• Short term
• Communication
• Understanding
• Expressive
• Behaviour
• Unusual/Unexpected
• Inappropriate

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Types

• Alzheimer's disease 50
• Vascular dementia 20
• Dementia with Lewy bodies 20
• Picks and frontal lobe 5
• Other dementias 5

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Unusual Behaviour

• So-called problem behaviour is nearly always
  an attempt to communicate feelings, needs and
  wishes. Rather than trying to stop the
  behaviour, try to work out what it means

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Communication

• Keep sentences short (6 words)
• Use actions to back up meanings
• Remain calm and reassuring
• Allow extra time
• Try to interpret their Body Language
• Really listen to what is being said
• Some of it will make sense

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So what should we do

• Respect the persons dignity space
• Dont point out their failings
• Remain calm acknowledge feelings
• Reassure Support
• Encourage inclusion/Involvement
• Look for other ways of doing things
• Look for the cause

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How to contact us

• DISC
• Milton Grange
• 16 Handsworth Wood Road
• Handsworth Wood
• Birmingham
• B20 2DR
• 0121 554 9355
• Asian carers 07793 725 764
• Fax [phone]
• carers_at_discbirmingham.co.uk