13 September 2023
Written by Hannah Ownsworth
The thought of getting a dementia diagnosis can feel like the end of the world, but with 1.6 million people expected to develop dementia by 2040, it’s one that many people and their families may need to face. It’s a difficult idea to process, but being prepared for the possibility of a diagnosis may help to lessen the impact if it does, one day, occur. At Complete Care Shop, we spoke to Darren Walker of the Alzheimer’s Society about life with dementia and how to change your perception.
Dementia is a term used to describe a group of cognitive and behavioural symptoms that interfere with a person's quality of life and how they function on a daily basis. Dementia is not specifically a disease but is a collection of symptoms that can result from various underlying causes. Dementia is characterised by a decline in cognitive abilities that include memory, thinking, language, reasoning, and the ability to carry out normal, everyday tasks.
The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, which is a progressive brain disorder that affects memory, thinking, and behaviour. Other causes of dementia include vascular dementia, which is caused by impaired blood flow to the brain, Lewy body dementia, which is associated with abnormal protein deposits in the brain, and frontotemporal dementia, which affects personality, behaviour and language, as well as others.
There’s a number of symptoms associated with the diagnosis of dementia, and below are the main ones that affect the brain:
If you or your loved one has just received a dementia diagnosis, there’s no right or wrong way to feel or react. Darren Walker, a Support Worker at Alzheimer’s Society, says: “Not everyone’s reaction will be the same. You can have somebody really quite calm and then you can have the other end of the spectrum where people think it’s effectively Armageddon.”
It’s important to remember that a dementia diagnosis isn’t the end. It doesn’t mean that you must immediately stop doing everything you love and have your life change overnight.
“That’s one of the challenges that we have, to break down those perceptions that once you’ve got it, that’s it,” says Darren. “It’s the opposite, you can still lead your life just as much as you can pre-diagnosis. Rarely are things as dark as people think they are. There is no reason why people can’t lead a healthy, prosperous life living with dementia, over a good period of time. We have many clients that still work that have got a dementia diagnosis.”
Every person’s journey is unique and you can still live well with dementia. Just because one person has reached a certain stage or experienced a specific symptom, it doesn’t mean that everyone will share that experience.
Eventually, as dementia is a progressive condition, there are steps that may need to be taken. “One of the most important ones, in my personal opinion, would be getting a power of attorney in place, because that’s law and legal,” Darren states. ”People are tested by the solicitors and lawyers that they know what they’re signing for and rightly so.”
Other steps may include applying for relevant benefits or making some small adjustments and adaptations to daily life with dementia to help you live happily and independently in your home for as long as possible. This may mean getting some daily living aids to help you or making an adjustment to your routine to make it easier for you to manage. If you need some support in finding out what is available to you, the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Connect service has highly qualified Dementia Advisers who will be able to help.
It’s a good idea to consider how you can keep your mind stimulated. This could be as simple as listening to music, doing crossword puzzles, reading, or writing a letter. It depends on what you enjoy doing and what will work best for you.
“I’m a big fan of gardening,” says Darren. “I absolutely think it’s one of the best activities anyone can do regardless of condition, and that will help cognitive stimulation in terms of growing the vegetables, plants, flowers, and weeding. It’s a little bit of a workout as well – surreptitiously helping everything. People get lots of joy and they can see the value in what they’ve done at the end of the day.”
If this all feels overwhelming, remember that you are not alone. Whether you have just been diagnosed or are caring for someone with dementia, there are people and organisations that can help you.
Darren Walker says: “One of the huge benefits that the Alzheimer’s Society provides is we’re open for everyone. We’re here just as much for the carers, the family, the loved ones as much as we are for the person with the diagnosis.”
You can call the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Connect advisers on 0333 150 3456 for help and support. If you would like some more information, Complete Care Shop has an expert help and advice service that may ease any concerns you may have.
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