By Colette Gourley
September is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and with that is an increased focus on our friends and family members who live with this disease. With ongoing medical advances, our senior population is living longer, resulting in a growing number of individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), 40 million U.S. people over age 65 have dementia, and an estimated 5 million have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Over the next few decades, NINDS expects the number of individuals with dementia to exceed 88 million. This growing population demonstrates the ongoing need for specialized memory support in a compassionate setting.
An Overview of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Although “Alzheimer’s” and “dementia” seem to be used interchangeably, they are different. Dementia is not a disease, but the manifestation of symptoms such as memory loss, struggling with language, and impaired reasoning. Alzheimer’s is a specific disease within the dementia family of conditions. Dementia symptoms result from the death of neurons (brain cells). The causes of dementia vary from severe vitamin deficiency to genetics, depending on the type. Dementia tends to affect one area of the brain at a time, commonly starting with the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning, making memory lapses or forgetfulness the first noticeable symptoms of dementia.
Whether Alzheimer’s or dementia is to blame, loved ones with advanced memory conditions express similar symptoms. They tend to react strangely to normal situations, become increasingly forgetful, and struggle with abstract thought. Common results of progressed brain cell death include social disorientation and issues with speech and writing. As connections in the brain die off, seniors struggle to connect at a personal level. Seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia feel uncomfortable when they struggle for words or forget who they are talking to, causing them to be less expressive and to avoid social situations.
The changes arising from advanced stages of dementia can make caregiving very difficult and emotionally draining. When families are no longer able to support their loved one’s needs or their home may no longer be a good fit, they should investigate memory support options in their community. Try to choose a facility or campus that provides memory care throughout the stages of dementia to reduce environmental changes or disruption to loved ones’ daily life. A few characteristics of quality memory care services include: organizing frequent mentally and physically stimulating activities, facilitating meaningful opportunities to contribute, maintaining secure environments, arranging speech therapy services, and engaging personalized attention.
To learn more about memory care at Legacy Care at Heritage Heath in Normal, please contact Colette Gourley, Community Relations Coordinator for Heritage Health in Bloomington and in Normal. Colette can be reached at 309-825-1409 or cgourley@heritageofcare.com. To find other homes in the Heritage family, please visit our website at www.HeritageOfCare.com.
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