As long as dementia is concerned, researchers still do not know the reasons behind why such a disease develops. The only thing that they know is that 5-8% of the population over 60 years of age suffers from cognitive decline and there are 10 million new cases each year. Researchers from the University of Nottingham published a study which suggested that there is a class of medicines called anticholinergics which is responsible for developing dementia. As these drugs have become extremely common among the seniors, the link between them has become too eye-catching.
Despite the link being established, from present day researches, it is almost impossible to tell whether or not these are actually causing dementia as dementia, as a disease, is very hard to detect. If researchers really had to make conclusions about the aforementioned set of drugs, they had to first find out the best ways in which they could detect the onset of the disease during its early stage.
More on the common medicines which could increase risk of dementia
You’ll find doctors prescribing anticholinergic drugs for various types of illnesses but now research reveals that these medicines could boost the risk of dementia. Anything from Benadryl or antipsychotics and Parkinson’s meds are included into this group. These medicines are used to treat several other conditions or disorders like overactive bladder, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or even gastrointestinal disorders.
However, a new British study found out that these medicines could also boost the risk of antidepressants or Parkinson’s or epilepsy or even dementia. For a person suffering from dementia, he is already in need of private care but if these medicines work to trigger the disease, this will push him towards further pain.
Anticholinergics are known to be the cause of multiple short-term effects which often include memory loss and confusion but it is not clear whether the long-term usage of these drugs can boost the risk of dementia. In order to deduce this matter, a group of scientists examined the medical records of around 60,000 patients in the UK who were suffering from dementia and also another group of 250,000 patients without dementia. Each and every patient was more than 55 years of age and the average age was around 82.
Among them, it was found out that there was an increased risk of suffering from dementia when they took anticholinergic drugs. Hence these researchers safely concluded that strong anticholergic drugs led to an enhanced risk of dementia. During the 1-10 years before the diagnosis of dementia or before it blew out of control, around 58% of the patients and 52% of the people within the control group were given at least 1 anticholinergic drug, with an average 6 prescriptions in line.
The researchers noted that this was nothing but an observational study which couldn’t prove that anticholinergic drugs could definitely lead to dementia. Nevertheless, though these drugs don’t help in causing dementia, around 10% of the dementia cases can be attributed to these drugs.
Promoting independence among dementia patients
Regardless of the task, there are several ways in which you can promote independence in the life of a person suffering from dementia and who is on the verge of becoming dependent on someone else. If the family members and friends encourage the independence of the person, this can improve his ability to function and also rebuild his confidence. By adopting certain strategies, you can not only boost independence but also reduce the stress level of the caregiver. Do you want to know about the ways in which you can encourage a person to remain independent? If yes, read on.
- Motivate him to remain physically active
By maintaining strength and flexibility, a dementia patient can carry on with his daily tasks for a longer time. Try to motivate them to remain physically active as long as they can – ask them to walk around or perform few simple stretch exercises. Make them understand how physical health is linked with mental health.
- Concentrate on his abilities
As and when dementia progresses to a more serious stage, there might still remain few daily activities that the patient could perform on his own. Being a family member of the patient, you should tell him to participate even though he may not be able to complete the task entirely. For instance, if you find them being able to wear their shoes and not tie the laces, change them to slip-on shoes or the ones with Velcro. If the person finds it difficult to prepare the whole food item, ask him to set the table or wash vegetables. Don’t forget that there will be some days that will be worse than others. Something that he couldn’t perform today could be performed and completed the next day.
- Encourage them to stay at home
As people age, they prefer to reside in their own homes and detest the idea of having to live somewhere else, no matter what the reason may be. This is especially true for those who are suffering from this neurodegenerative disease called dementia. If you’re someone living in Gold Coast, you can seek the help of dementia care Gold Coast for your family member. There are several ways in which you can decorate your home to make it perfect for a dementia patient. Learn those methods so that he may feel comfortable at home. Check out the internet for dementia-friendly home adaptations.
In what ways can a physiotherapist help a dementia patient?
When you seek help of a physiotherapist, he can offer you support to the PWD by designing a unique program for them. The program may include:
- Balance training to boost confidence and to reduce the risk of falling down
- A specific range of movement exercises to keep muscles flexible and strong
- Practicing functional jobs to boost independence
- Exercises to maximize mobility
- Advice on mobility aids or dementia-friendly equipment to make sure there’s enough safety
Strategies to adopt by dementia patients in order to keep up with your independence
Do you suffer from Alzheimer’s or any type of disease like dementia? If answered yes, then the first thing that you must be worried about must be about retaining your independence. This is one of the most common issues for those who are adjusting themselves to the fact that they have been diagnosed with dementia. If you could use strategies to prompt memory ahead of time, this could develop patterns of good behavior that can enhance your independence and also boost your confidence at the same time. Here are few strategies to adopt:
- Use daily routines or calendars
Whether you have dementia or you don’t, using a daily routine calendar is definitely one of the best strategies to prompt your behavior. Good patterns of behavior can soon become helpful to memory and can assist a person to feel less agitated and more secure.
- Write down everything in a notepad
How about maintaining a notepad or diary so that you don’t forget things? This is definitely one of the best ideas to remember all your household duties, everyday tasks and other activities. A diary can also be used for penning down proper ideas and thoughts. On top of that the caregivers and family members could add ‘must-do’ on their list so that they could complete them apart from their daily tasks.
- Add labels to identify and remember things
You can put down labels on those items to remind them where things are stored. When a family member is suffering from dementia, his closest accompaniment is definitely his medicines. You can put labels on each his medicine boxes so that he knows the exact timing of each medicine. He may not be able to lock the doors and windows or even take out his dog for a walk. Hence, if you attach labels on the door, it will be easier for him to remember things.
- Leverage technology and gadgets
Thanks to the advancement in technology that you can now set digital prompt services like reminders on your smartphone calendars or text reminders. You can use such services for remembering cues of things which have to be completed on time like taking medicines or attending vital meetings or social gatherings.
- Use personal phone books
Keep an address book or a phone book by yourself so that you have all the important numbers with yourself stacked in one page. If you have a telephone kept at one place, make sure you have a notebook by its side with the most necessary numbers including that of your personal health professional and the police.
- GPS services and alarm
Apart from installing carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors, you can also benefit by installing GPS or Global Positioning System so that you can ask for help whenever needed. In case the patient is going through a later stage of dementia, you can attach GPS detectors so that if he gets lost and forgets his way back home, you can track him through his GPS detectors.
Psychologically and emotionally supporting a person with dementia
It can feel frustrating to visit a loved one who is suffering from dementia because it gives you a strangely helpless feeling. However, there are several ways in which you can turn this into a rather better experience, as per a researcher from the University of Alabama. One of the toughest things for friends and family to see is not the person whom they see physically but who they actually were.
There will be times when they won’t know you at all and then they will suddenly recognize you. They can even mistake you for someone else. The state is like a constant death and this can be extremely distressing. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that you can go without connecting with that person. No matter what, you’ve got to take care of him, support him and encourage him to lead a happy life. Here are few ways in which you can adjust yourself with him.
- Set realistic expectations
They key to what you can call a positive vibe is by setting the right expectations. Never feel worried about how or in what way you will find them when you visit him. Just make sure you set a positive impact. By engaging them in both non-verbal and verbal conversations, this can reduce all sorts of feelings of confusion among them. Once you do this, you can show enough kindness to them. Soon you will find their expression to become more relaxing.
- Comprehending the signals
One of the most common myths of dementia is that people think that the person is totally unaware of whatever is happening around them. Though it is true that brain disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s can lead to difficulties in the way their brain process information but that doesn’t mean that they won’t understand what’s going on. Their peripheral vision can deteriorate due to which there are several patients who may run their hands through the wall often. The caregivers or the visitors shouldn’t mistake their behavior for aggression, especially when the problem is environmental.
- Never be too hard and tough on yourself
It is pretty natural that you’ll feel guilty about taking the patient to a care unit or you may also feel resentful about visiting the person. Whenever you admit someone to a long-term care, you might feel the pressure of having to meet the person everyday. But remind yourself that you’re not bound to do that. You can’t forget that the person has someone to care for him, who can keep him safe and as a caring family member, you just need to find out that balance. Once you get to learn more on dementia, you can help people cope up with the visits and gradually they’ll start feeling less stressful.
Therefore, now that you know how to encourage people to remain independent even after suffering from dementia, work towards motivating your ailing family members or friends.
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