LIVING WITH DEMENTIA

 

This is an incredibly emotive subject area for me – living with dementia. It touches every part of my life and my dear parents are both living with dementia. It is a monumentally tragic and heart-breaking condition. I wanted to chat a bit about it here to attempt to shine a small light on what it is, the signs and symptoms to watch out for, and how to support someone living with it. As you know from listening to my podcasts, I'm all for educating and extending my knowledge out to you. So, if I can raise crucial awareness and, maybe, bring comfort to someone who's affected, then I'll be a happy and content woman.

 

By the year 2025, it's estimated that around 1 million people in the UK will either have a diagnosis or developing the condition. There's about 850,000 now so a significant rise is, sadly, on the horizon.

 

It impacts EVERYTHING, and I mean everything. There's no way to shine this, or sugar-coat in sprinkles, it's hard. If you're a fan of Casualty, you'll no doubt have been moved to tears by Duffy's battle which got progressively worse and her deterioration, in front of her beloved husband, loved ones and friends, was painfully said to witness. I do commend the programme on highlighting such a devastating condition, particularly in a prime-time Saturday evening viewing slot.

 

So, what exactly is it. It's a syndrome, meaning a group of associated symptoms, that relate to an ongoing decline of functioning of the brain. The brain is damaged and it's progressive which basically means that things will get worse over time. Treatment is fairly limited and there's nothing which will suit all the varying types. There are many ways in which it can affect a person, such as:

 

• Difficulties with carrying out activities on a daily basis
• Loss of memory
• The speed at which you are thinking
• Understanding
• Judgement
• Your mood
• Mental quickness or being mentally sharp

 

Drilling down a little further into what the types are, let me just cover the basics of each for you…

 

Alzheimer's – notably the most common, making up a lot of diagnoses, and the one most of you will have heard of before. Early on, it will affect the brain's hippocampus, which holds our bank of memories. Forgetting peoples' names, places and conversations are indicators of the fist sign of Alzheimer's. It progresses slowly and can be difficult to pinpoint and is often just put down to 'getting old.'

 

Vascular dementia accounts for about 150,000 people in the UK and the second most common. About a fifth of people who have a stroke go on to develop this and that person may also suffer TIAs, which are Transient Ischemic Attacks or mini strokes.

 

Dementia with Lewy bodies. This can exhibit the same symptoms as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and can actually get misdiagnosed. Years before they're diagnosed it can cause disturbances with sleep in some people. A lot of people with it have visual hallucinations and problems with movement, putting them at higher risk of having a fall.

 

Frontotemporal dementia, this is less common and is also referred to as frontal lobe dementia or Pick's disease. It tends to affect those under 65 and diagnosis generally happens between 45 – 65. Memory isn't really impaired but there can be problems with language, behaviour and changes in personality.

 

Dementia in younger people is a thing. Those who display symptoms before 65 and regarded as having something called younger-onset dementia and about 42,000 people fall into this category.

 

Around 10% are diagnosed with mixed dementia which is usually a combination of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, or Alzheimer's with Lewy bodies.

 

So, things to be increasingly mindful of. You may have your concerns about someone dear to you. This is by no means an exhaustive list but a snapshot of symptoms. Nor is it a diagnostic checklist and it doesn't necessarily mean that person has dementia. I hope this helps:

 

• Feeling a constant need to walk or pace around
• Have trouble focussing on their usual hobbies or TV shows
• Losing their personal items, like glasses
• Poor judgement
• Becoming paranoid or delusional
• Resistant to any change
• Struggling to swallow food
• Changes with their continence
• Hesitating when floor coverings have been changed
• Personality changes
• Trouble with completing simple daily tasks
• Confusion with the time of day
• Getting lost in usual and familiar places
• Mobility issues
• General problems with using language
• Repetition of words, phrases or asking questions
• Mood swings

 

If you have concerns or suspicions never, ever just leave it and assume it's just an ordinary sign of aging. Though the above listed signs don't mean they automatically have dementia, it's crucial you seek help, guidance and support. Better to be safe than sorry and you may end up regretting not taking it seriously.

 

Treatments can include medication and complementary therapy such as CBT or life story work. It's vital to note that they might also have other health conditions such as Diabetes or heart disease, so they will have to have support juggling any medication.

 

It's a monumental life event to be diagnosed, not just for the one living with it, but for loved ones. There's lots of factors to take into consideration and many adaptations and alterations may have to be made.

 

I've listed some ways in which you can provide support and help:

 

• Preserving loving and emotive memories will be important, and there are ways in which you can help with this, such as using life story books, prompts from past times which may trigger memories, etc
• Making sure they have a healthy and balanced diet, and that it looks appealing and appetising. Be mindful of any swallowing difficulties
• Making environmental adjustments, like specialist aids and adaptations, like dementia-friendly clock, handrails, well-lit seating areas, setting maximum TV and radio sound levels
• Accessible garden area with sensory stimulation
• Alarms, detectors and sensors for things like water flowing in baths and sinks
• Instruction signs around the home

 

These are just a few, of which there will be many. The main thing to note is that you may feel useless and that you're not offering much help and support. You're doing the best you can and all you can. It's tough for you aswell so look after yourself because you can't run on empty and if a loved one has become dependent on you, you need to be at the top of your game, mostly reacting and staying vigilant and high-alert. Always be kind to yourself and never, ever blame that person. It's not their fault and they may not understand what is happening to them. Get support when you need it and never try and bear the brunt yourself, speak to your GP and don't be ashamed to admit it if you're struggling.

 

Is there any topic you would like me to cover? I'm here to try and educate, inform, reassure and spread a bit of light and love in a world that at times can feel dark and despairing. We all need the positivity and to raise our vibration. There are different ways that you can reach out to me. Follow my page on Facebook, One Life, One Skin. I also have a One, Life, One Skin group you can request to join. I keep my podcast up-to-date and add regular topics and themes. You can check out my website www.ashleycahill.co.uk which list my treatments and products. Do get in touch. I'm open to hearing your opinions and answering your questions. I love helping people be the person they were born to be.

 

You may be interested that I will be running an online course in health, wellbeing and lifestyle later this year. Do let me know if you're wanting to know more and I can get you signed up to my mailing list.