Some questions that many people ask me is … “Aren’t all dementias the same thing?” and if not “What’s the difference?”
According to Dementia Australia, dementia is an umbrella term for a number of neurological conditions. Dementia is not just memory loss; dementia is a condition caused by disease and/or injury, and impacts a person’s thinking, behaviour and their ability to complete everyday tasks. This may include their ability to walk, to solve problems, understand language, properly digest food, and to maintain body temperature and regular sleep patterns.
Dementia is not a normal part of ageing. An individual’s chance of developing dementia does increase as we age, but it is not caused by age. As outlined in the illustration, there are over 100 diseases that cause a dementia condition.
In Australia there are four common dementias. Although the symptoms of dementia may vary between individuals, some symptoms are characteristic of specific types of dementia as follows:-
Gradual changes over months/years
Declined ability to form new memories
Confusion
Problems finding words
Personality changes
Sudden changes
Insight/judgement/behaviour ‘not-the-same’
May bounce back and have good/bad days
Shifts in emotion and energy
Significant Personality/Behavioural Changes
Impaired Planning/Judgement/Speech Production
Loss in understanding language
Loss of Empathy
Loss of Attention
Problems with movement
Fine motor skills problems - hands/swallowing
Visual Hallucinations/Nightmares/Sleep disorders
Episodes of rigidity and fainting
According to the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council, and the Australian National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, dementia is a national health priority. But not enough people are paying attention to what this means for Australians. Through this column, I hope to increase awareness of dementia for the benefit of our community.
More information about dementia is also available from my YouTube channel ‘Ask a Dementia Champion’
Tim England – Dementia Champion
(M.Dem)
Disclosure - No Medical Advice: Information in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by a Medical Practitioner.
