Dementia
Dementia is a chronic disease of the elderly, which can be caused by many diseases. The most commonly is Alzheimer disease. The disease is progressive and is currently not curable.
Dementia occurs in three advancing stages, the initial changes, moderate changes and severe changes.
1. FIRST STAGE - mild problems in people who may be relatives quickly overlooked, mainly because of the association with the age of the person. At this stage, the person is able to care for themselves, everyday simple tasks, known from earlier time, are carried out smoothly, but a person is not able to learn new tasks.
Difficulties arise:
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by retrieving new data – short term memory
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can not find the right words to describe something
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slow speech
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loss and advocacy of stuff
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avoids other people
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depression, insomnia
The person remembers the events of the past, of his youth, but he does not remember the current events of the day, week, and month. Due to the weakened short-term memory, it is needed for people with dementia, to repeate informations several times, but it is not necesarry a person will remember. There are notable changes in speech, a person cannot find the right words, replacing them with the descriptions or incorrectly pronounced, repeating the same words and uses a simple speech.
2. SECOND STAGE - the intensification of the previous stage, moderate problems, which have intensified.
What occurse:
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weakening of memory for past events
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suspiciousness
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difficulty in understanding
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disturbed, not easy going speech, repeating the same phrases and words
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weakened the location and time orientation
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changes in behavior, depression, hallucinations, wandering, agitation, jaw, changes in sexual habits
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incontinence
A person with dementia does not recognize his own home and is not time-oriented (do not know what time of year it is, what year, what date). A person is not capable of abstract thinking (do not understand wordgames). A person becomes suspicious, because he forgets where he left things. Because a person does not recognize his own home, he wants to leave as soon as possible, thus, it wanders to unknown location. Because he does not know where he is, because he do not recognize their own home, a person looses sense of security and becomes affraid.
3 THE LAST STAGE - the intensification of the previous, second stage.
A person:
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is not capable of verbal communication
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does not recognize loved ones and the place where he is located
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has a very affected memory
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is unable to walk, and there are also eating disorders, swallowing muscles are stiff
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is incontinent
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is restless
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FAMILY
For person with dementia a family is of great importance. In the initial stage, when the long-term memory is still preserved and the person remembers his past, his youth, it is very important to discuss this with the loved ones, to remember himself, his life, job, what did he love, what did he love doing, what was person`s favourite food , dress, does he remembers his favorite joke, etc.
The family is one that knows best, in good and bad times, and spent time together. It has been shown that various activities (cognitive, creative, conversational ...) are slowing down the progression of the disease, in particular, they help to maintain the dignity of the individual as a human being.
Each individual is confronted with illness differently. When someone in the family is diagnosed with dementia, it affects the whole family. The disease progresses, a person needs more and more help and care until it is completely dependent on the help of others.
At least in the initial stages it is highly desirable that the person with dementia stays in the domestic familiar surroundings. For many loved ones, especially at the last level, is mentaly and physical too difficult, if not impossible to handle, and accommodation in a home for the elderly is necesarry.
The word "person" is meant for both sexes.