Losing Time and Moments: Learning The Types of Dementia

“It is a barren disease, as empty and lifeless as a desert. It is a thief of hearts and souls and memories.”

– Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

Dementia is a gradual decline in a person’s ability to think, remember, and understand. People with dementia often go through a series of stages that gradually exacerbate their symptoms. Because of this, caregivers need to understand dementia and gain insights into how to care for their symptoms appropriately.

For example, reading books like the Dementia Help Guide can help them learn about signs and symptoms and management strategies for caring for patients with dementia.

However, to fully understand dementia, it is also essential to understand the different types of dementia and how they vary. Remember that dementia is an umbrella term for various, specific types, each unique in its signs, symptoms, and management.

Since there is no known cure for dementia, management of the patient and their symptoms will make a massive difference when trying to delay the exacerbation of symptoms. Though there are some similarities, knowing exactly how one differs from another would help create the most appropriate care plan for the patient’s condition.

Common Types of Dementia

Vascular Dementia

Vascular, from the word itself, implies the involvement of blood vessels. Compared to other types of dementia, it occurs because of a reduced blood flow to the brain, ultimately causing the death of brain cells and irreparable damage. This may occur because of the narrowing of a blood vessel or a stroke where an abrupt cessation of blood supply is cut off from the brain.

Vascular dementia can vary greatly between patients because there can be different degrees of blood loss. This means that one patient may have suffered from severe blood loss, leading to more brain tissue damage compared to another whose blood flow was not as obstructed, thereby having lesser brain tissue damage.

Understanding what part of the brain was affected and how severe it is for that patient should be considered when providing care.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Because of modern media and movies like The Notebook, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most known types of dementia. Alzheimer’s is more of a physical type of dementia as damage can visually be seen in a person’s brain over time. This impedes their ability to remember, think appropriately, and carry out day-to-day activities necessary for their care.

Accompanying this are changes in mood. In the medical field, Alzheimer’s disease patients are known to be some of the hardest patients to work with because of the sudden and dramatic attitude changes, which worsen as time goes by. It can be challenging for caregivers, especially in the later stages, so patience is vital when dealing with them.

Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)

In simpler terms, Lewy bodies refer to clumps of protein in the brain. This reduces the chemicals in the brain, which can hamper or break connections between nerve cells and stop messages from being sent and received within the brain.

Similar to the previous types of dementia, vascular dementia, signs and symptoms are highly related to what part of the brain developed said proteins. Care provided to these patients must be based on the part or lobe of the brain disrupted by the protein.

Some patients may have more problems with memory, while others might have more issues with mobility and balance. Nonetheless, care provided to these patients should be on a case-to-case basis instead of a “one size fits all” type of care.

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD)

Frontotemporal dementia, also known as Pick’s disease, is less common than other types of dementia. It affects younger people, specifically those under 65. It occurs when a disease or injury damages the nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.

When caring for people with FTD, the degree to which damage has been done and whether the disease can further damage the brain should be considered. Moreover, it is common for patients to experience aphasia, which means difficulty remembering the names of objects or the right words.

Patients may become easily frustrated when communicating with others. However, in the plan of care, these patients should still engage in daily interactions with others.

Is There a Cure for Dementia?

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for dementia. This is rooted in the fact that dementia occurs because of changes or destruction of brain tissue, which can no longer regenerate.

However, with the proper support and care provided by families, a patient with dementia can live as long as possible. Because of this, adequate, appropriate, and timely care must be ensured to help these patients extend their lives and increase their quality of life. To learn more about practical tips related to dementia, grab a copy of the Dementia Help Guide Book now!