Home Care Conditions

Dementia Q&A

We’ve had over 50 questions on dementia. I’m going to run though around 15 of them. Fantastic questions.

I’ve had a discussion with the GP on our team around each of the questions.

I’m going to give a brief answer to each and I’ll go into more detail on each over the coming weeks and months.

This will hopefully provide some background into dementia and how to best support your loved ones and how to get the most out of home care.

By it’s nature dementia is an inconsistent disease, it is best to seek an in person face to face consultation with a GP who will be able to take into account your or your loved ones’ medical history.

Do the share the Q&A. If you’re watching or have any other questions about dementia or how home care or live in care could help you do leave me a comment in the live chat below…

Click on each question below to reveal the answer/discussion.


Erik - Can you please educate us about Parkinson’s disease dementia? How this might be similar and different compared to other dementias.

Parkinson’s is a long-term disorder of the central nervous system, the main difference with Parkinson’s is that it mainly affects the motor system and so people living with Parkinson’s may have difficulties with movement, walking and particularly using their hands, so chopping, preparing food and using a mobile can be difficult. It may be useful to consider a carer or family member to help support with tasks such as cooking and personal grooming.

Emmy - Is it safe to drive if you have dementia? If yes, when is it no longer safe?

Yes.

It is safe to drive with dementia. Driving is automatic behaviour and is in the long term memory.

People living with dementia mainly have problems with their short term memory and long term memory is usually less affected. Generally - problems will be with getting lost, forgetting where the car is etc.

A person living with dementia may be able to drive to the doctors for example without any problems however they may forget they are going to the doctors or become confused as to how they will get there.

Any physical disabilities will play more of an impact - sight, hearing loss, movement etc. You’ll need to make a judgement about whether it’s safe or not or you can ask your doctor to help make that judgement.

We have carers that drive and can support with maintaining independence.

Larry - Does having surgery speed up the disease; dementia.

The brain has a huge capacity it can cope with changes in environment and all sorts.

A person living with dementia though has a reduced capacity and is less able to cope with change. The most important thing is keeping things the same and consistent… the same location, same carer, same schedule if possible etc.

Now, when you have surgery you go into a different environment (hospital). The brain then has to cope with lots of different changes and distractions which can cause a temporary regression. So it’s likely that the change in environment may cause a regression rather than the surgery itself interestingly.

Perhaps think about you can lesses the transition to new environments, perhaps prepare the person in advance of any changes if possible. Talk them through the changes, when they will happen and what to expect.

Jeanette - What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s?

Dementia is the term for a 100 different conditions and symptoms. One of these is Alzheimer's.

If you’ve got Alzheimer’s you’ve got Alzheimer’s disease and you’ve got Dementia. If you’ve got dementia you may have Alzheimers, or you may have vascular dementia, or lewy bodies dementia…. Or one of the other dementias.

Sian - Why does the length of decline differ if the type of dementia a person is living with is the same? 👍

It’s the nature of the disease in that it is inconsistent and affects people differently because we are genetically different. Environmental factors will also play a part too, the amount and quality of sleep, consistently of the environment and diet can all have an impact on the decline.

With consistency in mind and knowing the impact this can have on a person living with dementia, this is why we focus on having a consistent home carer in place for each family. It truly is what each family needs.

Val - Why is my Mum, who has dementia, fairly rational for a few hours and totally confused by tea time?

Again, It’s the nature of the disease. It’s inconsistent. But it can also be affected by the environment. Consistency of the environment, sleep, diet, schedule can all play apart in causing confusion.

Why does it hurt us so much?

It can seem as if you’re losing the person. With some dementias, particularly Alzheimer’s the person’s personality can change. The physical person is still there but their personality may change. The closer you are to that person the more its going to hurt. It’s perhaps best to remember than dementia is a small part of the person and to remember all of the other things and years that make up that person.

Barbara - Why are childhood memories so vivid for people living with dementia, when they can't remember what happened this morning?

If you look back through the posts you’ll come across the Alzheimer’s Society’s Bookcase Analogy. This brilliantly explains why people living with dementia can recall vividly memories from a long time ago but struggle to remember what they had for breakfast or what they did yesterday.

Click here to view the written post and video.

Peter - What qualifications do you have that are sufficient to be able to provide accurate and credible information? What are your motivations behind doing these posts? Is it just to advertise your own business perhaps?

Yes, we have a business. But we want to provide genuine value and education to people. If they then want to work with us that’s cool and if they don’t that’s cool too!

I (Christopher) am an Alzheimer's Society Dementia Friends Champion, I volunteer for the Alzheimers’s Society as a trainer. I’ve been working with people with dementia for over 2 years. On my team I have a GP with over 30 years’ experience working in the NHS who I’ve conferred with in order to accurately answer these questions.

Leslie - Why is no one talking about nutrition? It angers me knowing that my dad’s condition could have been slowed down. Once we eliminated sugar, dairy & gluten & added way more fruits and vegetables, his memory came back, his aggression went away, and he came off sedative meds which all lead to a MUCH greater quality of life. I’ve been researching dementia for years and happy to share everything we’ve learned.

Diet is another environmental variable. I said that environmental factors can affect dementia and it’s rate of progress. Diet and nutrition is one of those variables that will help to improve wellbeing… Interesting you talk about the sedative meds… you’ll probably find the drug companies would probably prefer you didn’t know about cutting out sugar, dairy and gluten!

Lynn - Why or how do younger people develop early onset dementia ? My mother died last year at the age of 62 yrs old. She was diagnosed 5 years prior. We had such a short time to get our heads around it. 😔

It’s a myth that dementia only occurs in older people. Young people can get dementia.

There’s a charity called Young Dementia, do check that out. We don’t know for sure what causes it yet or why we get it. There’s a lot of research being done into tablets, knocks on the head and there’s also research going on about heading a football and boxing…

Paula - How/why does dementia kill people?

It doesn’t kill you. Dementia is not a disease that kills you. Not like malaria will. It may make you more susceptible to other illnesses like pneumonia though which then might kill you. But dementia doesn’t kill you as such.

Marion - Why do people tell me I don't look like or speak like I have Dementia?

Brilliant question.

Dementia a physical disease of the brain.

But It’s not an external physical disease or injury like a broken arm or leg or bleeding. The brain is an internal organ, we can't see it. In that sense dementia is invisible.

Brandy - Sorry theres a few that come to mind. How do you cope with your loved ones dementia?

With support, understanding the disease and with consistency - a stabilised environment. The same consistent carer each day, a regular and consistent schedule, a regular diet.

Also A safe environment, removing rugs and having well fitted shoes are good quick wins.

How do you help someone who knows they have dementia, and gets frustrated that they cant remember?

Don’t show them they’re wrong, don’t correct their mistakes, don’t argue with them. Play along each time. Otherwise it agitates them and can make things worse.

We encourage out home carers and our live in carers to be firm, empathic, understanding and reassuring. It's important to get the right balance - being firm, understanding and reasurring but not too much that it creates a dependence.

Why do you see it progress faster in some and not in others?

See above answers, it’s about a person’s genetics and their environment and other factors. It’s the nature of the disease in that it is inconsistent and affects people differently because we are genetically different. Environmental factors will play a part too, amount of sleep, consistently of environment etc.

Guillaume - Does a dementia scale exist?

Yes. It progresses at different rates depending on the things we’ve discussed and also which dementia it is. Alzheimer’s is progressive at the same steady rate whilst vascular dementia is more step like in it’s progression. With vascular dementia a person can be at the same level of health and wellbeing for a long time and then there may be a sudden decline.

Kristina - When do you start seeing the first symptoms, what age? What are the first symptoms?

It’s a myth that dementia is just in older people. Young people get dementia, as I said above there is a charity called Young Dementia. It’s more rare though. Quite often the first symptoms will be confusion or a loss of short term memory not long term memory.

I’m also going to go into each question in more dept over the coming months… so stay tuned for that. 

If you liked the Q&A so share it via email or social media, leave me a comment in the live chat below. Did you find out anything new, let me know in the live chat or on the video on social media.

If you know someone who needs some support let them or their family members know about me and about CareChooser and I’ll see you soon. 

Christopher “Picks Star Carers” Downie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 5 ways I can help improve the wellbeing of your elderly parents/spouse:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. Grab a free copy of my e-book; 3 quick tips to beat falls and confusion. It’s a road map to wellbeing - a 20 second read... We asked the GP on our team; Malcolm for his 3 top tips. — Click Here (https://www.carechooser.com#homecare-falls) Look for the gold banner.

2. Join CareChooser’s Facebook page and connect with us. It’s our new Facebook community where you can follow and learn from us. — Click Here (https://www.facebook.com/CareChooser)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. If you’d like us to improve the wellbeing of your parents/spouse and have us find you a consistent carer send me a message at bit.ly/christopherdownie with the words “Carer”. Tell me a little about your parents/spouse, we’ll check availability in your area, send profiles and arrange a meeting.

4. Join us and be a Case Study I’m putting together a new case study at CareChooser... stay tuned for details. If you’d like to work with me on improving the wellbeing of your parents/spouse and learn the secrets to getting the most from a carer... just send me a message atbit.ly/christopherdownie with the words “Case Study”.

5. Work with me and my team privately.
If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to take you from stressed to wellbeing and have us find a bespoke carer matched uniquely for your family just send me a message at bit.ly/christopherdownie with the word “Private”... tell me a little about your parents/spouse and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details!


How vascular dementia is like roads, traffic 🚗🚙🚕🚛 & cars?

Today I’m going to talk about vascular dementia and how it is like traffic, roads and cars! 

In my last post and video I talked about Alzheimer’s disease and how it is caused. 

Vascular dementia - Private home care & live in care.jpg

We know plaque builds up around teeth and causes decay and with Alzheimer’s plaque builds up around the brain cells and also tangles are formed inside brain cells. 


Christie commented on yesterday’s video and asked me to talk a little about vascular dementia, another common dementia. 

I’m going to talk briefly about how vascular dementia is caused… 

Vascular dementia is a different dementia to Alzheimer’s and so has different causes and different symptoms.  

The best way to think about vascular dementia is to think of car roads, cars and traffic. 

Roads often become blocked, nothing can pass and this causes a reduced flow of the traffic and cars. 

The same happens with vascular dementia, small blood vessels inside the brain narrow and become blocked which causes a reduced flow of blood to the brain, this can damage and kill brain cells. 

On a road crashes can cause blockages in the road and a reduced flow of traffic. Again it’s the same with vascular dementia… a stroke or a mini stroke is like a crash… it causes damage to the blood supply and reduces or stops the flow of blood to the brain. 

I know this sounds bad, it sounds terrible, but it is possible to live well with dementia. With understanding, positivity and support from family members or from home carers or live in carers people can live very well with dementia and with vascular dementia.

Who do you know that may benefit from being connected to me? Let them know about this post and the video and about CareChooser.

I shall see you next time… next week I’m going to be doing an question and answer session. A Q&A… drop me a question about dementia, a different condition… diabetes, arthritis, about home care or carers or a question to do with supporting a loved one and I’ll answer it on the next live… Have a think, leave me a question, either on Facebook or pop a question below in the live chat and look out for next week’s video and post.

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Recap of the key messages from the previous posts & videos:

Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the build up of proteins or plaque (amyloid) around the brain cells and (tau) tangles inside brain cells.

Dementia DOESN’T affect the part of the brain (amygdala) that controls EMOTIONS and FEELINGS as much as factual information.

Dementia is not just about losing your memory (it effects other functions too… )

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Christopher “Picks Star Carers” Downie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 5 ways I can help improve the wellbeing of your elderly parents/spouse:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. Grab a free copy of my e-book; 3 quick tips to beat falls and confusion. It’s a road map to wellbeing - a 20 second read... We asked the GP on our team; Malcolm for his 3 top tips. — Click Here (https://www.carechooser.com#homecare-falls) Look for the gold banner.

2. Join CareChooser’s Facebook page and connect with us. It’s our new Facebook community where you can follow and learn from us. — Click Here (https://www.facebook.com/CareChooser)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. If you’d like us to improve the wellbeing of your parents/spouse and have us find you a consistent carer send me a message at bit.ly/christopherdownie with the words “Carer”. Tell me a little about your parents/spouse, we’ll check availability in your area, send profiles and arrange a meeting.

4. Join us and be a Case Study I’m putting together a new case study at CareChooser... stay tuned for details. If you’d like to work with me on improving the wellbeing of your parents/spouse and learn the secrets to getting the most from a carer... just send me a message atbit.ly/christopherdownie with the words “Case Study”.

5. Work with me and my team privately.
If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to take you from stressed to wellbeing and have us find a bespoke carer matched uniquely for your family just send me a message at bit.ly/christopherdownie with the word “Private”... tell me a little about your parents/spouse and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details!


What do Alzheimer's disease and teeth have in common?

Alzheimer's disease - private home care & live in care | CareChooser 2018.jpg

We know what causes TOOTH 😬 problems right?

PLAQUE.

And Alzheimers’s disease? 🧠 (the most common dementia)

That’s plaque too.

Plaque and tangles.

*NOTE… different forms of dementia have different causes (Vascular dementia is caused by reduced flow of blood to the brain)

So today…

A minute ⏰ talking about how Alzheimer’s affects the brain, what actually happens…

In the brain of someone living with Alzheimer’s, there are 2 different proteins that build up called amyloid and tau.

There is a build up of amyloid which is a plaque. This plaque builds up around brain 🧠cells.

The protein tau forms tangles inside the brain cells.

Researches 👩‍⚕️ still don’t fully understand themselves how these plaques and tangles cause the loss of brain cells. But there is a decrease is the brain’s chemical messengers that sends signals between brain cells.

I’ve had lots of people asking if they can share the videos and posts… Do share - click on my name, view my profile and you’ll be able to share…

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Recap of the key messages from the previous posts & videos:

Dementia is not just about losing your memory (it effects other functions too… )

Dementia DOESN’T affect the part of the brain (amygdala) that controls EMOTIONS and FEELINGS as much as factual information.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Christopher “Picks Star Carers” Downie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 5 ways I can help improve the wellbeing of your elderly parents/spouse:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. Grab a free copy of my e-book; 3 quick tips to beat falls and confusion. It’s a road map to wellbeing - a 20 second read... We asked the GP on our team; Malcolm for his 3 top tips. — Click Here (https://www.carechooser.com#homecare-falls) Look for the gold banner.

2. Join CareChooser’s Facebook page and connect with us. It’s our new Facebook community where you can follow and learn from us. — Click Here (https://www.facebook.com/CareChooser)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. If you’d like us to improve the wellbeing of your parents/spouse and have us find you a consistent carer send me a message at bit.ly/christopherdownie with the words “Carer”. Tell me a little about your parents/spouse, we’ll check availability in your area, send profiles and arrange a meeting.

4. Join us and be a Case Study I’m putting together a new case study at CareChooser... stay tuned for details. If you’d like to work with me on improving the wellbeing of your parents/spouse and learn the secrets to getting the most from a carer... just send me a message atbit.ly/christopherdownie with the words “Case Study”.

5. Work with me and my team privately.
If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to take you from stressed to wellbeing and have us find a bespoke carer matched uniquely for your family just send me a message at bit.ly/christopherdownie with the word “Private”... tell me a little about your parents/spouse and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details!


CareChooser Home Care - Alzheimer's Society.png
Dementia_Friends_RGB_land.jpg

We are a dementia friendly organisation and we deliver the Alzheimer's Society's free 45 minute-1hour long Dementia Friends information session. This session takes a very positive view of dealing with dementia. One of it's key 5 messages is that it is possible to live well with dementia. We also strongly align to one of the key elements of the campaign to change the way people talk about dementia and changing from the use of the term 'dementia sufferer' to 'person living with dementia'. We regularly deliver the free Dementia Friends session and can also deliver it 1:1 to family members or to whole family groups. 


Hippocampus & Amygdala...

Dementia - Private Home Care & Live In Care | CareChooser 2018.jpg

A quick... short post about the hippocampus and the amygdala (parts of the brain).

The hippocampus controls dates, names and facts.

It's easily affected by dementia.

But... the amygdala  controls emotions and feelings and is far more resistant to dementia. 💪

Heard from SO MANY people this week since my posts and videos last week who have seen this with their family members.

A loss of factual information but not of feelings.

If you know someone who may need a carer let them know about me and about CareChooser


Christopher “Picks Star Carers” Downie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 5 ways I can help improve the wellbeing of your elderly parents/spouse:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. Grab a free copy of my e-book; 3 quick tips to beat falls and confusion. It’s a road map to wellbeing - a 20 second read... We asked the GP on our team; Malcolm for his 3 top tips. — Click Here (https://www.carechooser.com#homecare-falls) Look for the gold banner.

2. Join CareChooser’s Facebook page and connect with us. It’s our new Facebook community where you can follow and learn from us. — Click Here (https://www.facebook.com/CareChooser)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. If you’d like us to improve the wellbeing of your parents/spouse and have us find you a consistent carer send me a message on WhatsApp at bit.ly/carechooser-WA with the words “Carer”. Tell me a little about your parents/spouse, we’ll check availability in your area, send profiles and arrange a meeting. 

4. Join us and be a Case Study I’m putting together a new case study at CareChooser... stay tuned for details. If you’d like to work with me on improving the wellbeing of your parents/spouse and learn the secrets to getting the most from a carer... just send me a message on WhatsApp at bit.ly/carechooser-WA with the words “Case Study”.

5. Work with me and my team privately.
If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to take you from stressed to wellbeing and have us find a bespoke carer matched uniquely for your family just send me a message on WhatsApp at bit.ly/carechooser-WA with the word “Private”... tell me a little about your parents/spouse and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details!

Our carers provide you with specialised dementia care at home. Your loved ones will be looked after by carers with experience working and supporting people living with dementia and know how to adapt to the condition's changing nature.

Contact us on 0208 886 0686 if we can help in anyway. 


CareChooser Home Care - Alzheimer's Society.png
Dementia_Friends_RGB_land.jpg

We are a dementia friendly organisation and we deliver the Alzheimer's Society's free 45 minute-1hour long Dementia Friends information session. This session takes a very positive view of dealing with dementia. One of it's key 5 messages is that it is possible to live well with dementia. We also strongly align to one of the key elements of the campaign to change the way people talk about dementia and changing from the use of the term 'dementia sufferer' to 'person living with dementia'. We regularly deliver the free Dementia Friends session and can also deliver it 1:1 to family members or to whole family groups. 


Did you know this about dementia?

Dementia - Private Home Care & Live In Care | CareChooser 2018.jpg

Imagine the brain as bookshelves… 📔📕📗

Now fast forward 44 years, I am 80 years old (today!!) How does dementia effect me? 

There is a full bookcase, each book represents a memory or a fact. 

My top shelf holds very recent books or memories, such as what I had for breakfast this morning, how much food I gave the chickens… 

By my shoulders are my 60s, such as my retirement party. 🎉

By my knees are books from my 20s & by my feet books holding memories from childhood; school memories. 

Dementia rocks the bookcase from side to side. 

What will happen to the books? 

They will fall off. Starting from where? The top. 

As dementia progresses, my upper shelves will empty, so what I think as my most recent memories will come from further down my bookcase - earlier in my life. 

If only books and memories that are still firm are from a lower shelf, when I was in my 20s I may think I’m living in the 1950s. This could cause some problems. I may put the electric kettle on the hob. 

You my family member and friends may get me a hob kettle to help and support me.

Hearing this… 👆 you may think a person with dementia loses everything. 

But…

I’ve only shared 1 part of the brain. The factual bookcase, (the hippocampus part of the brain) which holds facts, names, faces, numbers, dates.

This bookcase is flimsy, bought from Ikea and poorly constructed… (must do better next time!) 

There is another part of the brain - picture as a separate bookcase, the emotional bookcase (The amygdala part of the brain).

This manages my emotions and feelings. 

But… 

This bookcase is rock solid and made of oak and so It’s more resistant to dementia and its contents will be safer for longer. 

For every book on the factual bookcase there is a corresponding book on my emotional bookcase. A school book or memory in the factual part of the brain & in the emotional part; a feeling, perhaps of being inspired by a teacher. 

You come to visit me & we have a row because I forgot your name. I may feel angry and upset, you think it doesn’t matter because I will forget about it.

Your right, I may forget the argument but the feelings of anger and sadness will stay. 

A different day, we go to the beach 🏖and have ice cream. 

Later, I forget the ice cream 🍦and may even forget the whole day out. You may think that the trip wasn’t worth while but what stays with me? 

The happy emotions and feelings. The happiness of the trip, the excitement & contentment of the ice cream. 🍦

This is why we encourage anyone who knows someone living with dementia to continue to visit them and help them to live well because they will remember the feelings of love and happiness. 

Remember - you can live well with dementia. This analogy is from the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends information session that I deliver.

I’ll be doing another live shortly so keep an eye out, if you like this message share it out & leave me a comment.

If you know someone who may need a carer let them know about me and about CareChooser.

Christopher “Picks Star Carers” Downie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready... here are 5 ways I can help improve the wellbeing of your elderly parents/spouse:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. Grab a free copy of my e-book; 3 quick tips to beat falls and confusion. It’s a road map to wellbeing - a 20 second read... We asked the GP on our team; Malcolm for his 3 top tips. — Click Here (https://www.carechooser.com#homecare-falls) Look for the gold banner.

2. Join CareChooser’s Facebook page and connect with us. It’s our new Facebook community where you can follow and learn from us. — Click Here (https://www.facebook.com/CareChooser)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. If you’d like us to improve the wellbeing of your parents/spouse and have us find you a consistent carer send me a message on WhatsApp at bit.ly/carechooser-WA with the words “Carer”. Tell me a little about your parents/spouse, we’ll check availability in your area, send profiles and arrange a meeting. 

4. Join us and be a Case Study I’m putting together a new case study at CareChooser... stay tuned for details. If you’d like to work with me on improving the wellbeing of your parents/spouse and learn the secrets to getting the most from a carer... just send me a message on WhatsApp at bit.ly/carechooser-WA with the words “Case Study”.

5. Work with me and my team privately.
If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to take you from stressed to wellbeing and have us find a bespoke carer matched uniquely for your family just send me a message on WhatsApp at bit.ly/carechooser-WA with the word “Private”... tell me a little about your parents/spouse and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details!

Our carers provide you with specialised dementia care at home. Your loved ones will be looked after by carers with experience working and supporting people living with dementia and know how to adapt to the condition's changing nature.

Contact us on 0208 886 0686 if we can help in anyway. 


CareChooser Home Care - Alzheimer's Society.png
Dementia_Friends_RGB_land.jpg

We are a dementia friendly organisation and we deliver the Alzheimer's Society's free 45 minute-1hour long Dementia Friends information session. This session takes a very positive view of dealing with dementia. One of it's key 5 messages is that it is possible to live well with dementia. We also strongly align to one of the key elements of the campaign to change the way people talk about dementia and changing from the use of the term 'dementia sufferer' to 'person living with dementia'. We regularly deliver the free Dementia Friends session and can also deliver it 1:1 to family members or to whole family groups. 


Dementia Is Not Just About Memory

Private home care & live in care | CareChooser home care 2018.jpg

Imagine the brain is a string of fairy lights...

When a person has dementia, some of the fairy lights may flicker or dim.

Why? Because dementia is a physical disease of the brain.

Depending on which light flickers or dims (which nerve cells in the brain are affected by the build up of plaque)...

That will determine which bodily function is affected by dementia.

Remember. It’s not just about memory.

If the part of the brain 🧠 that controls vision 👀 is affected, then the person’s vision will be affected.

If the communication between the nerve cells that control movement are affected... movement will become difficult.

Here’s yesterday’s video on dementia and fairy lights. 

Our carers provide you with specialised dementia care at home. Your loved ones will be looked after by carers with experience working and supporting people living with dementia and know how to adapt to the condition's changing nature.

Contact us on 0208 886 0686 if we can help in anyway. 


CareChooser Home Care - Alzheimer's Society.png
Dementia_Friends_RGB_land.jpg

We are a dementia friendly organisation and we deliver the Alzheimer's Society's free 45 minute-1hour long Dementia Friends information session. This session takes a very positive view of dealing with dementia. One of it's key 5 messages is that it is possible to live well with dementia. We also strongly align to one of the key elements of the campaign to change the way people talk about dementia and changing from the use of the term 'dementia sufferer' to 'person living with dementia'. We regularly deliver the free Dementia Friends session and can also deliver it 1:1 to family members or to whole family groups. 


Dementia

Our carers provide you with specialised dementia care at home. Your loved ones will be looked after by carers with experience working and supporting people living with dementia and know how to adapt to the condition's changing nature. Read our short dementia guide below and contact us on 0208 886 0686 if we can help in anyway. 


CareChooser Home Care - Alzheimer's Society.png
Dementia_Friends_RGB_land.jpg

We are a dementia friendly organisation and we deliver the Alzheimer's Society's free 45 minute-1hour long Dementia Friends information session. This session takes a very positive view of dealing with dementia. One of it's key 5 messages is that it is possible to live well with dementia. We also strongly align to one of the key elements of the campaign to change the way people talk about dementia and changing from the use of the term 'dementia sufferer' to 'person living with dementia'. We regularly deliver the free Dementia Friends session and can also deliver it 1:1 to family members or to whole family groups. 


Previous conditions covered:

 

Outline

Dementia is a confusing term, it's often confused with Alzheimer's disease and other diseases. Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a set of different symptoms. It is caused when the brain is physically damaged by diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or Vascular dementia. Dementia is caused by diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's is a dementia. 

Symptoms

  • There are many different diseases that can result in dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular dementia, Mixed dementia, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Fronto-temporal dementia (including Pick’s disease). There are also many other rarer diseases which cause dementia and make up around 5% of all dementias, these include corticobasal degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, HIV infection, Niemann-Pick disease type C, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Parkinson's disease and Huntingdon's disease.

There are lots of symptoms relating to dementia, the Alzheimer's Society has a fantastic analogy to help understand the different symptoms of dementia and how they affect the functions of the body, not just memory loss. 

Imagine the brain is a series of fairy lights. Dementia can cause some of these fairy lights in the brain to start to flicker, dim and then eventually to go out. Depending on which fairy light starts to flicker, or which part of the brain is affected by dementia will then affect which bodily function will start to become affected. 

Some of the symptoms of dementia are changes in mood. This can mean a person living with dementia can become frustrated, anxious, upset, sad or angry. A person living with dementia will have cognitive difficulties, such as difficulties with memory and thinking. Their ability to remember and recall things that happened more recently and remembering the day, the date or where they are will become difficult. People living with dementia may find it easier to recall events that happened further into the past than more recent ones.

Making decisions and carrying out a series of tasks such as making a cup of tea or cooking a meal may also become difficult. It may be more tricky to follow conversations or to follow and understand what is said on TV. Dementia can also affect vision which can cause problems with seeing objects or judging distances. 

Other symptoms could include hallucinations, delusions or physical symptoms such as weakness, weight loss and changes in appetite or sleep. 

Dementia is progressive which means it will gradually get worse, this will happen at different rates depending which disease has caused the dementia. Alzheimer's is usually more gradual, whilst Vascular dementia has a more step-like progression.

Care

There is currently a lot research being done into dementia but at this time, most of its causes cannot be cured. There are lots of support, activities and therapies that can help a person living with dementia to live well. 

Lots of products exist that can assist in daily life such as anti-spill mugs, user-friendly utensils, talking or written word clocks, pill boxes and user-friendly phones. There are also new technologies incorporating the internet of things which monitor the use and also non-use of doors and electrical appliances. 

Many forms of cognitive therapies exist also that can aid a person's mind and keep them independent and living well. Local services and activities that provide singing and meet-ups providing enjoyment, stimulation and social interaction are often hugely valuable and worth looking into also. 


Parkinson's

Our carers have experience working and supporting people living with Parkinson's disease at home. Our home carers have the expertise to adapt to the condition's changing nature. Read our short Parkinson's guide below and look out for the section at the bottom about how to adapt your home for Parkinson's and do contact us on 0208 886 0686 if we can help in anyway. 


 

Outline

Parkinson's disease is condition that physically affects and damages the brain. It is a progressive disease, which means it will gradually get worse over time.

Parkinson's is a rarer form of dementia, It is caused when nerve cells are lost in the substantia nigra area of the brain, this is towards the lower middle of the brain. 

People living with Parkinson's don't have enough of the chemical dopamine because the cells that are lost produce it. 

Dopamine is the chemical that enables messages to be sent to the parts of the brain that manage movement. 

Around 1 in 500 people are estimated to be affected by Parkinson's. 

Symptoms

  • There are many different symptoms related to Parkinson's disease. The main symptoms are shaking of parts of the body, known as tremors as well as having stiff muscles and a reduced speed of movement.

Other Physical symptoms related to Parkinson's disease include: Pain

  • Bladder and bowel problems

  • Muscle cramps

  • Foot problems

  • Skin problems

  • Sweating

  • Eye problems

  • Low blood pressure

  • Sleep difficulties

  • Dizziness

  • Fatigue/tiredness

  • Falls

  • Speech and communication difficulties

  • Dental problems

  • Eating and swallowing

  • Control of saliva

  • loss of smell

Other symptoms include:

  • Depression

  • Hallucinations

  • Delusions

  • Anxiety

  • Memory difficulties

  • Difficulties with thinking

 

Care

There isn't currently a cure for Parkinson's disease. There are however treatments and therapies available which can help with the symptoms and help a person living with Parkinson's to live well which include:

  • Physiotherapy

  • Dietary therapy

  • Speech and Language therapy

  • Occupational therapy

  • Medication

There are alternative therapies that people with Parkinson's use such as art therapy, acupuncture and many others.

You should take medical advice from your GP before beginning any therapies, medications or alternative therapies. Below is a short guide on how to adapt to your home to live well with Parkinson's. 



How to Adapt Your Home For Parkinson's 

When seeking to adapt your home for living with Parkinson's or in preparation for the onset of Parkinson's a good step is a visit from an Occupational Therapist who can provide expert advice about modifications to the home and equipment. Occupational Therapist visits are free of charge via the NHS.

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation and AgingCare.com recommend the following adjustments, modifications and equipment when caring for those living with Parkinson's. 

General

  • - Kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and stairs are main areas of concern

  • - Arrange furniture to allow space for comfortable standing, sitting and turning

  • - Handrails on both sides of staircase

  • - Mark the first/last steps in white in some way for easy recognition

  • - Remove or secure loose rugs

  • - Carpet - more difficult to navigate with walkers, lifts, canes and wheelchairs and wear more but vinyl and tiles can be slippery and harder if a person falls. Low-pile carpet makes it less likely to get feet stuck in.

  • - Consider cleaning bare flooring with non-skid floor wax.

  • - Door widening hinges can widen doors by around 2 inches

  • - Make sure lamps, as well as table lamps are placed so that they cannot be easily tipped over

  • - Objects like floor vases, other objects and side tables are easy to navigate around - where possible remove them or ensure they are placed well out of the way of main walkways

  • - Cover sharp edges of countertops and other sharp surfaces with cushioning

  • - Keep everything that is needed within easy, remove things that are out of reach.

  • - Replace buttons, zips and laces with Velcro

  • Kitchen

  • - Chopping, sautéing and mixing can be difficult - set up ingredients and kitchen tools in a place where you can sit to prepare food

  • - Use plastic mixing bowls to avoid breaks

  • - Extra tea-towels to clean up any spill

Gadgets

  • - Hot Hand® Protector glove

  • - Jar Opener

  • - ULU knife

  • - Battery/electric operated can openers, peelers, scissors

  • - Adaptive handles for toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and combs

  • - Special cups and glasses that make them easier to hang on to.

Bedroom

  • - Lower floors (to avoid stairs)

  • - Rails on side of bed to help with getting in and out

  • - Bed pull-up

  • - Satin sheets or pyjamas - helpful for turning over and sliding into different positions.

Bathroom

  • - Anti-slip/skid socks rather than slippers

  • - Bathroom transfer bench - sit down and swing or pull your legs over the side of bath or shower.

  • - Shower chair or plastic garden chair and grip bars on the walls

  • - Rubber non-slippery bath/shower mats

Later stages of Parkinson's

  • - Paint, tape or label taps red or blue to designate hot and cold

  • - Remove locks on bathroom doors

  • - Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters - shuts off electricity when it detects current going through a person or water.

  • - Parkinson's friendly doorknobs

Minor adaptations to the home of up to £1000 are not means tested and can be obtained from the local council. They can also provide any disability equipment too free of charge. Major adaptations up to £30k are means tested.


Vascular Dementia

Our carers have experience working with and supporting people living with vascular dementia. They're able to respond and adapt the way they deal with the disease as it progresses. Below is a short guide giving you an overview of vascular dementia. If we can help in any way contact us at 0208 886 0686 or use one of the forms to schedule a callback.

Previous conditions covered:

Outline

Vascular dementia is a form of dementia. It is caused when the flow of blood to the brain is reduced. In the UK currently around 150,000 are living with vascular dementia.

Dementia is a confusing term, it's often confused with Alzheimer's disease and other diseases. Dementia is an umbrella term that describes a set of different symptoms. It is caused when the brain is physically damaged by diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or Vascular dementia. Vascular dementia is one of many types of dementia.

Vascular dementia is progressive which means it usually gets worse over time. It can start at different speeds and it's progression is often step like. 


Symptoms

There are many different symptoms related to vascular dementia such as feeling confused or becoming disorientated. Other symptoms include changes in behaviour and or mood, difficulties with understanding and with concentration. There can also be physical difficulties with mobility such as walking and balance. 

Many people who are living with vascular dementia may also have a mixed dementia and also live with Alzheimer's disease, symptoms can include  difficulties with language and with memory. 

A person living with vascular dementia may find it difficult to carry out everyday tasks and may need a level of home care support or support from family members.  

Care

There isn't currently a cure for vascular dementia and it is progressive although it is possible to slow down and also to live well the disease. Lifestyle choices such as maintaining a healthy weight, eating healthily, stopping smoking, doing exercise, taking medication as recommended by a GP and reducing alcohol consumption can help. Therapies such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychological therapies can also help. 

We are a dementia friendly organisation and we deliver the Alzheimer's Society's free 45 minute long Dementia Friends information session. This session takes a very positive view of dealing with dementia. One of it's key 5 messages is that it is possible to live well with dementia. We also strongly align to one of the key elements of the campaign to change the way people talk about dementia and changing from the use of the term 'dementia sufferer' to 'person living with dementia'. We regularly deliver the free Dementia Friends session and can also deliver it 1:1 to family members or to whole family groups. 

The products, support and activities below are from the guide on dementia, this support is also relevant for people living with vascular dementia.

There are lots of support, activities and therapies that can help a person living with dementia to live well. 

Lots of products exist that can assist in daily life such as anti-spill mugs, user-friendly utensils, talking or written word clocks, pill boxes and user-friendly phones. There are also new technologies incorporating the internet of things which monitor the use and also non-use of doors and electrical appliances. 

Many forms of cognitive therapies exist also that can aid a person's mind and keep them independent and living well. Local services and activities that provide singing and meet-ups providing enjoyment, stimulation and social interaction are often hugely valuable and worth looking into also. 


Alzheimer's

Our home carers have thousands of hours experience working with and supporting people living with Alzheimer's. Below is our short guide giving you a quick overview of Alzheimer's disease. If we can help contact us at 0208 886 0686 or use one of the forms to schedule a callback.

Previous conditions covered:

 

Outline

Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia. It's the most common dementia and it's estimated that 850,000 people are affected in the UK.

Alzheimer's is a physical disease which affects the brain and so is known as a neurological disease.  When a person has Alzheimer's, proteins build up in the brain and form plaque. These plaques cause a loss in connection between the nerve cells in the brain. This can cause nerve cells to die. 

There are factors that increase the risk of getting Alzheimer's though as yet the exact cause of the disease is unknown. These factors include severe head injuries, family history of Alzheimer's, age and lifestyle. 

Symptoms

Alzheimer's disease usually begins with difficulties with more recent memory such as forgetting recent conversations, events, names and places. 

Alzheimer's is progressive so difficulties will become worse over time which can lead to confusion, getting lost, difficulty with making decisions, problems with movement, self-care, mood speech, language, personality changes and difficulty judging distances. 

These difficulties will become increasingly severe and the person living with Alzheimer's may need more support from families. Some people with Alzheimer's may develop sleeplessness, aggression, hallucinations, seeing and hearing things that are not there and delusions and believing things that aren't true. 

Alzheimer's disease may eventually lead to difficulties with walking, eating and being aware of their surroundings and will need support with their daily lives.

Care

We are a dementia friendly organisation and we deliver the Alzheimer's Society's free 45 minute long Dementia Friends information session. This session takes a very positive view of dealing with dementia. One of it's key 5 messages is that it is possible to live well with dementia. We also strongly align to one of the key elements of the campaign to change the way people talk about dementia and changing from the use of the term 'dementia sufferer' to 'person living with dementia'. We regularly deliver the free Dementia Friends session and can also deliver it 1:1 to family members or to whole family groups. 

At this time there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's though it is possible to live well with the disease. In the news yesterday (31st January 2018) scientists have developed a blood test that can detect the build-up of toxic proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease. 

There are drugs that can provide some help with memory difficulties and can also help make regular activities such as cooking and shopping easier to manage as well as helping with concentration and motivation. There are other drugs that can help a person living with more severe Alzheimer's disease which can help again with memory, concentration and daily activities and can also ease delusions and challenging behaviours.

The products, support and activities below are from the guide on dementia, this support is also relevant for people living with Alzheimer's disease. 

There are lots of support, activities and therapies that can help a person living with dementia to live well. 

Lots of products exist that can assist in daily life such as anti-spill mugs, user-friendly utensils, talking or written word clocks, pill boxes and user-friendly phones. There are also new technologies incorporating the internet of things which monitor the use and also non-use of doors and electrical appliances. 

Many forms of cognitive therapies exist also that can aid a person's mind and keep them independent and living well. Local services and activities that provide singing and meet-ups providing enjoyment, stimulation and social interaction are often hugely valuable and worth looking into also. 


Diabetes

Our home carers support people living with diabetes and have the knowledge and skills to prepare healthy and tasty food beneficial for those living with diabetes. Below is our short guide giving you a quick overview of the types of diabetes. Contact us at 0208 886 0686 if we can help or use one of the forms to schedule a callback.

Previous conditions covered:

 

Outline

Diabetes causes the blood sugar level to become high. There are two types of diabetes:

  • Type 1 diabetes

  • Type 2 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes - The immune systems attacks the cells in the body that produce insulin.

Type 2 diabetes - The most common type in the UK. The amount of insulin produced isn't enough or the body stops reacting to insulin.

Insulin is a hormone; produced in the pancreas, it is responsible for regulating blood glucose levels.

Pre-diabetes - This is when people have high blood sugar levels, higher than the normal but not quite at the level of diabetes. 

Symptoms

When your blood glucose levels rise, this can cause you to pass more urine and to feel thirsty and dehydrated. This can then make other illnesses or infections worse.

A hypo also known as Hypoglycaemia can occur when blood glucose levels are less than 4mmols/l (millimoles per litre). Often older people may be at increased risk of a hypo. The symptoms that a hypo is about to happen, that a carer should look out for include: reduced concentration, changes in personality or mood, headaches in the morning or disturbed sleep.

Hypos can cause; confusion, poor appetite, heart attack or stroke, cognitive damage, loss of consciousness, falls, aggressive behaviour and difficulties with speech.

Most of the following symptoms tend to affect the elderly; eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataract and macular degeneration. Reduced eyesight and mobility and as a result problems with the feet and also urinary incontinence.

Care

Hypos should be treated immediately with a cool, non-milky sugary drink or glucose tablets followed by a snack or meal. If the person is unconscious then call for an ambulance.

Blood sugar levels should be monitored and medication should be taken as in accordance to medical advice. 

Diabetes and pre-diabetes can be managed by having a good diet, reduced weight and doing regular exercise. Diabetes can also be controlled by stopping smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, through medication and with regular reviews with medical professionals. 

Diabetes can as a result of many of it's symptoms make self-care tasks difficult and people living with diabetes may need additional help.  


Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Our home and live in carers have experience working with and supporting people living with multiple sclerosis. They can accompany you and loved ones to hospital, provide a superb level of care at home or help with errands around the home. Here's our short guide providing you with an overview of multiple sclerosis. If we can help contact us at 0208 886 0686 or use one of the forms to schedule a callback.

Previous conditions covered:

 

Outline

Multiple sclerosis (also known as MS) is a neurological condition, this means it affects the brain, nerves and spinal cord.

Symptoms

There are many different symptoms relating to multiple sclerosis that can occur in many different parts of the body. It's symptoms are sometimes only mild but it often causes severe disability. Most people won't be affected by all of these symptoms. 

A person's vision, speech, swallowing, movement in the arms and legs may be affected as well as difficulties with walking, balance, fatigue (feeling tired), spams, stiffness and bladder problems. Other symptoms of multiple sclerosis can be affects on memory, thinking, emotions and also sexual function. 

Care

Multiple sclerosis can be diagnosed by a neurologist following a visit to a GP. MS is best managed with drugs (as advised by medical professionals) as well as diet, exercise and other therapies.