Dementia is a medical condition which features with a serious loss of cognitive ability in previous unimpaired patient. The very term refers to several illnesses which progress over time and become worse as a person ages. The most significant damage is related to memory, communications, learning and behavior in general. Age related dementia rarely affects people under the age of 60. People suffering from age dementia may have to face numerous problems associated with memory judgment, insomnia, altered senses, poor muscle control, orientation, speech etc.
Causes of Age Dementia
There are many causes of age dementia. This form of dementia affects people suffering from Alzheimer's disease and may also occur after small stroke and other condition which lead to permanent damage of the brain tissue.
Symptoms of Age Related Dementia
One of the initial signs of age dementia is recent memory loss. Patients simply forget things and cannot remember them. They might repeatedly ask the same questions and even though they are given answers they still cannot process the obtained information. They are not even aware that they have already asked the question. Furthermore, people suffering from age dementia may face difficulties in performing familiar tasks such as cooking. In some cases there are problems with language. Namely, the patients forget the simple words or use the wrong words. This makes it hard to understand what the patient is talking about.
Age dementia also causes time and place disorientation. Patients may get lost if they are left wandering on their own in streets. They may also forget where they live and how to get back home. Poor judgment and problems with abstract thinking are two more characteristics of age dementia. It is common for people with age dementia to misplace things. They put the thing in one place and then forget it or they may put the things in the places they normally do not belong to. For example, the iron may be placed in a freezer.
Personal and mood changes are additional features of people suffering from age dementia. Mood swings may occur rapidly within minutes. There is a variety of personal changes which become noticeable and some of them are irritability, suspiciousness and fear.
Treatment for Age Dementia
Unfortunately, there is no cure for dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. Even if age dementia is not related to Alzheimer's disease it is incurable. The only thing a family can do is to support the patient and provide with all the necessary help. It is also essential to pay close attention to everything a person is doing in order to prevent him/ her from wondering off, getting lost in the street or causing even more serious damage such as setting an accidental fire. There are specialized institutions for people suffering from dementia where patients are given proper care and treatment.
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