Recent studies show that in the progression of Alzheimer's disease, semantic memory is affected first. We have seen that even before forgetting their memories of past events, patients show a gradual decline in their general knowledge.
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.
People with dementia often experience memory loss. This is because dementia is caused by damage to the brain, and this damage can affect areas of the brain involved in creating and retrieving memories. For a person with dementia, memory problems will become more persistent and will begin to affect everyday life.
People with dementia have lost the ability to retrieve memories, not just the memories themselves. Although people with healthy brains can take in hints and reminders, then locate and retrieve a memory, people experiencing dementia cannot.
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.
Telling the truth could be cruel
So when we hear about using therapeutic fibbing to lie to someone with dementia, it might seem cruel and wrong at first. But always sticking to the truth, especially about an emotional subject or something trivial, is more likely to cause your older adult pain, confusion, and distress.
People with dementia think about the same things that any human thinks about — emotions, relationships, daily life, tasks to accomplish, and more. Receiving a life-changing diagnosis of dementia does not strip a person of their humanity and personhood.
People living with dementia keep their essence and spirit, although many will experience major personality changes. A sweet, gentle person may behave sweeter after the on-set of Alzheimer's, while the “bossy” kind may become even more controlling.
This is why an Alzheimer's patient might remember an event from 20 years ago but can't remember what they did mere minutes ago. “First in, last out” is often used to describe the peculiar pattern of memory loss that AD causes. This concept is a take on an inventory valuation method used in accounting.
Individuals with dementia may experience memory difficulties, issues with their ability to think, and trouble completing daily tasks. They may be aware of their symptoms in the early stages of dementia. However, a person may lose this awareness by the late stages of dementia.
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.
This is known as sundowning and these behaviour changes can become worse after a move or a change in routine. The person with dementia may become more demanding, restless, upset, suspicious, disoriented and even see, hear or believe things that aren't real, especially at night.
People with dementia begin to feel lost, confused, and insecure. Attention-seeking behavior displayed by needy elderly people with dementia is their way of asking for help.
For people with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, watching TV can help keep their brain active, which can stimulate positive memories, improve mood, and even increase socialization.
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.
Use short, simple sentences and clear language. If the person with dementia is asking about the person who has since died, this can be an opening to then share the bad news with them. This can provide a more natural flow and can help the person who has dementia to process the information.
other long-term health problems – dementia tends to progress more quickly if the person is living with other conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, particularly if these are not well-managed.
The most well-known form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, is just one specific type of dementia, and tends to have the slowest progression of all types.
If you aren't sure which stage of dementia you or your loved one are in right now, take an online Alzheimer's test. This can help pinpoint an individual's symptoms and stage.
Often when a person with dementia asks to go home it refers to the sense of 'home' rather than home itself. 'Home' may represent memories of a time or place that was comfortable and secure and where they felt relaxed and happier. It could also be an indefinable place that may not physically exist.
It's called the “Doorway Effect,” first shown by psychologists Gabriel Radvansky and David E. Copeland, who performed the first studies in 2006, showing that a person's memory declines more when passing through a doorway or moving from one location to another than if they had remained in the same place.
The five-minute cognitive test (FCT) was designed to capture deficits in five domains of cognitive abilities, including episodic memory, language fluency, time orientation, visuospatial function, and executive function.
Short-term memory/delayed recall: Five words are read. The test-taker is asked to repeat them. After completing other tasks, the person is asked to repeat each of the five words again. If they can't recall them, they're given a cue of the category that the word belongs to.