Understanding Dementia

Dementia describes a number of signs and symptoms that affect the neurological systems of the brain. It can affect a person’s ability to live a normal day to day life as their memory, perception and every day tasks become more difficult to carry out. All illnesses affect each person differently, but essentially, people with dementia can have difficulty with memory and can become easily confused.This is a progressive disease and people can be affected at various levels. Despite there being no cure, there are certain tasks and skills that you as a care giver can learn to help make the lives of people with dementia a lot easier.According the the Alzheimer's Society 'There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025. This will soar to 2 million by 2051.' (Alzheimer's Society, 2017)Through time the diagnosis of dementia has improved greatly. In the 21st century, people are generally being diagnosed much quicker than our ancestors. This means that there are many people living with dementia who are aware they have the illness and are living with the illness a long time before they reach a serious stage.This course aims to consider the history of dementia, explaining what it is, the signs and symptoms as well as the various types of dementia and how they can affect each person differently. We will also look at ways in which your role as a carer can help people at various stages dementia and look at some helpful hints and tips to make you feel more comfortable in your role.