Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of Neurological conditions affecting the brain that get worse over time.
– National Institute on Aging
In March 2023, the World Health Organization estimated that approximately 55 million people worldwide were living with dementia.5 As of October 2023, Alzheimer’s Research U.K reported that nearly a million people in the United Kingdom had dementia.6 The United States Alzheimer’s Association’s 2024 Facts and figures report calculated that 6.9 million individuals who live there and are over the age of 65 were afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. In the United States alone, the number of unpaid caregivers in 2024 stood at 11.5 million.7 All reporting organizations anticipate the number of dementia patients and their unpaid caregivers to rise accordingly.
In my new book, An Achievable Balance – Available at Amazon, I write about how Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) does not always mean that the condition will progress to dementia. However, when MCI is associated with Alzheimer’s disease or another organic brain disease it generally occurs gradually along a spectrum with MCI at the mild end as its name implies.
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As a general rule, individuals vary in their development of any type of cognitive deficit and much depends on lifestyle and overall health as well as age. Regardless of the specific type, all types of organic brain disease are diagnosed similarly.
- A physician asks someone who knows the affected person well to describe their behavior.
- The person exhibiting dementia behavior is unusually given tasks to do and questions to answer.
- The Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination (SLUMS), the Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) are screening tools used to check for mild cognitive impairment and early signs of dementia. Each tests cognitive function and explores six domains: memory, visuospatial ability, executive function, attention/concentration/working memory, language, and orientation. Should further testing be required or advised, a neuropsychologist or neuropsychiatrist can administer a full neuropsychological test.
- Blood tests may then follow.
- Finally, the brain is scanned either by computed tomographic (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to rule out other problems such as a tumor and to identify which parts of the brain are most affected.
There are several ways to help a person living with MCI stay independent. If you are finding that you are constantly calling your loved one to remind them to do things, this can have the unintended consequence of making them feel like they are being babysat, which can lead to irritation and resentment on their part.
Instead, look for opportunities to keep the individual independent by using visual cues or prompts in the form of sticky notes, and a white board or printed calendar reminders to help them keep on track of daily tasks and events. Reminder notes such as ‘don’t forget to lock the door’ or ‘drink a glass of water’, etc. are helpful. Setting alarms on a mobile phone as medication prompts or using a RX dispenser equipped with an alarm works, too.
If your loved one receives a diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia or is having trouble maintaining their independence, you doubtless have questions about how to help them and balance their needs with yours. In my new book, An Achievable Balance – Available at Amazon provides answers.
Kathy C. Faenzi MA is a Clinical Gerontologist and Senior Care Consultant based in San Mateo, CA.
JC Spicer, M.Ed. is a Freelance Social Science Writer and Developmental Editor based in the U.K.