What is Dementia?

Dementia means loss of memory.

There are more than 50 medical conditions associated with Dementia. The best-known form of Dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. There are others such as Multi-Infarct Dementia (MID), Parkinson’s, Lewy Body disease, Huntington’s disease, and Pick’s disease. In nearly all situations, people with even moderate Dementia are able to do most of the things they have always done and can help with their own treatment and planning for the future. They just need a little help from family and friends.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease of the brain that makes it hard for people to remember, think and use language. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s include memory impairment (initially short term memory), problems with language, mental confusion, difficulty with common tasks, loss of sense of time and space, problems with abstract thinking, diminished physical coordination, and personality changes. Alzheimer’s generally progresses from mild forgetfulness to loss of virtually all cognitive or mental abilities.

Who gets Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s is no respecter of persons. Alzheimer’s is the seventh leading cause of death among adults aged 65 and older. It is estimated that one in five people between 75 and 84 has Alzheimer’s; nearly half the people over 85 have Alzheimer’s. Many well-known people have been afflicted including former President Ronald Reagan; Actors Charlton Heston, Rita Hayworth, and Burgess Meredith; Senator Barry Goldwater; Boxer Sugar Ray Robinson; Classical Composer Aaron Copland; and Writer E. B. White.

What can be done about Alzheimer’s?

Through medical research, we are learning more about how Alzheimer’s affects the brain. Many new treatments are available that can help slow the progress of Alzheimer’s and many more are close to being marketed. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, we have learned how to dramatically slow Alzheimer’s development with the help of new medicines and innovative care approaches such as Garden View’s Activity Based Dementia Care Program.

How does activity help?

More than seven years ago, Garden View Care Center originated its Activity Based Dementia Care Program. The program helps to provide mental stimulation and enhance the quality of life for Alzheimer’s and Dementia patients. Similar programs have sprung up across the country. In a recent article in the AARP Bulletin, Psychologist Cameron Camp of the Myers Research Institute in Beachwood, Ohio, said, “We can’t stop cell death from Alzheimer’s, but at any stage of dementia there is a range of capability. If you give people a reason to get out of bed, activities that engage them and allow them to feel successful, they will be at the top of their game, whatever it is.”

What kinds of activities help people with dementia?

The key is providing adult activities. By providing many different ongoing activities, people with Alzheimer’s and dementia are drawn out and encouraged to participate and to have fun. As part of Garden View Care Center’s Activity Based Dementia Care Program, people with Alzheimer’s participate in recreation and exercise classes; enjoy meals prepared especially for each individual and served in restaurant style surroundings; attend live music presentations on-premise; go to special events such as ballgames, concerts, live theatre, and bus tours; enjoy beauty and barber services; make friends and experience social events. The Garden View Care Center Activity Based Dementia Program involves and engages residents 10-hours-a-day, 7-days-a -week.

What can family members do to help?

People with Alzheimer’s and dementia do better with the support of their families. Garden View Care Centers’ one-of-a-kind Transitions Program, which was developed in cooperation with the St. Louis Alzheimer’s Association, helps families to understand Alzheimer’s and dementia, form realistic expectations for their family member, help with ongoing developing symptoms, and smooth the transition to skilled nursing care. Monthly, Alzheimer’s Association Support Groups, help families in similar situations to connect and share experiences and to find education and other resources. Garden View Care Centers help families stay connected.

Alzheimer’s Association Support Groups meet monthly on the second Wednesdays at Garden View Care Center, Chesterfield and Dougherty Ferry, and on the fourth Thursdays at Garden View Care Center, O’Fallon.

How can I find out more?

The best way to learn more about what you can do to help is to meet with a Garden View Care Center Dementia Care Specialist who will conduct an assessment of your loved one either at Garden View or in your home. You are invited to take a tour and see Garden View’s Activity Based Dementia Care Program in action.

Where can I read more about Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

Current articles:
Lost and Found – Barbara Basler (from AARP Bulletin, September, 2005)
How to Choose A Nursing Home - Rhonda Uhlenbrock

Into the Mist -Deborah Uetz .
Alzheimer's A to Z: Secrets to successful caregiving -Jytte Lokvig
Close to me, but Far Away -Burton Wheeler
Best Friends Book of Alzheimer's Activities -Virginia Bell & David Troxel
Interactions by design -Sylvia Nissenboim
Day is ending: A doctor's Love Shattered by Alzheimer's Disease -Richard Zalar, MD
Coping with Caring -Lynn Roche
Voices of Alzheimer's: Courage, humor, Hope, and Love in the face of Dementia -Betsy Peterson
Fierce Blessing: A journey into Alzheimer's, compassion, and the joy of Being -Wayne & Terry Baltz
Flowers for Grandpa Dan -Connie Mcintyre