Dementia / Memory Problems
Dementia is an acquired syndrome where there is a progressive decline in cognitive, intellectual functioning and a change in personality with behavioral problems affecting activities of daily living. It is a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia (50-70%) but other causes include vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia. Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not a part of normal aging.
A person’s risk of developing dementia rises from one in 14 over the age of 65, to one in six over the age of 80. Worldwide, around 55 million people have dementia and currently around 850.000 people are estimated to be living with dementia in UK.
Most people associate dementia with memory loss, but the condition affects people in a wide variety of ways. Although everyone’s experience of dementia could differ, common symptoms can include:
- changes in behaviour
- confusion and disorientation
- delusions and hallucinations
- difficulty communicating
- problems judging speeds and distances
- problems with balance and movement.
Diagnosing dementia, and which type of dementia someone has, is paramount in agreeing the right treatment plan for each individual. If you or one of your loved ones is struggling with memory problems or suspect this, feel free to contact us. We will arrange a comprehensive assessment with our Old Age specialist Dr Maja Elia (Consultant Psychiatrist). According to the outcome of this assessment we will be able to discuss with you different treatment options and novel evidence based treatment modalities that would help you to deal with your difficulties.