past misconceptions on dementia
Post on 03-Jun-2018
216 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/12/2019 Past Misconceptions on Dementia
1/10
Dementia: Past Misconceptions Myth #1 : Dementia only affects other people...it
cannot happen to me or to people I know.Dementia affects only the patient, not his or herfamily.Fact: Uncertainty or confusion about the causesand effects of dementia may provide someone arationale to deny that a family member has theillness because they do not belong in the "at risk"
group. 6%-8% of people over age 65 havedementia and 33% of those over age 85 havesome dementia symptoms.
-
8/12/2019 Past Misconceptions on Dementia
2/10
Dementia: Past Misconceptions Myth #2: People with dementia act in a certain way
because of prior negative life experiences or childhooddifficulties. People with dementia can control theirbehavior and do things deliberately. Failure to act
properly is a result of laziness, stubbornness,resistance, or lack of motivation.Fact: Illnesses such as dementia which lack obviousphysical signs may lead people to misattributesomeone's behavior to poor effort, malevolent intent,
personality traits, or prior life experiences. If peopleassume behaviors are due to lack of morals, they mayresort to reasoning with or re-educating the person.
-
8/12/2019 Past Misconceptions on Dementia
3/10
Dementia: Past Misconceptions
Myth #3: People with dementia may act in acertain way because of a mental or learningdisability.
Fact: People with dementia are not insane,crazy, necessarily psychotic, or learningdisabled.
-
8/12/2019 Past Misconceptions on Dementia
4/10
Dementia: Past Misconceptions
Myth #4: People with dementia are usuallydrowsy.
Fact: Normally, people with dementia areawake and alert during the day. Drowsinesscan signal a drug interaction, malnutrition,depressed mood, or sleep disturbance.
-
8/12/2019 Past Misconceptions on Dementia
5/10
Dementia: Past Misconceptions
Myth #5: It is just a simple fall.Fact: Few elderly people are admitted to thehospital after a fall simply because they haveslipped or tripped. To merely assume theexplanation is a problem in the environmentmay indicate that vital predisposing conditions
like macular degeneration are overlooked.
-
8/12/2019 Past Misconceptions on Dementia
6/10
Dementia: Past Misconceptions Myth #6: You should expect violent behavior from
someone with dementia. Fact: Aggression may occur because the person
misunderstands or misperceives the actions of others and
then lashes out due to feelings of fear, anger, ormistreatment. The person may also feel frustrated at beingunable to do something he/she was able to do before.Agitation may also occur because of hunger, thirst, physicaldiscomfort, poor lighting, or unsafe surroundings.
Sudden aggression in someone who was never violentbefore may suggest drug toxicity, or metabolic infection.
-
8/12/2019 Past Misconceptions on Dementia
7/10
Dementia: Past Misconceptions
Myth #7: Use restraints and sedatives to calmsomeone agitated.Fact: Restraints and sedatives may worsen asituation. Try having the doctor reducemedication, ask another family member tohelp orient and reassure the person, or use
simple language to calmly and slowly explainwhat you want him to do.
-
8/12/2019 Past Misconceptions on Dementia
8/10
Dementia: Past Misconceptions
Myth #8: Forgetfulness is likely to indicate theonset of dementia.Fact: Memory loss can be caused orexacerbated by medication interactions,medical conditions, or by depression relatedto life events. Other changes to look out for
include spatial disorientation, poor problem-solving ability, or impaired multi-tasking skills.
-
8/12/2019 Past Misconceptions on Dementia
9/10
Dementia: Past Misconceptions
Myth #9: He speaks well. Therefore, he cannotbe demented.Fact: Cognitive disabilities can be subtle andmay not be initially displayed in the presenceof others. Language ability can remain intactdespite real deficits in other skills.
-
8/12/2019 Past Misconceptions on Dementia
10/10
Dementia: Past Misconceptions Myth #10: All people with dementia are
incompetent. Fact: People with dementia are not necessarily
incompetent. People in different stages ofdementia may still be competent to makedecisions in certain life areas. Those with milddementia can comprehend and appreciate
information they are given and reasonadequately to make a choice regarding theirhealth (i.e. health care proxy, conservatorship).
top related