Are you wondering if dementia care is appropriate for your loved one, or whether their memory loss and cognitive decline is simply a normal part of the aging process? When it comes to understanding warning signs of dementia, you are not alone. While senior care specialists regularly use the term dementia, many outside of the senior health community do not really understand the term. In fact, they wonder what differentiates dementia from normal age-related memory loss and decline in cognitive functioning levels. They also wonder if signs of dementia mean that a loved one has Alzheimer’s.
What Differentiates Warning Signs of Dementia From Normal Age-Related Memory Loss
Dementia is an umbrella term that does not refer to a specific disorder, but to a range of symptoms. It refers to a decline in mental ability. This decline is more than one would expect with normal aging, and must be significant enough to interfere with daily living in order to be considered dementia. Memory loss is probably the most commonly recognized symptom of dementia, but memory loss can actually be caused by other disorders. To qualify as dementia, a person much experience symptoms in at least two areas of core mental functioning including: 1) memory; 2) reasoning and judgment; 3) communication and language; 4) the ability to focus and pay attention; and 5) visual perception. Significant impairment in any of these areas is never the result of the normal aging process; therefore, if you or a loved one is experiencing any difficulties, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible to rule out other conditions, some of which may be treatable.
Sunshine – Primary Care Giver For A Loved One
Though not all cases dementia are progressive, many are. This results in many seniors being unable to provide self-care. You may choose to stay in your home or care for your loved on at home. Adult day care centers, like Sunshine Adult Day Health Care Center, make it easier for you to be the primary care giver for a loved one with dementia. Providing daily or respite care in a secure drop-in setting, Sunshine coordinates patient care with families, focusing on both physical and mental well-being. Sunshine’s dementia programming is designed to help slow the rate of decline and can even help recover some lost mental functioning. To find out if Sunshine is the right choice for you and your family, call today to talk to a patient care coordinator.
