Dementia Awareness

Understand what dementia is.

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.
  

Understand key features of the theoretical models of 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.

Know the most common types of dementia and their causes.

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.

Understand factors relating to an individual’s experience 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.