Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s Disease: The Basics

dementia and alzheimers concept

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are two terms that are often used interchangeably by clients looking for a quality assisted living in California when describing a group of symptoms drawn in parallel with cognitive impairment and memory loss. But while they are connected, the two terms actually vary from each other. In particular, dementia is the overall term for conditions that include Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal disorders, Huntington’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and others.

A fact worth remembering when selecting a provider of senior home care in California for your senior loved ones is that dementia is more than just forgetfulness. A person diagnosed with dementia is usually observed to have trouble with at least two of these cognitive areas:

  • Memory
  • Communication and speech
  • Reasoning and judgment
  • Focus and concentration
  • Visual perception, including differentiating colors and detecting movement

Each type of dementia has distinct symptoms, and many of these overlap. Because of this, it can be very challenging to diagnose the exact type of dementia that your family member may be suffering from. In fact, there have been instances wherein a client in a facility offering hospice in Yorba Linda, California suffers from more than one dementia classification.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, approximately sixty to eighty percent of dementia diagnoses involve Alzheimer’s disease. Given that it is clearly the most common form of dementia, it is important to recognize the different aspects of these conditions so that your loved ones’ care providers can plan for a more holistic approach to their care.

At Belmont Guests Retreat, our specially trained staff members make sure to match our care with the degree of the residents’ dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. If you wish to know more about our Alzheimer’s and dementia care, feel free to get in touch with us.


Disclaimer

Blogs, content and other media uploaded online are for informational purposes only. Contents on this website should not be considered medical advice. Readers are strongly encouraged to visit their physician for health-related issues.


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