Assessment 1.1: understanding dementia 1. Explain what is meant by the term ‘dementia’.
Dementia is a term used to describe a collection of signs and symptoms that happen to the brain when it is affected by the progression of certain diseases such as vascular dementia (when brain cells die due to lack of oxygen) and Alzheimer’s disease (a specific brain disease). Some of the affects these diseases have are on a person’s memory, language and communication abilities, behaviour and ability to make rational judgements.

2. The estimated total number of people diagnosed with dementia in the uk is 820,000

3.1 The estimated worldwide number of people with dementia is 35 million

3.2 In terms of ratio the prevalence of
1.2
1. Common types (causes) of dementia * Vascular dementia * Alzheimer’s * Dementia with lewy bodies * Fronto-temporal dementia

2. The prevalence rates for these types of dementia are * Alzheimer’s 55% * Vascular dementia 20% * Dementia with lewy bodies 15% * Other dementias (Parkingson’s related dementia, Huntington’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, AIDS/HIV, Downs syndrome, Motor neurone disease ) 5% * Pick disease and fronto-temporal dementia 5%

3. Two most common types of dementia
The likely signs of Alzheimer’s are to begin with that the disease will affect the individual by affecting their ability to remember things, think clearly, and make rational decisions and to speak.

The risk factors with associated with Alzheimer’s are:

a) Most people who develop Alzheimer’s are over the age of 65 years. The probability of developing this disease doubles every 5 years after this age. b) If Alzheimer’s is in your family genetics an individual will have a greater risk of inheriting this disease c) Scientists believe that a if an individual has had a serious head trauma that involves loss of consciousness d) If an individual has suffered from conditions that have harmed their heart or blood vessels they are in greater danger of contracting Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia.

The likely signs of vascular dementia are to begin with are that an individual may have problems with