Introduction
The diseases in which memory impairment predominate most often evolve slowly. The care needs depend on the phase in which the person is. Each change of state requires a new Evaluation as well as an adaptation of care and treatment.
A person with dementia has less functional ability, which can affect all aspects of their life: housing, personal care, finances, etc. Aid is therefore organized in a multidisciplinary manner. Health professionals and home care services coordinate their interventions to provide the best possible assistance.
Supervision of a person suffering from memory problems
As a first step, it is better for the person to continue living at home. Several people, informal caregivers and / or professional care providers, can intervene: general practitioner, nurses, family help, volunteers, etc. We must ensure that these various stakeholders do not exhaust themselves and relieve them in good time.
People who suffer from memory problems can meet other people experiencing the same situation in associations. There are also day centers, where people with dementia are cared for, which allows the informal caregiver to take some time for himself. Caregivers must work together well to adapt care to changing needs. Night watch and personal alarm systems (“televigilance”) are also possible.
It is also possible to request a premium for informal caregivers or to appoint a possible guardian for the management of the financial and administrative affairs of the sick person.
When home support is no longer possible
Behavioral problems, particularly aggression and nighttime restlessness, are the number one cause of admission to a facility. Other reasons are the exhaustion of the informal caregiver (stress, illness), loss of autonomy (the person is no longer able to dress or bathe on their own, they suffer fromincontinence, etc.) or the appearance of dangerous situations (the person accidentally ignited the fire, got lost, etc.).
Detecting Factors That May Worsen Dementia
Traveling alone and being alone for a long time in unfamiliar places, in an environment full of stimuli and foreign people can increase confusion. Likewise, darkness is sometimes a source of unrest. Heat and dehydration can also have an influence.
The medical causes of confusion temporarily increased are, for example, infections (mainly urinary tract infections), operations, general anesthesia and side effects of drugs (mainly the combination of several drugs).
Drug options
To date, there is no treatment capable of curing memory problems. But some medicines can, in some patients, slow the progression of the disease slightly. These are prescribed by a neurologist after a thorough examination.
There are also different options for alleviating bothersome symptoms. The depression (people with incipient dementia often have it),anxiety, agitation and aggression can be treated with drugs when non-drug strategies have not worked. Regularly check to see if treatment is still adequate, as it is in the patient’s best interest to stop unnecessary medication.
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