Dementia is a general term that is used to describe memory loss and impairment in cognitive thinking abilities. Over 40 million people suffer from dementia symptoms. Living with and caring for a loved one with dementia can be extremely difficult. Understanding the different types of dementia and how they affect the elderly is helpful in recognizing symptoms, making treatment decisions and making plans for care.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer's usually causes a gradual decline in cognitive abilities, typically over a span of 7 to 10 years. Nearly all brain functions, including memory, movement, language, judgment, behavior, and abstract thinking, are eventually affected.
Alzheimer’s Disease is characterized by two abnormalities in the brain: amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Patients tend to experience memory impairment, lapses of judgment, and subtle changes in personality.
The second most common type of dementia is vascular dementia, often caused by brain damage from cerebrovascular or cardiovascular problems, usually strokes. Unlike patients with Alzheimer’s Disease these patients with vascular dementia often maintain their personality and normal levels of emotional responsiveness until the later stages of the disease.
Another type of dementia is Lewy Body Dementia. It usually occurs sporadically in people with no known family history of the disease. The brain cells die in the brain's cortex and in a part of the mid-brain called the substantia nigra which plays an important role in movement, learning, reward-seeking and addiction. Lewy Body Dementia also includes visual hallucinations, Parkinson symptoms such as a shuffling gait and flexed posture. People with Lewy Body Dementia live an average of seven years after symptoms begin. There is currently no cure, only symptom management.
There is no one test to determine if someone has dementia. It is often diagnosed based on a careful review of medical history, a physical examination, cognitive testing, laboratory tests, and the characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function and behavior associated with each type. Doctors can make a diagnosis with a high level of certainty, but it is harder to determine the exact type because the symptoms and brain changes of different kinds of dementia often overlap. In some cases, a doctor may simply diagnose "dementia" and not specify which type.
If your loved one is showing signs of dementia, there are many legal issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible. These include aspects of estate planning and long-term care planning. Contact the experienced estate planning attorneys at Stouffer Legal. You can schedule an appointment by calling us at (443) 470-3599 or emailing us at office@stoufferlegal.com.
