Aged care services
Dementia Services
Information about dementia including: what is dementia; what are the early signs; what happens when someone has dementia; and where to go for help.
What is dementia?
Dementia is a broad term used to describe memory loss along with changes to thinking ability, social skills and emotional responses. It is caused by deterioration in several areas of the brain.A person with dementia may find it harder to do previously familiar tasks, such as writing, reading, showering and using numbers.
The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, the cause of which is unknown. Although Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of ageing, it is more common in older people and may affect about one in four people over the age of 85. Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia, associated with problems in the flow of blood to the brain.
What are the early signs of dementia?
Dementia can happen to anyone. One of the first signs that a person may have dementia is memory loss. Due to changes in the brain, memory loss in dementia gets worse and happens more often, not just sometimes. People with early dementia may:- find it harder to remember people and events, especially recent events;
- find it harder to perform familiar tasks;
- be confused about time and place;
- be unable to say what they think;
- have problems understanding what others are saying;
- misplace things;
- have less ‘get up and go’; and
- find it hard to manage money.
What happens when someone has dementia?
The brain controls all that a person does and says. When someone has dementia sections of the brain gradually become damaged and stop working properly, affecting what that person does and says. This means that a person with dementia will often have trouble speaking, understanding and remembering. It may also change their behaviour. A person with dementia may:- be unable to do everyday tasks such as eating, dressing or driving;
- display strange or uncharacteristic behaviours;
- become easily upset or confused;
- be unusually aggressive or suspicious;
- jumble and confuse their words; and/or
- gradually lose their ability to communicate through written language.
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