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Understanding Dementia
- Rob I
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Insights from our Nursing Team
We recently hosted an informative evening during which our Dementia Nursing Lead, gave a presentation titled "Dementia: An Introduction." For those who couldn't attend, or for anyone seeking to understand more about dementia, we've summarised the key insights from Pearl's talk in this article.
What is Dementia?
Dementia isn't a single disease but a collective term for a group of progressive medical conditions that affect the brain. These conditions typically develop over several years and impact cognitive abilities such as language, memory, judgment, planning, orientation, and attention.
The most common types of dementia include:
● Alzheimer's Disease: Accounting for 50-75% of cases.
● Vascular Dementia: Making up 20-30% of cases.
● Lewy Body Dementia: Representing 10-25% of cases.
● Frontotemporal Dementia: Affecting 10-15% of individuals with dementia.
It's also possible for someone to be diagnosed with mixed dementia, meaning they have more than one type.
Facts and Figures
The impact of dementia is significant, both globally and here in the UK. A 2019 research study estimated that 57.4 million people worldwide are affected by dementia, a figure projected to rise to 152.8 million by 2050. In the UK, an estimated 982,000 people are living with dementia. As of February 28, 2025, there were 496,471 people with a recorded diagnosis of dementia. Interestingly, the presentation highlighted that the youngest person diagnosed with dementia was a 19-year-old from China.
Is Dementia a Mental Health Illness?
A common misconception is that dementia is a mental health illness. However, Pearl clarified that dementia is a progressive neurological condition – a condition that affects the brain. While individuals with dementia may sometimes require support from mental health teams, particularly during crises or if experiencing severe behavioural and psychological symptoms like agitation or aggression, it's not inherently a mental health illness. Labelling it as such can unfortunately add to the stigma surrounding the condition.
Is Dementia Hereditary?
Many people wonder if dementia is passed down through families. The good news is that most types of dementia are not hereditary. While some rarer types may have a stronger genetic link, a multitude of factors usually predispose someone to developing dementia. These can include age, medical history (like diabetes or hypertension), certain genes (both risk and faulty genes), lifestyle choices (such as smoking and diet), and environmental and social factors like depression or isolation.
Communicating with Someone with Dementia: What to Keep in Mind
Pearl shared valuable advice on how to interact respectfully and effectively with individuals living with dementia, based on a list of "20 things NOT to say or do". Here are a few key takeaways:
Avoid saying things like, "but you don't look or sound like you have dementia."
Refrain from telling them they are wrong or arguing about trivial matters.
Don't say, "remember when..." as this can cause frustration.
Use their preferred name rather than generic terms of endearment like "honey" or "love."
It's important not to assume they can't understand or don't have feelings, even if they struggle to communicate verbally.
Don't talk about them to someone else in front of them as if they aren't there.
The core message is to treat each person as an individual, with respect and understanding.
For the full list, please reach out to our team via info@stannesnursing.co.uk and we will be happy to share the presentation with you.
Understanding the Stages of Dementia
Dementia progresses through different stages, and understanding these can help families and caregivers provide appropriate support.
● Early Stage: Symptoms can include frequent trouble finding the right words, increased falls, a lack of initiative for common tasks like cooking, sleep disturbances, short-term memory loss (like forgetting to pay bills or recent events), and low mood.
● Middle Stage: In this stage, memory issues often increase, and individuals may
struggle to retain new information. Communication can become more challenging, with difficulties understanding words or engaging in conversations. They might lose interest in activities they once enjoyed and may experience delusions, hallucinations, or "sundowning" (increased anxiety in the evening).
● Late Stage: At this point, a person with dementia will typically require full-time support with daily activities like washing, dressing, and eating. Language and memory will be significantly impaired, and they might experience "time-shifting," believing they are living in an earlier period of their life. Recognition of familiar people, places, or even themselves can be affected. Physical health issues, including mobility problems, incontinence, and swallowing difficulties, often increase. Challenging behaviours, agitation, and mood changes can also persist from the middle stage.
Diagnosis and Available Support
Diagnosing dementia involves a comprehensive approach, as there isn't a single definitive test. This usually includes detailed history taking, blood tests, brain scans (like MRI and CT scans), cognitive assessments, and sometimes cerebrospinal fluid analysis.
Receiving a diagnosis can lead to many questions, such as whether to share the diagnosis with the entire family or with the person themselves. However, as one poignant quote in the presentation highlighted, "I didn't want to admit it to myself. But getting a dementia diagnosis meant me and my family could get support."
Fortunately, there is a wealth of support available:
● Dementia Cafés
● Social Prescribing
● Admiral Nurses: Specialist dementia nurses providing expert advice and support. Their free helpline is 0800 888 6678.
● Organizations: Age UK, Alzheimer's Society, Dementia UK, Alzheimer's Research UK, and The Lewy Body Society are among the many organizations offering invaluable resources.
At St Anne's Nursing Home, we are dedicated to providing compassionate, person-centred care for all our residents, including those living with dementia. We hope this summary has been helpful.
If you have any questions, would like to come and view the home or would like to know more about the care and support we offer, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
info@stannesnursing.co.uk | 02380 585 032
