What is Dementia?
Dementia is defined by the National Institute of Health as: the loss of cognitive functioning (thinking, remembering, reasoning and behavioral abilities) to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. These functions can include: memory, language skills, visual perception, problem solving, self-management, the ability to focus or pay attention, and the ability to control emotion and impulse.
Vascular Dementia Pittsburgh
Formerly known as multi-infarct or post-stroke dementia, vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia.
These are disorders that affect the blood circulation in your brain. Proper control of blood pressure, blood sugars, or vascular issues improves outcomes with this type of dementia. The onset can occur suddenly post a stroke or slowly in the case of someone with uncontrolled diabetes.
Symptoms: Impaired judgment, decreased apathy, urinary changes, changes or difficulty with motor skills which may affect balance.
Diagnosing Dementia
According to the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria assessment for dementia a patient must have: Memory Loss – inability to learn new information or to recall previously learned information and two or more of the following:
1. Aphasia: language disturbances
2. Apraxia: motor activity impairment although intact function
3. Agnosia: failure to recognize/identify items despite intact sensory functioning
4. Disturbances in Executive Functioning: planning, organizing, sequencing, initiation of tasks
5. Inability to function in a social or occupational setting
I have been practicing as an Aging Life Care Manager for almost 20 years and have been asked this question at least 100 times. I frequently here, “we really see the usefulness and benefit of your service, but how can we convince our parents to let you in”? My response is typically, “Every situation is…
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