THE BIG PICTURE

As I mentioned last week, dementia is a set of symptoms caused by damaged brain cells. The damage results from any one of more than 50 different medical conditions.

Alzheimer’s is a disease. It is the leading cause of dementia, particularly in people over age 55.

Whatever the cause of a person’s dementia, early diagnosis is important. This info graphic reminds you why:

Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s? Why does it matter? Dementia is a symptom of damage to brain cells caused by 1) diseases that attack brain cells, 2) oxygen or nutrient blockages, 3) malnutrition or dehydration, 3) substance abuse or toxins, 4) brain injury or 5) infections of central nervous system. Alzheimer’s accounts for 60 to 80% of dementia cases. Early diagnosis is important because 1) some forms of dementia can be halted or reversed with early treatment, 2) doctors can better treat the underlying causes of dementia, 3) doctors can relieve symptoms & improve quality of life and 4) a person can make plans & discuss wishes while thinking clearly & communicating effectively. Seek your doctor’s advice whenever symptoms get in the way of daily life. A skilled physician can diagnose Alzheimer’s with a high degree of accuracy.

The 50+ medical conditions that can be causes of dementia are best treated following early diagnosis. This info graphic reminds you why.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

If your inbox is anything like mine, it’s full of valuable information. I flag the most important and hope to get back to in my spare time.

This Beginner’s Guide to Alzheimer’s Care is full of that sort of information.

My goal is to make your life easier – not to add to your TO DO list (or your inbox).

So I’ll be summarizing each of the 5 LEEPS (Learn, Empathize, Embrace, Partner, Seek) with a “Big Picture.” I’ll publish a substantial blog post one week, then a summary info graphic the next.

  • If you’ve had a chance to read the post, the info graphic will provide a quick review.
  • If you haven’t had time to read the post, just glance at the highlights.
    • If they seem important, click through to the post and read or bookmark it.
    • If not, stop worrying about falling behind. Just continue the series with the following week’s post.
  • We’ll keep the Beginner’s Guide to Alzheimer’s Care on our website, even after the series is complete. Consider it a resource to which you can return whenever needed.

Of course, the series has just begun! Be sure to subscribe so you won’t miss our next post: Step 2 – Empathize.