DEMENTIA CARE - MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Module 1 Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia
1. Caring for a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other dementia is not easy
2. There are ways to provide comfort that can help both you and the individual to cope and thrive
under the most difficult circumstances
3. Learn ways to help keep yourself healthy so you can create a positive quality of life for both you
and your client
4. Dementia is a group of symptoms most often caused by a number of progressive disorders that
affect memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to perform everyday tasks
5. Over time, Alzheimer's disease causes the brain to shrink dramatically, affecting all of its
functions and potentially causing changes in personality and relationship
6. As we age, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic diseases increases
7. The precise cause of dementia is not known; however, multiple factors lead to its development
including:
A. Advancing age
B. Family history
C. Cardiovascular diseases
D. A history of head trauma
8. The Frontal Lobe is responsible for facial recognition, learned social responses, and long-term
memories
9. The Prefrontal Lobe controls emotions, personality, and recognition of long-term memories.
10. The Cerebellum sits at the base of the cerebrum and controls coordination and balance
11. The five common types of dementia include: Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body, vascular , and
frontal tempored and mixed
12. Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include difficulty remembering time, place, or recent
event, and depression
13. Lewy Body dementia has a pattern of decline that may be similar to Alzheimer’s disease
14. Vascular dementia results from brain damage caused by multiple strokes
15. Frontotemporal dementia begins inside the forehead area of the brain and has symptoms
including changes in personality and behavior, and difficulty with language
16. Increasing evidence indicates that many people have "mixed dementia," which means more than
one disorder is present.
, 17. As we age our brains start to shrink slowly after the age of 60
18. Alzheimer’s disease is a result of abnormal clusters of protein fragments called plaques that build
up between the nerve cells, as well as nerve tangles, which are dead and dying nerve cells.
19. Two regions of the brain affected greatly by the disease are the language and memory regions
20. These regions are gradually destroyed by the disease, making communication and connections
to the past increasingly harder to manage as Alzheimer’s advances
21. Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease or other dementias include problems with memory,
communication and language, ability to focus and pay attention, reasoning and judgment, and
visual perception
22. It's a typical Alzheimer's symptom to forget things learned recently (such as the answer to a
question, an intention to do something, or a new acquaintance) but to still be able to remember
things from the remote past (such as events or people from childhood, sometimes with explicit
detail)
23. Of course it's normal for anyone to occasionally "blank" on a word, especially words not often
used
24. Mood shifts are a difficult sign to link decisively to Alzheimer's disease because age and any
medical condition may spark changes in someone's mood, personality, or behavior
25. Difficulty with decision-making can be related to other possible symptoms of Alzheimer's, such as
lapses in memory, personality changes, and trouble with abstract thinking
26. Dementia Diagnosis: The doctor will first gather a medical history to determine the onset of the
disease, how symptoms have changed, and potential contributing factors.
27. Neuro-psychological testing: These evaluations sample various brain functions including:
A. Orientation
B. Short-term memory
C. Ability to follow instructions
D. Recognition of object
28. Many health issues can cause problems with memory including:
A. depression
B. Drug interaction
C. Excessive use of alcohol
D. Certain vitamin deficiencies
29. Treatments: Some medications may help with symptoms by slowing the breakdown of a
chemical in the brain, acetylcholine, that is important for memory and learning
30. There are also some non-drug approaches that may help promote physical and emotional
comfort, including:
Module 1 Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia
1. Caring for a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other dementia is not easy
2. There are ways to provide comfort that can help both you and the individual to cope and thrive
under the most difficult circumstances
3. Learn ways to help keep yourself healthy so you can create a positive quality of life for both you
and your client
4. Dementia is a group of symptoms most often caused by a number of progressive disorders that
affect memory, thinking, behavior, and the ability to perform everyday tasks
5. Over time, Alzheimer's disease causes the brain to shrink dramatically, affecting all of its
functions and potentially causing changes in personality and relationship
6. As we age, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic diseases increases
7. The precise cause of dementia is not known; however, multiple factors lead to its development
including:
A. Advancing age
B. Family history
C. Cardiovascular diseases
D. A history of head trauma
8. The Frontal Lobe is responsible for facial recognition, learned social responses, and long-term
memories
9. The Prefrontal Lobe controls emotions, personality, and recognition of long-term memories.
10. The Cerebellum sits at the base of the cerebrum and controls coordination and balance
11. The five common types of dementia include: Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body, vascular , and
frontal tempored and mixed
12. Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include difficulty remembering time, place, or recent
event, and depression
13. Lewy Body dementia has a pattern of decline that may be similar to Alzheimer’s disease
14. Vascular dementia results from brain damage caused by multiple strokes
15. Frontotemporal dementia begins inside the forehead area of the brain and has symptoms
including changes in personality and behavior, and difficulty with language
16. Increasing evidence indicates that many people have "mixed dementia," which means more than
one disorder is present.
, 17. As we age our brains start to shrink slowly after the age of 60
18. Alzheimer’s disease is a result of abnormal clusters of protein fragments called plaques that build
up between the nerve cells, as well as nerve tangles, which are dead and dying nerve cells.
19. Two regions of the brain affected greatly by the disease are the language and memory regions
20. These regions are gradually destroyed by the disease, making communication and connections
to the past increasingly harder to manage as Alzheimer’s advances
21. Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease or other dementias include problems with memory,
communication and language, ability to focus and pay attention, reasoning and judgment, and
visual perception
22. It's a typical Alzheimer's symptom to forget things learned recently (such as the answer to a
question, an intention to do something, or a new acquaintance) but to still be able to remember
things from the remote past (such as events or people from childhood, sometimes with explicit
detail)
23. Of course it's normal for anyone to occasionally "blank" on a word, especially words not often
used
24. Mood shifts are a difficult sign to link decisively to Alzheimer's disease because age and any
medical condition may spark changes in someone's mood, personality, or behavior
25. Difficulty with decision-making can be related to other possible symptoms of Alzheimer's, such as
lapses in memory, personality changes, and trouble with abstract thinking
26. Dementia Diagnosis: The doctor will first gather a medical history to determine the onset of the
disease, how symptoms have changed, and potential contributing factors.
27. Neuro-psychological testing: These evaluations sample various brain functions including:
A. Orientation
B. Short-term memory
C. Ability to follow instructions
D. Recognition of object
28. Many health issues can cause problems with memory including:
A. depression
B. Drug interaction
C. Excessive use of alcohol
D. Certain vitamin deficiencies
29. Treatments: Some medications may help with symptoms by slowing the breakdown of a
chemical in the brain, acetylcholine, that is important for memory and learning
30. There are also some non-drug approaches that may help promote physical and emotional
comfort, including:
