Dementia is a disease that is a progressive loss of mental functioning. This disease can be a very disheartening disease. It can be treated and the effects slowed, but it cannot be cured and eventually the person will die from its effects. There are several types of dementia that are recognized today, these are Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's Chorea disease. There are 2 categories of this disease, primary and secondary. The primary usually has no known cause, it is irreversible, and may be treated but not cured. The secondary type usually has a known cause, it is treatable,and reversible to some degree. Some of the causes of secondary dementia are stroke, depression, thyroid dysfunction or due to medications that someone has been taking for a long period of time.

Symptoms of the disease start very slowly and then become full blown. These symptoms range from minor confusion to inability to reason accurately, recent memory loss, detailed long-term memory, self-centered behavior, disorientation and confabulation. Some victims of this disease begin by having an unsteady gait, they take very short steps, and have loss of balance. Mental symptoms are restlessness, become angry very quickly for no apparent reason, depressed or irritable. Some even have seizures, go into a coma and some actually die.

Some things you might want to keep in mind is that these people need a very strict schedule. You need to remain very calm with them, orient them to reality, protect them from injury because they loose their sense of safety. You need to follow the same routine daily. It will frustrate and confuse them when you go away from the same routine. Don't ask them questions that require a long answer. Use simple yes or no questions.

People who suffer from strokes will usually have Arteriosclerosis and other vascular diseases that prevent the blood from circulating through the brain properly, thus the confusion and dementia. Someone could suffer dementia due to a head injury that occludes the circulation to the brain. In these cases, these people not only need good personal care, they also need medications that will help to alleviate some of the medical problems associated with their conditions.

When a person reaches the final stages of dementia, they sometimes need to be placed in a facility for their care. They reach a point when 24 hour care is a necessity to keep them safe and provide them with the care they need. This is sometimes a very hard decision for family members to make and the feeling of guilt will play a role in this decision. In the final stages of this disease, this person will no longer recognize anyone and most likely will not be able to communicate with family or friends. This is one of the hardest times for family and this is when they need a lot of support. Having friends, pastors good doctors and a good staff to care for your loved one is of the essence.

Learn more about this author, Mary Estelle.
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