Dementia currently affects over 700,000 people within the UK alone. 5 % of people over the age of 65 suffer from dementia and increases to 20% of people over the age of 80.
The preconception is that dementia only affects the elderly but research shows this not to be the case. According to the Alzheimer’s Society website there are over 11,500 under 65 year olds in the UK who also suffer from this.
Dementia is a disease of the brain. When someone has dementia their brain cells die faster than they normally would.
Dementia is not curable and memory loss and confusion are often the first symptoms. It may be useful to keep a diary with keys dates in for the sufferer to refer to if necessary. Gradually over time sufferers may also lose the ability to do tasks they would normally carry out without hesitation. Tasks such as washing, eating and toileting can be become increasingly difficult as the symptoms progress.
Caring for someone with dementia can be very difficult as sufferers may feel vulnerable and require a great deal of reassurance and support. It is essential that sufferers remain as fit and healthy as is possible. A nutritional diet will help the sufferer to feel happier.
There are many different types of dementia with Alzheimers being the most common. Symptoms vary depending on the type of dementia.
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1 Journalist John Suchet talks about his wife’s Alzheimers // May 8, 2009 at 3:47 pm
[...] is a form of Dementia and in the UK alone there are over 700,000 dementia sufferers! It has been shown that exercise can hold back the advance of Alzheimer’s, US researchers have [...]
2 Dementia care for the elderly | Help Aid For Seniors // Oct 6, 2009 at 7:09 am
[...] Another decent blogger placed an interesting blog post on Dementia care for the elderlyHere’s a brief overview [...]
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