5/16/2024 1:45:19 PM

Dementia Awareness Week 2024

Blue Stream Academy

The brain, the most complex organ in the human body, controls every aspect of our existence. However, when affected by dementia, it undergoes a gradual decline in function, impacting memory, cognition, and behaviour. With approximately 944,000 affected individuals in the UK alone, dementia presents a significant societal challenge. As we observe Dementia Awareness Week, it's critical to understand its various forms, the importance of early diagnosis, and the steps we can take to support affected individuals and their families.


The Brain and Dementia

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a number of brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. dementia is progressive which means that the symptoms get gradually worse. How fast dementia progresses will be dependent on the individual, as each person is unique and will experience dementia in their own way. Dementia is one of the most severe and devastating disorders we face. It is also very common.

Key data for the UK:


  • 1 in 11 people over the age of 65 have dementia in the UK.
  • 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 have dementia in the UK.
  • 1 in 3 people born in the UK this year will develop dementia in their lifetime.
  • 944,000 people are currently living with dementia in the UK.
  • It’s projected that dementia cases in the UK will rise to 1.4 million in 2040.
  • In 2022, dementia accounted for 11.4% of all deaths in England and Wales, making it the leading cause of death.

Ref: Alzheimers.org.
Ref: The Dementia Service.

Types of Dementia

There are over 200 subtypes of dementia, which include the following:

Alzheimer’s Disease: This is the most common cause of dementia. During the course of the disease the chemistry and structure of the brain changes, leading to the death of brain cells.

Frontotemporal Dementia: Damage is usually focused in the front part of the brain. At first, personality and behaviour are more affected than memory. This form of dementia is sometimes called Pick’s disease or frontal lobe dementia.

Young-onset Dementia: Is defined as dementia diagnosed under the age of 65. It is also referred to as ‘early onset’ or ‘working age’ dementia.

Vascular Dementia: This is the second most common type of dementia. The brain relies on a network of vessels to bring it oxygen-bearing blood. If the oxygen supply to the brain fails, brain cells are likely to die, and this can cause the symptoms of vascular dementia.

It is caused by small blood clots preventing oxygen reaching the brain tissue. The small clots are sometimes known as transient ischaemic attacks or TIAs. Damage to the blood supply can also be caused by blocked arteries (atherosclerosis) or bursting of blood vessels in the brain (haemorrhage).

Mixed Dementia: Mixed dementia is a condition in which a person has more than one type of dementia. The most common is a combination of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): MCI is a relatively recent term, used to describe people who have some problems with cognition such as memory or thinking, that is worse than would normally be expected for a healthy person of their age.

However, the symptoms are not severe enough to interfere significantly with daily life, and so are not defined as dementia.

Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB): DLB is caused by small round clumps of protein that build up inside nerve cells in the brain. One of these proteins is called alpha-synuclein and the clumps it forms are called Lewy bodies. Lewy bodies damage the nerve cells and affect the way they communicate.

In DLB, the nerve cells that are affected by Lewy bodies are in areas of the brain that control thinking, memory and movement. This form of dementia shares some characteristics with Parkinson’s disease.

Alcohol-related Brain Damage (ARBD): ARBD is caused by drinking alcohol excessively over a prolonged period of time. It can have a negative effect on brain function, memory and the ability to process information. Research has found that excessive alcohol consumption may cause the brain to shrink and become damaged.

Long-term, heavy drinkers are at risk of developing irreversible alcohol-related brain syndromes, such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Conditions That May be Mistaken for Dementia

There are a number of conditions that may be mistaken for dementia, including:

  • Parkinson’s disease
  • thyroid deficiency
  • anxiety, depression and delirium
  • vitamin B12 and folate deficiency
  • cerebral lupus
  • brain tumours
  • chronic subdural bleeds.

There is also a range of medicines that can cause adverse reactions which are similar to dementia symptoms.

How Dementia Progresses


Early Stages

Dementia usually begins gradually with very minor changes in the person's abilities or behaviour. At the time, such signs are often mistakenly attributed to stress or bereavement or, in older people, to the normal process of ageing. It is often only when looking back that we realise that these signs were probably the beginnings of dementia. Loss of memory for recent events is a common early sign.

Someone with Dementia may:

  • forget about recent conversations or events
  • repeat themselves
  • become slower at grasping new ideas, or lose the thread of what is being said
  • sometimes become confused
  • show poor judgement, or find it harder to make decisions
  • lose interest in other people or activities
  • develop a readiness to blame others for taking mislaid items
  • become unwilling to try out new things or adapt to change.

Middle Stages

As the condition progresses, the changes become more marked. The person will need more support to help them manage their day-to-day living. They may need frequent reminders or help to eat, wash, dress and use the toilet. They are likely to become increasingly forgetful, particularly of names, and may sometimes repeat the same question or phrase over and over because of the decline in their short-term memory. They may also fail to recognise people or confuse them with others.

Some people at this stage become very easily upset, angry or aggressive, perhaps because they are feeling frustrated or they may lose their confidence and become more dependent on others.

Other symptoms may include:

  • becoming confused about where they are, or wandering off and becoming lost
  • becoming muddled about time and getting up at night because they are mixing up night and day
  • putting themselves or others at risk through their forgetfulness, for example, by not lighting the gas on the cooker
  • behaving in ways that may seem unusual, such as going outside in their nightclothes
  • experiencing difficulty with perception and, in some cases, hallucinations.

Later Stages

At this stage, the person with dementia will need even more help, and will gradually become totally dependent on others for nursing care. Loss of memory may become very pronounced, with the person unable to recognise familiar objects or surroundings or even those closest to them, although there may be sudden flashes of recognition. The person may also become increasingly frail. They may start to shuffle or walk unsteadily, eventually becoming confined to a bed or a wheelchair.

Other symptoms may include:

  • difficulty in eating and, sometimes, swallowing
  • considerable weight loss, although some people eat too much, and put on weight
  • incontinence, losing control of their bladder and sometimes their bowels as well
  • gradual loss of speech, though they may repeat a few words or cry out from time to time.

How is Dementia Diagnosed?

Doctors employ a number of strategies to diagnose dementia. It’s important that they rule out any treatable conditions, such as depression, normal pressure hydrocephalus, or vitamin B12 deficiency, which can cause similar symptoms.

Early, accurate diagnosis of dementia is important for individuals and their families/carers because it allows early treatment of symptoms.

For people with Alzheimer’s disease or other progressive dementias, early diagnosis may allow them to plan for the future while they can still help to make decisions. They may also benefit from drug treatment.

Importance of Early Diagnosis


Early diagnosis of dementia is beneficial for the person with dementia and their family and/or carer for several reasons:

  • early diagnosis can help families and carers to feel more supported and cope better
  • it offers an explanation to people who may have noticed a problem
  • earlier diagnosis gives the person with dementia and their family and or/carer the opportunity to plan for the future
  • Dementia symptoms such as depression and agitation can be treated more successfully if they are picked up early
  • reversible causes can be identified and treated in a timely manner
  • access to dementia medicines - prescription medicines are available, so if someone doesn’t have a diagnosis, they won’t have access to them.

Primary care practitioners play an important role in dementia care because they:

  • manage problems of crises through primary care management or referral to other services
  • oversee prescribing for people with dementia, both dementia-specific and other drugs
  • undertake regular reviews of all patients on the register
  • maintain a dementia register
  • provide a route to diagnostic services
  • identify and assess people with memory problems or other cognitive or functional deficits
  • are the first point of contact for many people with health concerns
  • have close links between different members of the primary healthcare team.

Reducing the Risk of Dementia

While there is no proven treatment or prevention for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, adopting a healthy lifestyle can help address associated risk factors.

  • Stay physically active through a mix of aerobic and strength-building exercises.
  • Limit alcohol intake to no more than 14 units per week.
  • Quit smoking to protect brain and overall health.
  • Engage in social activities to maintain mental wellness.
  • Manage conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes with regular health checks.
  • Protect hearing by avoiding loud noises and using hearing aids if needed.
  • Wear protective headgear in activities with a risk of head injury.
  • Advocate for environmental policies to reduce air pollution, a known risk factor for dementia.

While these lifestyle changes may not definitively prevent dementia, they promote overall health and wellbeing as you age.

Ref: Alzheimers.org.

How Can You Contribute During Dementia Awareness Week

There are many ways you can contribute to Dementia Awareness Week, depending on your skills, resources, and interests. Here are some ideas:

Spread awareness: Use your social media platforms to share information about dementia, its signs, symptoms, and how it affects individuals and families. You can use facts, statistics, personal stories, and graphics to make your posts more engaging.

Volunteer: Many organisations working with dementia provide various volunteering opportunities. You can volunteer your time to help organise events, provide support to caregivers, or simply spend time with individuals living with dementia.

Educate yourself: Take this week as an opportunity to learn more about dementia. Read articles, watch documentaries, or attend online webinars to educate yourself about the condition and its impact.

Start conversations: Use this week as an opportunity to start conversations about dementia with your friends, family, and colleagues. By talking openly about dementia, you can help reduce the stigma associated with the condition and encourage others to learn more about it.

Remember, every little bit helps when it comes to raising awareness about dementia and supporting those affected by it. So, find a way to contribute that feels meaningful to you!

Final Remarks

As Dementia Awareness Week draws to a close, let's remember that every bit of awareness, education, and support matters. By understanding the various forms of dementia, advocating for early diagnosis, and promoting a healthy lifestyle, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by this challenging condition and their families. Let's continue to spread awareness, offer support, and work towards a future where dementia is better understood and effectively managed.

Interested in Learning More About Dementia Awareness?

At Blue Stream Academy we offer engaging eLearning modules for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) across various sectors, including GP, Health and Social Care, Private and Urgent Care, Aesthetics, Dental, and Hospice.

Dementia Awareness eLearning Module

Dementia is one of the most severe and devastating disorders we face. It is also very common. Therefore, it is important for all staff to understand dementia and to be aware of their role in improving the care for people with dementia.

Learning Outcomes:


Introduction
  • some of the current statistics in relation to dementia, including how these may affect your own area
  • how early diagnosis of dementia is beneficial for several reasons
  • why the role of the GP and primary healthcare teams are central in the improvement of care for people with dementia
  • the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 7 quality statement for dementia.

What is Dementia?
  • the most common types of dementia
  • how dementia progresses
  • the different parts of the brain and the problems that can be caused
  • how other conditions may be mistaken for dementia
  • how dementia is diagnosed
  • the different tests for dementia.

Risk Assessment
  • why risk assessment are important.

Learning from People with Dementia
  • the impact that stigma and diagnosis can have on people with dementia
  • how people with dementia can feel as though they are losing their identity
  • some of the things people with dementia say are essential to their quality of life.

Care Issues
  • examples of some care issues associated with dementia
  • the importance of human rights
  • ways of communicating effectively with an individual who has dementia
  • how environmental factors can affect individuals with dementia.

Care Pathway
  • how ‘The Well Pathway for Dementia’ identifies improvements with diagnosing, supporting, living and dying
  • how the dementia care pathway outlines how services can ensure that people living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment get timely access to a diagnosis and post-diagnostic support and treatment
  • delivery good dementia care using the dementia care pathway.

The eLearning module is suitable for all staff members.

Learn more about Blue Stream Academy

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