Dr Nori Graham

Dementia Awareness Week

Tomorrow (Sunday 18th May 2015) sees the first day of Dementia Awareness Week.

PatientTalk.Org are delighted to once again throw our digital wight behind this important event! For a great overview of dementia please check out our interview with Dr Nori Graham who is Medical Director of Red and Yellow Care, Vice President of Alzheimer’s Disease International and The Alzheimer’s Society.

The Alzheimer’s Society have developed five key informational points that they wish to promote this Dementia Awareness Week.

Dementia is not a natural part of ageing

Dementia is more common among older people , and some of us do become more forgetful as we get older, during times of stress or, in fact, illness. But dementia is a very different sort of forgetfulness. Your memory loss will be very noticeable, and may be accompanied by mood changes and confusion/brain fog. It’s important to ask your doctor to check out any unusual symptoms as these can sometimes be treated quite easily.

Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain

Dementia is the name for a Syndrome (collection of symptoms) that includes memory loss, mood changes/brain fog and problems with communication and rational thought. These symptoms are brought about by a number of diseases that affect the brain. The most common of these is Alzheimer’s disease, which causes the brain cells to die. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia and Pick’s disease.

It’s not just about losing your memory

People often think of dementia as a form of memory loss. And that is often true in the first instance. But it’s more than that – it can also affect the way people think, speak, perceive things, feel and behave. Dementia makes it harder to communicate and do everyday things, but there is a lot that can be done to help.

It’s possible to live well with dementia

Many people with dementia continue to drive, socialise and hold down satisfying jobs. Even as dementia progresses, many people lead active, healthy lives, continue their hobbies, and enjoy loving friendships and relationships. Of course dementia does make it harder to do certain things, but it is possible for someone with dementia to get the very best out of life.

There’s more to a person than the dementia

When someone is diagnosed, their plans for the future might change and they may need more help and support to keep doing the things they enjoy – but dementia doesn’t change who they are. Where there is life there is hope.

People with dementia

A UK hospital has just announced that it has opened what it calls a “memory wall ” as a way of helping people with dementia such as Alzheimer’s.

On the face of it it seems a brilliant idea and I would be very interested in finding out what our readers thought about the memory wall! You may also find this interview with Dr Nori Graham who is Medical Director of Red and Yellow Care, Vice President of Alzheimer’s Disease International and The Alzheimer’s Society a useful introduction to the whole area of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

The wall contains a selection of old photographs which have been donated by the Leicester Mercury is at Glenfield Hospital’s ward 33a. The pictures are on display for patients’ enjoyment as they move around the cardiology ward.

Vanessa Struthers, who is ward clerk for Leicester’s Hospitals for 23 years, came up with the idea. She said: “It started off with old photos of Leicestershire but as the collection has grown, we’ve included iconic photos from key historical events, such as the Queen’s visit to Leicester.”

Struthers worked with people on the ward to create the display, which aims to help those admitted to the ward. She commented : “We thought it was important that our patients chose the pictures, so the wall is made up of their memories. It’s really fascinating to see all these wonderful pictures on display in one single place.”

Thanks to a kind donation from the family of a former patient, the team at Glenfield have also been able to purchase a memory box. It contains various items from days gone by, which are recognisable through touch or smell, such as carbolic soap, moth balls and a dolly peg.

Using memory boxes with elderly patients has been shown to help stimulate and focus their minds as they have very vivid memories of their past, but can struggle to retain short term memories due to Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Struthers said : “We have had a fantastic response to both the memory wall and the box. We are so grateful for the donations which have enabled us to provide these for our patients.”

Patient Talk