Dementia Care: Improving the Quality of Life for Patients and Families Alike
Dementia is a debilitating disease that not only affects patients, but also their families and friends. According to the World Health Organization, there are over 50 million people worldwide living with dementia, and this number is expected to triple by 2050. In the United States alone, it is estimated that there are 5.7 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease—the most common type of dementia.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a decline in cognitive function due to disease or injury. This can include memory loss, impaired judgment, and difficulty with communication and motor skills. Dementia is not a specific disease, but rather a group of symptoms that can be caused by a variety of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and vascular dementia.
Symptoms of Dementia
The symptoms of dementia vary depending on the underlying cause, but they typically involve a decline in cognitive function. This can manifest as memory loss, trouble communicating or finding words, difficulty with abstract thinking or decision-making, impaired judgment, changes in mood or behavior, and problems with motor skills. These symptoms often progress slowly and worsen over time.
Improving the Quality of Life for Patients and Caregivers
While there is no cure for dementia yet, today there are many ways to improve the quality of life for both persons with dementia and their caregivers. Specifically, this can happen through comprehensive dementia care. For patients, comprehensive approaches can include medication to manage specific symptoms, therapies to help with communication and motor skills, and assistance with activities of daily living such as eating and bathing. For caregivers, this can include respite care to allow for breaks, support groups to connect with others in similar situations, and counseling to deal with the stress and emotions that come with caring for a loved one with dementia.
Dementia care refers to the actions taken to improve the quality of life for those living with dementia as well as their families and caregivers. There is no cure for dementia yet, but there are ways to manage the symptoms and make life easier for everyone involved. If you or someone you know is dealing with dementia, be sure to take advantage of all the resources available to you so that you can all live your best lives possible.
At Isaac Health, we pride ourselves in doing everything we can to support individuals with cognitive impairment and the other people in their life through these challenging conditions. If you or someone you know is in need of support managing cognitive difficulties at any level, we invite you to reach out to us by booking a free “no obligation” call with one of our care coordinators here to discuss your concerns and figure out how we can be of help to you.
About Isaac Health
Isaac Health is a specialized online memory health service that arranges for patients to meet with a telehealth clinician who can diagnose and treat memory loss, Alzheimer’s dementia, and other related conditions. Isaac Health provides medical care and cognitive therapy for patients in New York, Florida, and North Carolina who are concerned about symptoms of dementia.
For more information or If you’d like to understand whether you or a loved one may benefit from new Alzheimer’s disease treatments, schedule a free no-obligation discovery consultation with a member of the Isaac Health team.
