Dementia and Alzheimer Disease

• What is the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer Disease?
• What causes Alzheimer Disease?
• Top Ten Warning Signs
• How to Help Your Loved One?
• Understanding Wandering
• Suggestions for Managing Wandering

What is the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer Disease?

Dementia can be described as the loss of intellectual functions such as thinking, remembering and reasoning as well as changes in behaviour and mood. A person's daily ability to function becomes difficult, if not impossible. This group of symptoms also may accompany certain diseases such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Pick's and Parkinson's Disease. As well, other conditions may mimic Dementia so it is important to seek medical help to obtain an accurate diagnosis.

Alzheimer Disease or Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (DAT) is the most common type of Dementia accounting for 64 per cent of all Dementias. It is described as a progressive degenerative disease that destroys the vital nerve cells in the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behaviour. It used to be called senility and is not a normal part of growing older.

Those affected by Alzheimer Disease experience gradual memory loss, a diminished ability to perform routine tasks, disorientation in time and space, impaired judgement, personality changes, difficulty in learning and a loss of communication skills. Alzheimer Disease can strike at any age although most of those affected are over the age of 65.

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What causes Alzheimer Disease?

Researchers have not yet found a cause(s) or cure(s) although they have identified two types: Sporatic Alzheimer Disease which may or may not be inherited and is the most common type comprising 90-95 per cent of all cases; Familial Autosomol Dominant Alzheimer Disease which is rare but is clearly passed from generation to generation in certain families.

How many Canadians are affected?

In 2001, an estimated 364,000 Canadians over 65 had Alzheimer Disease and other related dementias. Of that number, 65 per cent or 238,000 Canadians over 65 had Alzheimer Disease.

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What are the Top 10 Warning Signs?

1. Memory loss that affects job / life skills
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks
3. Problems with language
4. Disorientation of time and place
5. Poor or decreased judgement
6. Problem with abstract thinking
7. Misplacing things
8. Changes in mood or behaviour
9. Changes in personality
10. Loss of initiative

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How to Help your Loved One?

Those with Dementia or Alzheimer Disease have the same needs as those of their peers. The only difference is in how their needs are met. They need:

• stimulation
• companionship
• to feel secure and valued
• to maintain their self-esteem
• to be treated with dignity and respect.

Encourage Independance

• Allow them to do as much as they can for themselves but don't expect them to regain lost skills.
• Break tasks down into small steps that they can accomplish.
• Assess their skills frequently so you can adjust your expectations and help.
• Use your sense of humour. It's important to have fun together.

Be Patient

• Don't rush them.
• Remember that the "ability to remember" cannot be forced.
• Don't take their anger or hostility personally. They may be trying to communicate.
• Be prepared to listen to the same story and answer the same questions more than once.
• Be aware that they have no control over their behaviour. Their inhibitions, impulses, control andjudgement have declined.
• Don't argue. Their ability to reason decreases as the disease progresses.

Show Compassion

• They may understand more than they can express.
• Their memories of the past remain intact longer. It's theaputic to "remember the good old days" with them.
• Your behaviour and emotions affect them. Their moods mirror your frustation with them -- or your acceptance of them.
• They obtain stability and comfort through structure, routine and familiarity.
• Reassurance and distraction tactics may help to alleviate their suspicion.

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Understanding Wandering

Wandering is one of the more challenging behaviors associated with Alzheimer Disease and it refers to the need to keep moving. Those with Alzheimer Disease may wander because: they are too hot or too cold; they are hungry or in pain; or they are trying to recreate a situation from the past, perhaps an activity they used to do on a regular basis.

There are several types of wandering associated with Alzheimer Disease: Aimless Wandering, Purposeful Wandering, Night-time Wandering and Industrious Wandering.

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Suggestions for Managing Wandering

• Allow safe wandering
• Look at the immediate environment as a cause
• Develop activities that are meaningful
• Encourage exercise
• Reduce the items that may trigger a desire to go outside
• Provide visual cues to help reduce confusion
• Keep a log or diary of wandering patterns
• Establish contacts in the community
• Join the Alzheimer Wandering Registry Program

For further information and support contact the Alzheimer Society of Canada at 1-800-616-8816 or visit them on their Web site at: http://www.alzheimer.ca. You can also check the telephone directory for an office near you.

This site was designed for information purposes only. It is in no way intended as a substitute for the information you should seek from health professionals regarding Dementia and Alzheimer Disease.

We wish to acknowledge the Alzheimer Society of Canada for their contribution to the information contained on this site.