Anatomy Of Dementia: The Life Of A Demented Patient

A demented patient can suffer from different diseases: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Binswanger… They all have dementia in common, that is, the loss or weakening of mental faculties that occurs progressively.

The illnesses that cause dementia  are difficult for both the patient and family members to deal with. Changes in memory and reason, as well as some behavioral disturbances, can make the situation exasperating.

Check out the most important aspects of the anatomy of dementia.

Depression in the patient with dementia

Depression is an illness that usually affects the demented patient. Due to the incomprehension of not knowing what is happening to him, the memory losses that disorient him, as well as the lack of tact that people in his environment may have, will lead to discouragement and melancholy.

Many families don’t know how to handle a patient with dementia. That’s when they make some of the mistakes we’ll mention below:

• They treat him as if he were a child: they talk in front of him as if he wasn’t there and didn’t know anything. Also, families can’t have an adult conversation with him.
• Yelling and scolding:  yelling at a person with dementia because they did something they don’t even know why they did it will make the patient feel guilty and will not help them understand what is really going on.

• They ignore him: not talking from adult to adult, yelling at him and ignoring him can make the patient with dementia feel lonely. This loneliness can lead to depression.

The demented patient must feel accompanied and receive affection. The family needs to make an effort to try to put themselves in the person with dementia and understand that circumstances are difficult for everyone.

They need to feel that they are independent.

It will be very helpful for a demented patient to feel that he can be independent. Because dementia does not imply that the person suffering from the problem needs all of our care. There are many things she can do for herself, but for that we have to help her.

For example,  if she has trouble buttoning her shirt buttons, try buying clothes without buttons. If she can’t tie the laces, shoes without laces will be ideal.

In the event that the person starts to have severe memory loss, we can take some measures. For example, indicate where the bathroom is without having to speak, using a sign that says “bathroom” on the door of the room.

A person with dementia may feel disoriented and confused by the loss of memory and the sudden inability to do something as simple as tying their shoes. So providing that kind of help will make her feel much better and capable.

It is necessary to leave the house a little

Relatives often fear that the person with dementia will go out into the street and get lost. However, the solution is not to keep it at home, monitored and doing nothing. This will lead to depression.

In case you or someone in your family cannot accompany the patient on the street, hire someone to do this. A person with dementia can easily get lost and, if he is left alone at home, decide to go out for whatever reason and not know how to return.

However, it is important for the person with dementia to have quality time with their family. Going for a walk, going to the park or sunbathing in silence in the garden are activities she will enjoy a lot.

For the person with dementia, it is essential to feel the support of their relatives and have them around. This will help to avoid isolation and she won’t feel so alone.

A very good option, in addition to all those mentioned, is to take it to a group where patients with this problem are stimulated and thus memory loss is delayed and behavior disorders improve.

In these places, the patient with dementia will interact with other people with the same condition. This way, he will feel accompanied, he will be able to share with people who will understand his problems and frustrations and make new friends.