Dementia Flashcards
Possible underlying conditions causing confusion ?
UTI ETOH Low Bs Head trauma Electrolyte imbalance Meds Illness
What is confusion?
The inability to think at the usual speed and clarity
- unable to recall people, time, place
What is delirium?
Confusion that occurs suddenly
Causes of delirium …
Poison
Surgery
Age
+ factors of confusion
Define Dementia
A collection of symptoms causing decreased function interfering with everyday life.
The progressive loss of brain functions, including cognitive and social functions
4 Types of Dementia
Alzheimer’s
vascular dementia
Lewy
Frontal
Three stages of Dementia
- Mid / early (1-3 yrs)
- moderate / middle (2-10 yrs)
- Severe / Late (1-3 yrs)
Signs of stage 1 dementia
- Problems expressing and understanding language
- mild forgetfulness
- difficulty learning new things and following a conversation.
- Increased swearing
- Loss of initiative
- difficulty concentrating or short attention span
- disorientated
- difficulty finding words, finishing thoughts, following direction and remembering names
- occasional confusion
- difficulty performing everyday tasks
- poor judgement/ bad decisions(driving)
Signs of stage 2 dementia
- Forgetfulness of personal history
- May experience delusions and aggression
- disorientation of time and place
- sun downing
- failure to recognize family/ friends
- increased confusion
- development of sleep problems
- dulled senses(hot/cold)
- movement/gait problems
- communication problems
signs of stage 3 dementia
Confused about past and present (can’t recognize self)
- Problems swallowing
- Incontinence
- seizures
- inability to process information
- severe speaking problems
- severe disorientation to time/place and other people
- total dependence on others
What is the second most common kind of dementia
vascular dementia
7 A’s of dementia
Aphasia Agnosia Apraxia Anosognosia Apathy Amnesia Altered perception
Define Aphasia
Loss of language, word finding
Define Agnosia
Loss of recognition of senses (taste, smell…)
Define Apraxia
Loss of purposeful movement or direction
