Symptoms of Dementia and Care Options

Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out the activities of daily living. Dementia is progressive and incapacitating if it occurs in the earlier years the mental deterioration advances more rapidly and is more severe than if it starts in later years. In people over 65 years old early symptoms resemble the forgetfulness of ageing. Many people worry they are becoming demented.

The earliest symptoms

A close relative may notice failing memory and initiative. The person may become irritable. The loss of memory is a gradual process, patients can often remember incidents in their past but cannot remember recent happenings. This is called short-term memory loss.

After a time the relatives may notice the person does not understand what is said to them and they appear to have lost interest in their former activities and hobbies. Not all signs of confusion or impaired capacity in the elderly are due to senile dementia. There may be another cause which when treated can reverse the condition. If your relative has this problem persuade them to see their doctor who will probably refer them to a geriatrician (a consultant who specialises in the care of elderly people). They will give advice on the patient's management and/or may refer them to a clinic, sometimes known as a memory clinic. The patient will be seen by a consultant, who not only specialises in the care of the elderly person but also in memory loss, its cause and management.

The most common form of dementia in elderly people is caused by Alzheimer's disease.