Tools for Caregivers

Dementia is a group of symptoms involving the loss of at least two cognitive abilities.

Cognitive abilities include:

• Memory: Transferring information from short to long term memory
• Executive skills: Thinking, planning, learning, doing things in order
• Perceptional: Making sense of what you see, hear, feel, smell, taste

Other symptoms common to all dementia's include:

• Slow thinking
• Poor Impulse control

There are more than 70 types of dementia, but most are very rare. The most common are:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Lewy body dementia's
• Vascular dementia
• Mixed dementia's

Treatment useful with all dementia's:

Medical:

• Dementia drugs are equally effective with most dementia's

Non-medical:

• Alternative therapies
• Rehabilitation therapies
• Healthy living practices
• Preventative measures
• Enhancing activities
• Engagement skills