Dementia reduces the brain's ability to interpret and understand information. It also causes memory problems, which can lead to suspicion, paranoia and false ideas. If someone is unaware that their memory is poor, they may create a story or explanation in which someone or something else is blamed.
We know now that dementia patients will often make up stories to cope but is making up stories a sign of dementia? Yes, it is. And while it can occur at any stage, it is most common among older adults with mid-to-late-stage dementia and can get worse as dementia progresses.
A person with dementia who confabulates might form a “memory” for an event that didn't occur. For example, the person might rearrange the furniture, forget that it happened, and make up a memory of a burglar moving everything to better explain or make sense of the situation.
Repeated stories often represent highly significant memories. The person may repeat themselves because they want to communicate and cannot find anything else to say. The person might have become 'stuck' on a particular word, phrase or action. The person might be bored and under-occupied.
Memory Loss and Confusion. In the later stages of the disease, a person with Alzheimer's may not remember familiar people, places or things. Situations involving memory loss and confusion are extremely difficult for caregivers and families, and require much patience and understanding.
Common early symptoms of dementia
memory loss. difficulty concentrating. finding it hard to carry out familiar daily tasks, such as getting confused over the correct change when shopping. struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word.
Patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) not only are suffering from amnesia but also are prone to memory distortions, such as experiencing detailed and vivid recollections of episodic events that have never been encountered (i.e., false memories).
It is recommended that a person with dementia be told of their diagnosis. However, a person has a right not to know their diagnosis if that is their clear and informed preference.
Age. Age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's, as it is for most types of dementia. This means that a person is more likely to get Alzheimer's as they get older. Above the age of 65, a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's doubles about every five years.
In stage 6 of dementia, a person may start forgetting the names of close loved ones and have little memory of recent events.
Depressive cognitive disorders, also called pseudodementia (a term founded by Kiloh in the year 1961), is defined as the cognitive and functional impairment imitating neurodegenerative disorders caused secondary to neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Administration: The examiner reads a list of 5 words at a rate of one per second, giving the following instructions: “This is a memory test. I am going to read a list of words that you will have to remember now and later on. Listen carefully. When I am through, tell me as many words as you can remember.
By the time a diagnosis has been made, a dementia patient is typically in stage 4 or beyond. Stage 4 is considered “early dementia,” stages 5 and 6 are considered “middle dementia,” and stage 7 is considered “late dementia.” The average duration of this stage is between 2 years and 7 years.
People in the later stages of dementia may behave out of character. These behaviours can be difficult to understand and often have different causes.
I'm going to discuss five of the most basic ones here: 1) Don't tell them they are wrong about something, 2) Don't argue with them, 3) Don't ask if they remember something, 4) Don't remind them that their spouse, parent or other loved one is dead, and 5) Don't bring up topics that may upset them.
In some cases, the short answer is no, they're not aware they have dementia or Alzheimer's. Cognitive impairment can cause people with Alzheimer's, dementia, stroke, brain tumors, and other types of damage in the brain to believe that there's nothing wrong.
Avoid asking too many open-ended questions about the past, as it could be stressful for a person with dementia if they can't remember the answer. While it might seem polite to ask somebody about their day, it's better to focus on what's happening in the present.
People with dementia think about the same things that any human thinks about — emotions, relationships, daily life, tasks to accomplish, and more. However, dementia can change how you interact with the world because of its physical, mental, and emotional effects.
Repetitive behavior is usually a sign of insecurity, since people with dementia are often looking for something comfortable and familiar - something over which they have some degree of control.
If a person with Alzheimer's has ongoing disturbing hallucinations or delusions, seek medical help. An illness or medication may cause these behaviors. Medicines are available to treat these behaviors but must be used with caution.
The Mini-Cog test.
A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.
The greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer's and other dementias is increasing age, but these disorders are not a normal part of aging. While age increases risk, it is not a direct cause of Alzheimer's. Most individuals with the disease are 65 and older.
Depression, nutritional deficiencies, side-effects from medications and emotional distress can all produce symptoms that can be mistaken as early signs of dementia, such as communication and memory difficulties and behavioural changes.