Dementia – More Widespread Than we Realise

Dementia – More Widespread Than we Realise

• TribecaCare
• 30th Jan 2025

Today, there are more than 50 million people around the world who suffer from Dementia

What is Dementia?
The word “dementia” is frightening for everyone who hears it, because to
be diagnosed with dementia is almost like a death knell – normal life as we
know it, will be effectively at an end.
What exactly, is Dementia? It is a term which describes a series of
diseases which affect memory, cognitive abilities and the lack of agency to
perform routine activities, some even as simple as wearing clothes or
attending to personal hygiene such as brushing teeth.

What Causes Dementia?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around ten million new
cases of dementia are diagnosed every year. Dementia has many causes.

• “It can result from a variety of diseases and injuries that affect the
  brain. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and
  may contribute to 60–70% of cases.
•  Dementia is currently the seventh leading cause of death and one of
  the major causes of disability and dependency among older people
  globally.
• In 2019, dementia cost economies globally US$ 1.3 trillion,
  approximately 50% of these costs are attributable to care provided by
  informal carers (e.g. family members and close friends), who provide
  on average 5 hours of care and supervision per day.
•  Women are disproportionately affected by dementia, both directly and
  indirectly. Women experience higher disability-adjusted life years and
  mortality due to dementia, but also provide 70% of care hours for
  people living with dementia”.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia 

What are the Symptoms of Dementia?
Memory Loss
The symptoms of Dementia may differ, depending on what is causing the
condition. The most common indicator is Memory Loss. The person who is
actually, presenting the symptom of memory loss may not even be aware of
it, so it is most likely that a close family member will start to notice the new,
dysfunctional pattern of behavior.
Cognitive Changes
There are other Cognitive Changes which will indicate that something is
wrong. The person with Dementia may start to become confused about
time and space, driving may become a problem, he or she may have
problems with doing routine tasks which can degenerate into inability to
manage with planning and organizing more complex jobs, such as filing a
tax return or planning a travel itinerary. Movements may become slow and
uncoordinated. Speech hesitancy and finding the right words may also start
happening.

Personality Changes
The most difficult part of Dementia is experiencing changes to one’s normal
personality. A happy and upbeat person may become depressed and
anxious. There may be mood swings and anger – suspicion, paranoia and                                                      even unexplained violence. When a cheerful and happy member of the family                                                  suddenly changes in front of your eyes – it’s time to see a doctor.

Why Seeing a Doctor is a Must
Only a professional can diagnose Dementia. Panic and denial are common
reactions for family members, but these can be damaging in the long term.
The person who is showing symptoms of dementia needs treatment and
without wasting time. The doctor will prescribe tests and there are certain
medical conditions causing dementia which may be possible to treat and
even reverse.