UNDERSTANDING ALZHEIMERS

 
 
Mary Castellani has been serving as a volunteer with Alzheimers Australia for the past 8 years. She has been helping to improve the lives of people living with dementia as well as counselling family members.

Dementia is an umbrella term which describes a collection of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain. It is not a specific disease.
 
Dementia can happen to anybody but the risk increases with age. With many types of dementia, some of the nerve cells in the brain stop functioning, lose connections with other cells, and die. The disease gradually spreads through the brain and the person's symptoms get worse over time. While it is most common in older people, it commences its journey up to 20 years before the normal symptoms become apparent.
 
244 Australians are diagnosed with one of the forms of dementia each day. There are currently 400,000 people living with the disease. By 2056, 1.1 million people will be suffering from dementia.
 
Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for two-thirds of cases. It causes a gradual decline in cognitive abilities such as memory loss, confusion, apathy and withdrawal and inability to perform everyday tasks.
 
Alzheimers Australia offers a range of services including:
  • Providing a National Dementia Helpline
  • Private counselling with families
  • Early intervention programs
  • Information sessions
  • Running relevant courses
If you know someone who has been afflicted by the disease, the advice is:
  • Be respectful and patient
  • Talk to them - not about them
  • Speak slowly and clearly
  • Include them in everyday activities
If you would like to know more about dementia, click here to go to the YourBrainMatters website.