Dementia Care
What is Dementia care?
Dementia is a syndrome, not a disease. … it is a group of symptoms that affects mental cognitive tasks such as memory and reasoning. The term dementia care is an umbrella that Alzheimer’s disease can fall under. It can occur due to a variety of conditions, the most common of which is Alzheimer’s disease.
As you get older so you are, the more likely you are to be affected by dementia. Approximately 1 in 70 people aged 65-69 have dementia. Nearly 1 in 4 people aged 85-89 have dementia. Although rare for someone under 65 to have dementia, it does occur at younger ages and we call this ‘younger onset dementia’.
There are two major degenerative causes of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease (the progressive loss of nerve cells without known cause) and vascular dementia (i.e. loss of brain function due to a series of small strokes).
Mental health services
In Blackpool, the health and social care services for people with mental health problems have been integrated into a single service with a single point of access. Contact 01253 651225.
Mental Health Services for Older People can be accessed through Social Services Direct on 01253 477592.
Early signs of Alzheimers
• Repeating things constantly.
• Trouble completing simple everyday familiar tasks.
• Difficulty remembering things that have just happened, like the number of your house, telephone number even where you left your car.
Misplacing things, keys, money.
Losing track of dates, seasons. confusion about the time of day or night.
Personality and mood changes, with anger or frustration at not being able to solve simple problems.
Inability to write an understandable note.
Struggling with articulate conversations.
It is so important that the early signs and systems are recognized and diagnosed as early as possible for both the patients care and treatment but also for relative to understand how dementia affects the sufferer/patient
• The Alzheimer’s disease which is the most common underlying cause of dementia symptoms will slowly get worse If spotted early enough treatments can slow this degenerative disease.
Dementia services
Two new services have been developed to support people who have been diagnosed with dementia. The Dementia Adviser service is primarily for people with dementia, as well as their supporters and carers and provides them with a named contact throughout their journey with dementia.
Contact the service on 01253 312893.
The Peer Support Service will provide people with dementia and their carers with opportunities to learn from and share experiences with each other as well as providing emotional support. It aims to reduce social isolation and promote self-care.
For further information contact 01253 405959
