Dementia Awareness

The definition of the term dementia may include:

• decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life
• that it is not a specific disease
• it is an overall term for a decline of memory or other thinking skills
• Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia are most common types

Key functions of brain affected by dementia may include:

• damage to brain cells so brain cells can no longer communicate with each other
• when cells in a particular region are damaged that region cannot carry out its functions normally e.g. memory, judgement, movement

Assessment Criteria

• 1.1
  Explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia’.
  
• 1.2
  Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia.
• 1.3
  Explain why depression, delirium and age related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia.
  

Key features of the medical model and social model of dementia may include:

a) medical - clinical approach

b) social - about the person and how it affects them as an individual.

Reasons why dementia should be viewed as a disability may include:

• people with learning disabilities and in particular Down's Syndrome are at greater risk of developing dementia
• similar symptoms between those with disabilities and dementia e.g. memory loss, difficult with thought processes, problem solving or language. Other common symptoms include mood or behaviour changes.

Assessment Criteria

• 2.1
  Outline the medical model of dementia.
  
• 2.2
  Outline the social model of dementia
• 2.3
  Explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability.

Common types of dementia may include:

• Alzheimer's disease
• vascular dementia
• fronto-temporal dementia
• Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease.

Signs and symptoms may include:

• memory is getting significantly worse
• difficulty remembering recent events
• find it hard to follow conversations
• leave objects in unusual places
• difficulty solving problems
• feel confused in familiar environments.

Risk factors may include:

• age related - increases significantly 65+
• genetics
• lifestyle e.g. higher blood pressure in mid-life.
• Prevalence rates may include:
• an 80-year-old is more at risk of developing dementia than a 30-year-old
• rare to get dementia before 65
• after the age of 65 the risk of developing Alzheimer doubles approximately every 5 years
• dementia affects approximately 1 in 14 people over the age of 65 and 1 in 6 over the age of 80

Assessment Criteria

• 3.1
  List the most common causes of dementia.
  
• 3.2
  Describe the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia.
• 3.3
  Outline the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia.
• 3.4
  Identify prevalence rates for different types of dementia.

Living with dementia may include:

• ability to maintain independence as long as possible
• need to access services on a day-to-day basis
• as a person gets older physical deterioration and dementia may necessitate other forms of support
• increased levels of confusion and concerns for safety.

Impact of other people's attitudes and behaviour may result in:

• depression
• isolation as the person does not want to go out
• people become more supportive and caring following the diagnosis.

Assessment Criteria

• 4.1
  Describe how different individuals may experience living with dementia depending on age, type of dementia, and level of ability and disability.
  
• 4.2
  Outline the impact that the attitudes and behaviours of others may have on an individual with dementia.