Elizabeth Thompson is a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), Certified Montessori Dementia Care Professional (CMDCP), Positive Approach to Care Trainer (PAC), Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT).
Dementia is an umbrella term for over 124 distinct types of dementia. The most common dementias include
Each of the dementias are unique as to where they start in the brain and how they progress. For example, Alzheimer’s starts in the hippocampus, the memory maker, while Parkinson’s starts in the back of the brain, near the brain stem. That is why you start to see a lot of motor skills decline before cognitive decline with Parkinson’s, according to Elizabeth Thompson.
“Because people tend to ‘sweep it under the rug,’ most people don’t get a true diagnosis until they are five years into their disease,” commented Thompson. A couple of reasons include a spouse answering on their behalf and some doctors see it as a normal part of aging. “Denial with dementia is huge.”
Seeing a neurologist is where an individual is going to get the clearest picture and the best diagnosis. The time to get things checked is when you start noticing changes. Elizabeth Thompson suggests starting with a visit to the family practitioner. Ask for neurologist consult, where cognitive testing will be completed, and they will look at all your overall health.Other testing, including genetic, MRI and CT scans may also be done. Also, she suggests, always get a second opinion. The more you know, the better you can plan.
It is especially important to know which type of dementia you have and what your diagnosis is, because each dementia progresses differently and is unique. Knowing what to expect allows you to better plan. Lewy Body and mixed dementia typically progress quicker than Alzheimer’s, for example, which has an average time span of five to eight years. A lot of variables come into play, including an individual’s overall health; however, there is no cure for dementia.
