The Types of Dementia Explained

If someone you loved has been diagnosed with dementia, you may be starting to think about memory care neighborhoods. Although dementia can start off slowly, it often progresses into something more serious. People with dementia struggle to live alone as their condition develops. Professional memory care neighborhoods are equipped with the necessary safety measures to keep residents secure and comfortable.

Dementia does not describe a specific disease. There are several different types of dementia, all with their own specific symptoms and challenges. So, what are the most common types of dementia and how do they present in older adults?

Alzheimer’s Disease

The most common type of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is probably the first condition that comes to mind. Symptoms include both gradual and sudden memory loss, as well as difficulty completing routine tasks and following instructions. As mentioned above, it may start out seemingly harmless. However, if your loved one exhibits any of the following symptoms we recommend consulting with their doctor:

–   Uncharacteristic moodiness or changes in personality

–   Forgetting where they placed commonly used items or placing those items in strange or unfamiliar places

–   Inability to remember dates and times

–   Inability to stick to a planned routine

–   Difficulty speaking, writing, and generally expressing themselves

Vascular Dementia

This type of dementia often happens after someone has a stroke. Since strokes affect different parts of the brain, the symptoms of someone with vascular dementia will depend on which part of their brain was affected. Common symptoms include:

–   Difficulty making plans and decisions

–   Exhibiting uncharacteristically poor judgment

–   Inability to recognize people and places they know very well

–   Difficulty walking and sudden trouble with balance

Lewy Body Dementia

Lewy Body Dementia leads to a decline in thinking, reasoning, and independent function due to abnormal deposits that damage brain cells. Symptoms include; changes in thinking and reasoning, confusion that varies significantly from one time to another or one day to another, visual hallucinations, delusions, and trouble interpreting visual information.

Parkinson’s Disease Dementia

Sometimes, people who are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease go on to develop this type of dementia. The symptoms often include visual hallucinations, difficulty with basic movements and walking very slowly, trembling, episodes of spacing out and staring blankly ahead, and difficulty paying attention.

Huntington’s Disease

This is a genetic disease that causes parts of the brain to stop working as time progresses. Although a person may have the gene for Huntington’s Disease since birth, they typically start exhibiting symptoms between ages 30 and 50. Symptoms include problems with reasoning, poor judgment, inability to concentrate, struggling with planning and organization, and noticeable lapses in memory.

Professional memory care in Camden County 

People with dementia can greatly benefit from memory care neighborhoods that have been built with their safety, comfort, and overall well-being in mind. At Tapestries Memory Care at Collingswood, we’ve structured everything around the latest dementia research to ensure our residents have the best possible quality of life. 

While we understand the desire to keep your loved one with dementia close, it’s not always possible given our busy lives. At UMC at Collingswood, your loved one will be safe, secure, comfortable, and happy all while having direct and around-the-clock access to any medical care they may require. 

For more information about Tapestries Memory Care at UMC, please contact our team today. Discover why so many families in Camden County choose our compassionate memory care neighborhood for their loved ones. To learn more, visit our website at: https://umcommunities.org/collingswood/