What is dementia?
Dementia is defined by Dementia Australia (dementia.org.au) as ‘a collection of symptoms caused by disorders affecting the brain.’ Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of diseases that impacts brain function, specifically effecting memory and therefore behaviour.
Why does dementia occur?
Dementia happens due to a combination of age, genetics and lifestyle factors and while certain things we have confirmed increase the risk, the exact reason why people develop dementia is still unknown.
Which type of dementia is the most common?
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.
Other common types of dementia include:
- Vascular dementia
- Lewy body disease
- Frontotemporal dementia
How does dementia effect the brain?
How dementia effects the brain depends on the type of dementia that an individual is diagnosed with. Therefore, symptoms and experiences of dementia can be unique and vary from person to person.
For the most common type of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, there is a significant decrease in the chemicals that help the brain’s neurons to communicate with each other in the way they normally do and can occur in different areas of the brain.
Are Dementia are Alzheimers the same?
No, dementia and Alzheimers are not the same. Alzheimers is the most common type of dementia, where dementia is the type of condition and Alzheimers is the individual diseases within the dementia category.
Which dementia is hereditary?
Familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) noccurs when Alzheimers can be inherited due genetic mutations on three genes being presenilin 1 (PSEN1), presenilin 2 (PSEN2) and amyloid precursor protein (APP) genes. However, while it does happen, hereditary dementia like FAD is rare.
Can dementia be prevented or reversed?
While it can’t be reversed, you can reduce your risk of developing dementia by having a healthy and positive lifestyle. Things that increase you risk for dementia includes:
- physical inactivity
- lack of mental exercise
- smoking
- obesity
- diabetes
- high cholesterol
- high blood pressure
However, if they develop, dementia symptoms can be managed with quality care and medication.
Will dementia be curable?
There is currently no cure for dementia. Due to the fact that over 100 diseases may cause dementia, it is possible that with more research and further understanding of how dementia develops, certain types of dementia may be curable in the future.
Where to get help with dementia?
Dementia Australia has a national dementia helpline that you can call or you can visit their website for additional resources.
National Dementia Helpline: 1800 100 500
Dementia Australia website: dementia.org.au
Here at Scalabrini, we also provide dementia related services. As an aged care provider, we specialise in caring for those who have been diagnosed with dementia and need a place to live where their higher level needs can be met around the clock by our Dementia Excellence Team. To enquire about moving you or your loved one with dementia into one of our villages, please call or email us to see if we’re the right fit for you.
Scalabrini phone number: 1800 722 522
Scalabrini email: enquires@scalabrini.com.au
