Dementia Awareness

This document provides an overview of dementia, including its definition, key functions of the brain affected by dementia, common causes, signs and symptoms, risk factors, prevalence rates, and the impact of attitudes and behaviors on individuals with dementia. It also discusses the medical and social models of dementia and why dementia should be viewed as a disability. Study material and assignments on dementia awareness are available at Desklib.

Dementia Awareness

1.1 Explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia’
Find the missing words below
1. Dementia is a term used to describe a group of diseases that may cause the brain
to fail.
2. People can live for many years after dementia has been diagnosed however,
the condition does shorten the life expectancy.
3. There over 100 different types of dementia and Alzheimer is the most common type
of dementia
1.2 Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia
Functions
Give a description of how each function are
affected by dementia as listed
Memory
Due to dementia, earliest memory might be
lost at the beginning, while later memory could
be remained for longer period.
Communication
An individual having dementia, might suffer to
remember certain words or make easy
communication with others
Orientation
After dementia, it is difficult for individuals to
distinguish the time in terms of day, night or
more. Difficulty to get back to own house,
remembering current condition and so on, are
also certain problems that could occur with
people having dementia.
Emotions or behaviour
Emotional state of people with dementia also
get affected, with changing in mood, impulsive
nature and more.
1

1.3 Explain why depression, delirium and age-related memory impairment may be
mistaken for dementia
Depression and Delirium both causes cognitive changes in a person, therefore, may be
mistaken for dementia, where in case of older hospitalised individuals, delirium could
superimpose on dementia. A person having delirium face difficulties in terms of memory,
visuospatial abilities, languages, orientation and more, but such specific deficits might be
temporary and reversible. Similarly, in case of depression it refers to disorder of mood, that can
be diagnosed in terms of loss on keen interest in general activities, pervasive and persistent low
mood. Therefore, this disease and its causing symptoms are associated highly with risk of
dementia, which leads to damage neural systems such as hippocampus. Henceforth, age-
related memory, depression and delirium all are contributed to increased risk of dementia in
people.
2.1 Outline the medical model of dementia
2.1 Outline the Social model of dementia
Medical model or social model Definition of the model of disability of
disability
Medical Model of Dementia
This model links a disability diagnosis to
an individual's physical body. The model
supposes that this disability may reduce
the individual's quality of life and the aim
is, with medical intervention, this disability
will be diminished or corrected.
This model of disability identifies systemic
barriers, negative attitudes and exclusion
2

Social Model of Dementia
by society that mean society is the main
contributory factor in disabling people.
2.3 Explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability
Mental or any kind of physical impairment which has a substantial as well as negative
effect on ability of a person, for longer period and create difficulties to do normal routine
work, should be considered as disability. Therefore, dementia that arise such kind of
problems would be classed as per Equality Act 2010 as disabled. By recognising this
disease as disability, would help care providers in identifying the societal barriers that
prevent individuals or a group of people with conditions to live independent. This would
also aid in providing a framework for actions that are based on disability rights. But all
these factors don’t state that dementia could be understood only as disability.
3.1 List the most common causes of dementia (Tick which one of the following are
the types/causes of dementia)
Alzheimer’s Disease ✓ Frontotemporal Dementia ✓
Heart disease Leukaemia
Lewy Body Dementia ✓ Vascular Dementia ✓
3.2 Describe the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of
dementia (Write down the correct type/cause of dementia next to the description)
3

Causes of Dementia Description on how each function are
affected by dementia
Frontotemporal dementia This is the most common cause of
dementia for younger people. Memory loss
would not be the first symptom of this
cause of dementia whereas a change of
behaviour or personality would be one of
the first symptoms.
Alzheimer’s disease This is the most common cause of
dementia. Finding it hard to remember
recent events or conversations would be
the first sign for this type of dementia.
Vascular dementia Although memory loss is one of the
earliest signs for this type of dementia, it is
milder than some other causes of
dementia. Early signs are usually difficulty
with organising, planning, solving
problems and making decisions.
Depression could also be common as
people with this type of disease might be
more aware that they have dementia.
Lewy Body dementia This cause of dementia might have similar
symptoms of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
disease. Hallucinations are common with
this cause of dementia and would usually
consist of hallucinating about people or
animals. Auditory hallucinations can also
happen, however, are less common.
Visual misperception is usually the cause
of having hallucinations.
4

3.3 Outline the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia
There are numerous factors present that increase an individual’s potential for dementia,
such as age, inheritance of genes or genetic, lifestyles, gender, chronic health issues
like diabetes, STI (sexually transmitted infections) and more. These factors affect the
likelihood of increasing or developing different kinds of dementia in following way –
Age: It refers to most common factor, where with increase in age, risk of
developing dementia is also increases. However, individuals who younger than 65, are
more at such risk due to high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, loss of sex
hormones, weakens the natural repair systems, changes in immune systems and more.
Therefore, with increasing age, such problems tend to develop symptoms of common
types of dementia in individuals like Alzheimer, Vascular, Frontotemporal and more.
Inheritance of genes or genetics: A number of genes are also responsible for
increasing potential of dementia like Alzheimer’s disease in people, where individuals
who belong from such a family background of dementia, are considered to be at
heightened risk of getting the same. By the time, when people with Down’s syndrome
reach at middle age, then neurological and behavioural signs of dementia are shown.
Lifestyle: Poor or unhealthy lifestyle like drinking excessive amount of alcohol,
smoking and more, also tends to develop symptoms of vascular and other types of
dementia in individuals. However, people who consume moderately drinks are as
comparatively lower at risk of dementia then excessive drinkers or who completely
avoid it. Along with this, intake of junk or unhealthy foods also deposits fatty substances
and increase cholesterol level in people, that contributes to develop atherosclerosis and
other significant factor of vascular dementia in them.
Chronic health issues: It also considers as major risk factor behind development of
Alzheimer and other causes of dementia, such as diabetes, mild cognitive impairment
and more. Through many studies, it has been analysed that people of age over 65 and
diagnosed with cognitive impairment, are higher at risk of dementia diseases, which
mostly developed within three years after diagnosing.
5

3.4 Identify the prevalence rates for different types of dementia (write down the
prevalence rates for each type/cause of dementia listed)
Alzheimer’s Disease Frontotemporal Dementia62% 2%
Lewy Body Dementia Vascular Dementia4% 17%
4.1 Describe how different individuals may experience living with dementia depending on
their age, type of dementia and level of ability and disability
Age
People who are at older age are
considered as more at risk of dementia,
because they may suffer from various
health conditions at this age, such as high
blood pressure, distress and more. While
people with dementia who are belong from
younger group, might experience less
changes in behaviour due to engage in
employment, children or higher family
responsibilities, whereas older individuals
have usually less responsibilities.
Type of
Dementia
People with dementia might face different-
different types of problems due to age,
gender, health issues and other factors.
For example – People having Lewy Body
Dementia might experience visual
hallucinations, while persons with
Alzheimer’s disease may face difficulties in
remembering the surrounding ones or own
past events etc. Similarly, individuals with
6

Frontotemporal dementia suffer from
behaviour changes mostly.
Level of ability
and disability
Since each individual is having its own
personal identity therefore, if they suffer
from any types of dementia, then extent of
impact of same on their ability is also
differed. It mostly depends on their age,
type of dementia, lifestyles, family
background and more.
4.2 Outline the impact that the attitudes and behaviours of others may have on an
individual with dementia (tick true or false for the following statements)
Statements True False
It does not matter what your attitude or behaviour is
like with a person with dementia as they will not
remember
✓
When we have a positive attitude and behaviour, we
can promote the person’s overall wellbeing
✓
Promoting the person’s independence,
maintaining their rights, choices, dignity, privacy
and focusing on their individuality with have a positive
impact on a person with dementia
✓
We can tell people with dementia what to do as they
will no longer understand or have the capacity to
✓
7

make a decision.
We need to focus on what they can still achieve rather
than on what they might not be able to achieve
✓
8