Dementia describes a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain. There are a number of types of diseases that all sit under the umbrella of ‘dementia’, and each type can present with different features.

Some of the diseases that fall under the diagnosis of dementia include:

• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Dementia with Lewy bodies
• Vascular Dementia
• Younger-Onset Dementia, and more.

How dementia presents in everyday life depends on the type of dementia someone is diagnosed with, but common signs include:

• Increasingly impaired short term memory
• Difficulty physically moving around
• Forgetting words or how to complete simple tasks like making a cup of tea or getting dressed
• A change in personality, disinhibition (doing things you wouldn’t normally do), and apathy or withdrawal.

As a family carer, there are a few key coping strategies that can help you to move through difficult behaviours presented by someone with dementia, these include:

• Distraction: sharing a cup of tea, reading a magazine or going for a walk together.
• Avoidance of triggers: for example, a loud TV or bright lights.
• Validate their emotions and experience: enter their reality and ‘go along’ with what they are saying. A person with dementia cannot be in denial about reality because they do not have the ability to comprehend reality like they used to.
• Redirect the conversation: focus on things you know they enjoy and feel good about, such as happy memories or hobbies.

For further support and information regarding dementia or caring for a person with dementia, contact Dementia Australia.

Phone: 1800 100 500

Email: [email protected]