It’s all too common for us as human beings to try to come up with ways to make sense of things we don’t understand. Since we don’t fully understand diseases like dementia, myths can sometimes take the place of the truth. However, it’s important to remember that the people we love, who suffer from dementia, stand to benefit the most when we learn the facts about the disease.
Here’s a list that Freedom Home Care created to help clear up some of the misunderstandings that you or people that you know may have about dementia:
Dementia Only Affects Seniors
Many people believe that dementia is a condition that only affects older adults. After all, very rarely do we see a young person who’s experiencing the unfortunate effects of cognitive decline. But it does happen.
According to webmd.com, about 5 percent of people in their 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s have early-onset Alzheimer’s attributable to genetics. Often, when it’s at this stage, dementia goes undetected because doctors sometimes think stress is what causes a person’s memory loss.
It’s Just Something that Happens When You Get Older
Some memory loss is expected as we age. We might leave home and forget to turn off the lights. Other times, we misplace our glasses or keys. But it’s not a given that a person receiving in-home care, personalized elder care or even someone over 65, will experience cognitive decline.
Much like serious diseases such as cancer or diabetes, dementia is a medical condition. Some of its symptoms include depression, confusion, difficulty reasoning, lack of coordination, marked forgetfulness, anxiety and hallucinations.
In fact, more people experience normal memory loss due to aging than not. According to statistics, only 5 percent of the U.S. population over the age of 65 are affected.
Dementia Affects Your Ability to Comprehend
A lack of communication doesn’t necessarily mean that a person with dementia doesn’t know what’s going on. Your loved one may have difficulty speaking, but many people with the disease are able to find other ways to communicate.
Having Dementia Signals The End of One’s Life
Even though dementia has been proven to be a steadily progressive condition, there are things you can do to slow its onset or even help prevent it. Exercise, cognitive activity and eating a healthy diet, are all things that can be done to live a longer, healthier, more productive life.
Drinking Red Wine Can Help You Avoid Dementia
Studies suggest that a chemical in red wine called resveratrol has the ability to act as an antioxidant – protecting the body against things like cancer and heart disease.
But according to Paul B. Rosenberg, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in the division of geriatric psychiatry and neuropsychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, in order to even benefit from the effects of the resveratrol compound, you’d need to drink about 20 bottles a night. However, there is little evidence today to prove that red wine helps prevent Alzheimer’s.
