The Caring Corner®

Proper Diagnosis of Dementia Symptoms is Vital for Chapel Hill Residents

September 20, 2016

It is important to understand that dementia is not a specific diagnosis if you are having trouble with your memory. Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Dementia is not a disease, but an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms from multiple issues. There are some instances when dementia is reversible such as: depression, vitamin B-12 deficiency, urinary tract infections and adverse side-effects of drugs. It is best to consult your physician to rule out any of these types of conditions or to seek further evaluation and testing for a proper diagnosis.

 

It is estimated Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of cases where dementia is encountered. Other conditions associated with dementia are Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. All of these diseases are progressive with no known cures at this time. All of these diseases vary in their progression and symptoms. Intervention is important to improve the quality of life of the patient and to educate and support caregivers. There are different approaches for managing behavioral and psychological symptoms as well as pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments to help the behavioral issues that cause such distress to the person and their caregivers.

 

Acorn provides screened and vetted in home care givers.

Our clients have dementia, Alzheimer’s, ALS and other similar conditions.

Call us if you have any questions.

We serve Chapel Hill, Carrboro and other nearby locations.

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