Vascular Dementia Prevention and Support

Hello fellow classmates this is your last chance to view my blog. I hope that you will find my final blog to be as informative as those before. There are ways that one can prevent themselves from vascular dementia. The best way to prevent vascular dementia is to lower the risk of a stroke. Studies have shown that the rate of prevalence for vascular dementia is 9 times higher following a stroke than the rate of prevalence in control group. There are ways you can reduce your risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and vascular dementia.
Make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle
Stop smoking, exercise regularly, and eating a healthy diet (limiting your intake of alcohol, salt and saturated fat) is a great way to reduce your risk of heart disease and many other diseases. Stress is a major contributor to high blood pressure and heart disease, therefore, it is helpful to learn how to manage your stress through relaxation techinques or meditation. Try to get your blood pressure checked at least once a year, aas well as your body fat levels measured periodically, especially if you are 65 or have a history of heart disease.
Ask your physicians about medications
Medications can control high blood pressure and heart disease. Blood thinners, for example, are commonly used to correct an irregular heart beat. Inmore advanced cases of arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, surgery may be necessary to restore the blood flow to the brain.

Education, lifestyle changes, and adequate medical advice are the best safeguards. Know the warning signs and start making the necessary life adjustments. The most important thing is to begin! Seek support and encouragement from friends, family, support groups, and health care experts. And remember that even if you have already been diagnosed with vascular dementia, it is not too late to do anything about it.
How can I help someone with vascular dementia?
Individuals with vascular dementia or any other type of dementia should be encouraged to participate in their daily routine, and engage in physical and social activities for as long as possible. Fortunately, there are support groups for caregivers, research studies evaluating medication for improving mental function, and Day Centers that provide activities activities and socialization for patients. Remeber the mind is a terrible thing to waste, so let's involve with those who suffer from this disease. It has been educational to research and learn about the different types of personalities that one encounter in late adulthood. I hope that my blogs has reached someone who may have a family memeber or a close friend that suffer from this disease. The information that I leave with you remember the stages that I informed you with. I have to leave now, so I would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

Recovery tips for Vascular Dementia

Recovery involes learning practical ways to manage memory loss. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada offers suggestions on how to better cope with memory deficits:

• Carry a notepad to write down names, dates, appointment times, and errands that need to be completed. This will take pressure off of yourself.


• Inform the people you're working with that you had a stroke and ask them to speak slowly or repeat information when necessary. That way they know what to expect and you can alleviate any misunderstandings.


• Exercise your brain! At the end of the day, you can set aside time to recall the day's events, which builds memory capacity.


• Remove distractions such as t.v. or radio when attempting to understand long messages or instructions. You can ask the person to break the message into smaller parts, and repeat what you heard back to them.


• Avoid rushing into new tasks; be deliberated and stop to think and plan before beginning.


• Be patient with yourself. Getting angry only makes it more difficult to remember. See if you can learn some relaxation techniques and use them.


• Allow those close to you to help you.

" Causes of Memory problems other than Dementia"

It is important to know that memory loss and cognitive problems can have many causes, of which dementia is only one. You should consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis if you are experiencing dementia- like symptoms, as many can be treated relatively simply. Causes of memory problems other than dementia include:

• Malnutrition


• Dehydration


• Fatigue


• Depression


• Adverse reactionto medication


• Thyroid disease


• Metabolic


• Head injuries


• Benign brain tumors


• Viral or bacterial infections


• Parkinson's disease

I have provided information that will enlighten those who have love one's, friends, neighbors that may suffer form one or more of these causes of dementia. This topic has taught me to look at all signs and symptoms that may appear in my surrounding environment such as family and close friends. The site that I have retrieved this pertinent information from is http://www.helpguide.org/elder/vascular_dementia.htm this site can also link you to other sites that are as informative.

" Causes of Vascular Dementia"

Vascular dementia can be caused in several different ways. Most commonly is a blockage of small blood vessels somewhere in the vast system of arteries that feed the brain and enter through the base of the skull. Blockages may be caused by plaque build up on the side of the artery wall, or by blood clots which have broken loose and clogged a tributary further downstream. Clots can form as a result of abnormal heart rhythms, or other heart abnormalities. Also, a weak patch on an artery wall can balloon outward and form an aneurysm, which can burst and deprive the brain cells of oxygen. These causes of vascular dementia are dangerous to those who suffer from this disease. I wonder during this research was my uncles suffering from these symptoms. They were both middle age men who died a 1yr. and part from brain aneurysms. There are risk factors that we need to be aware of that associates with vascular dementia and cardiovascular disease. They are high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, a family history of heart problems, disease in arteries in other parts of the body, and heart rhythm abnormalities. There are also lifestyle factors such as,being overweight or smoking can contribute to the risk, as well.





It is estimated that about 50% percent of the cases of vascular dementia result from hypertension, or high blood pressure. Rares causes of vascular dementia are associated with auto-immune inflammatory diseases of the arteries such as Lupus and Temporal Arteritis, which are treatable with drugs that suppress the immune system. I am amazed of the finding of other diseases that are associated with vascular dementia. My sister suffer from Lupus and has been for eigth years. She has gone through several hospitalization due to the break down of her body organs. She has dialysis three times a week. She also suffer with all the risk factors that cause vascular dementia. Is it possible that she may develop vascular dementia? I pray everyday that she will be healed. Vascular Dementia effects those who are not in late adulthood.

Vascular Dementia

This topic was brought to my attention by a lady in the beauty shop. She was having a hard time coping. She expressed her hurt and pain to all that were sitting in her company. Her hurt was copying with her love one that has Vascular Dementia. This was her mother- in-law who is currently living with her and her husband. Another shocking thing that happen to me on Sunday was I met my granddaughter great-grandmother and she has Alzheimer's it is sad to see how our elderly has to stricken by these diseases.

If you have been following my blog you would have discovered several way's to cope, early prevention, side effect and many other ways to deal with these diseases. I would like to inform you about this particular one Vascular Dementia. Vascular Dementia is a degenerative cerebrovascular disease that leads to a progressive decline in memory and cognitive functioning. It occurs when the blood supply carry oxygen and nutrients to the brain is interrupted by a blocked or disease vascular system. Vascular dementia generally affects people between the ages of 60 and 75, and effects more men than women. The most common type of vascular dementia is multi-infarct dementia ( MID ), which is caused by a series of small strokes, or mini-strokes, that often go unnoticed and cause damage to the cortex of the brain - the area associated with learning, memory, and language.

The Signs and Symptoms of Vascular Dementia

Physical signs/symptoms

• Memory problems; forgetfulness
• Dizziness
• Leg or arm weakness
• Lack of concentration
• Moving with rapid, shuffling steps
• Loss of bladder or bowel control

Behavioral signs/symptom's

• Slurred speech
• Language problems
• Abnormal behavior
• Wandering or getting lost in familiar surroundings
• Laughing or crying inappropriately
• Difficult following instructions
• Problems handling money.

As I continue to research this topic I will bring to this blog informative information that will help someone and their family. If you need futher informatiom concering this topic go to
http:/www.helpguide.org/elder/vascular_dementia.htm or better yet wait for the next up coming blog.

Stages of Alzhemer's Disease

There are several stages that associates with Alzheimer's disease. These stages show the different pattern's that one may experience while suffering form this mind altering disease. This staging system provide useful frames of reference for understanding how the disease may unfold and for making future plans. It is important to know that not everyone will experience the same symptoms or progress at the same rate. People with Alzheimer die an average of four to six years after diagnosis, but the duration of the disease can vary from three to 20 years. Within framework, it is noted that these stages consist of mild, moderate, moderately severe and sever Alzheimer's disease. It is also noted that which stages fall within the more general divisions of early-stage and late-stage categories.

Stage 1: No impairment ( normal function )

Unimpairment individuals experience no memory problems and none are evident to a health care professional during a medical interview.

Stage 2 : Very mild cognitive decline ( may be normal age-related changes or earliest sign of Alzheimer's disease)

Individuals may feel as if they have memory lapses, especially in forgetting familiar words or names or the location of keys,eyeglasses or other everyday objects. But these problems are not evident during a medical examination or apparent to friends,family or co-workers.

Stage 3: Mild cognitive decline

Early-stage Alzheimer's can be diagnosed in some, but not all, individuals with these symptoms.

Friends, family or co-workers begin to notice deficiencies. Problems with memory or concentration may be measurable in clinical testing or discernible during a detailed medical interview. Common difficulties include:

• Word-or-name-finding problems noticeable to family or close associates


• Decreased ability to remember names when introduced to new people


• Performance issues in social or work settings noticeable to family, friends or co-workers


• Reading a passage and retaining little material


• Losing or misplacing a valuable object


• Decline in ability to plan or organize

Stage 4 : Moderate cognitive decline ( Mild or early- stage Alzheimer's disease)

At this stage, a careful medical interview detects clear-cut deficiencies in the following areas:

• Decreased knowledge of recent occasions or current events


• Impaired ability to perform challenging mental arithmetic-for example, to count backward from 75 by 7s


• Decreased capacity to perform complex tasks, such as planning diner for guests, paying bills and managing finances


• Reduced memory of personal history


• The affected individual may subdued and withdrawn, especially in socially or mentally challenging situations

Moderately sever cognitive decline ( Moderate or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease)

• Be unable during a medical interview to recall such important details as their current address,their telephone number or the name of college or high school from which they graduated


• Become confused about where they are or about the date, day of the week or season


• Usually retain substantial knowledge about themselves and know their own name and the names of their spouse and children


• Usually required no assistance with eating or using the toilet

Stage 6: Sever cognitive decline ( Moderately sever or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease)

• Lose most awareness of recent experiences and events as well of their surroundings


• Recollect their personal history imperfectly, although they generally recall their own name


• Occasionally forget the name of their spouse or primary caregiver but generally can distinguish familiar from unfamiliar faces


• Need help getting dressed properly;without supervision,may make such errors as putting pajamas over daytime clothes or shoes on wrong feet


• Experience disruption of their normal sleep/waking cycle


• Need help with handling details of toileting ( flushing toilet, wiping and disposing of tissue properly)

Stage 7: Very severe cognitive decline ( Severe or late-stage Alzheimer's disease )

This is the final stage of the disease when individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment.

• Frequently individuals lose their capacity for recognizable speech, although words or phrases may occasionally be uttered


• Individuals need help with eating and toileting and there is general incontinence of urine


• Individuals loss the ability to walk without assistance, then the ability to sit without support, the ability to smile, and the ability to hold their head up. Reflexes become abnormal and muscles grow rigid. Swallowing is impaired.

Alzheimer's Family Support & Education

There are many families that suffer a great deal with physical and emotional toll's when caring for their love one who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer has causes an individual to go through many stages that put stress on the family caregiver and friends. The different behaviors that is exhibit from Alzheimer are things such as wandering, screaming and physical or verbal aggression. These changes cause for family, caregivers, and friends, to look for way to care for their love one and to gain support and education.





While my mother was caring for my grandfather, I noticed that she did not have any support nor did she have the educational knowledge to have care for him in a better way. There were times when my mother had to restrain my grandfather by strapping him down to keep him was wandering off. I can't say that this was wrong, she did only what she thought was best for him. She had no family support from her sibling's. As I continue to write, I have come to realize that there are tools family, caregiver, and friends need to help support and educate them while they cope with their love one illness.





Increasing your Knowledge of the disease and it's management.

• Get involved with your local organizations that serve the Alzheimer's community in your area, such as your local office for the Aging, or regional Alzheimer's chapter.



• Learn about programs and services available in your community, and take advantage of them!



• Join a support group for caregivers, or participate in Internet support networks.



• Ask your doctor to help you locate services appropriate to your loved one's needs, and ask if he or she can recommend quality programs.



• Visit a local library or book store to find books about Alzheimer's disease and coping as a caregiver.



• Also visit the section on this site entitled " Resources and Support".

Caregivers educational programs are beneficial

Caregiver interventions come in many forms, and ongoing research funded by the National Institute on Aging is investigating which programs and programs components are most beneficial. Strong evidence backs the use of interventions that go beyond education to include various forms of support.

Examples include:

Programs that educate families as a group about psychological issues faced when a loved one has Alzheimer's;

Programs that combine extensive individual and group counseling with participation in support groups;

Home-based training programs that teach caregivers how to manage behavioral problems with Alzheimer's.

Studies show that such programs can significantly delay the time to placement in a nursing , which is often precipitated by unmanageable behavioral problems. Participating in these type of of interventions can reduce depressions, anger, tension, fatigue and confusion in caregiving. I hope that information can help someone who family may be experiencings a love one who suffer from Alzheimer disease. For more information go to http://www.alzinfo.org/alzheimers-treatment-family.asp

Emotional and Social Development in Late Adulthood

Erickson's Theory: Ego Integrity vs. Despair is the final stage of life. It involves coming to terms with one's life. As we become older there are many changes that we have to adjust too. They are intellectual changes, learning, and memory. How does this effect us as we grow older. There are two types of intellectual changes found that fluid intelligence declines with age, but crystallized intelligence increases. ( Hutchinson,2008 )Fluid intelligence involves the ability to respond quickly, to memorize quickly, to compute quickly with no error, and to draw rapid inferences from visual relationships ( Hutchinson, 2008 ). Crystallized intelligence is based on accumulated learning and includes the ability to reflect and recognize rather than to recall and remember( Hutchinson, 2008). Let's focus on the difference between the two intelligences in late adulthood. As I Analyze fluid intelligence it amazes me to think that I can possibly retain this type of memory. This type of memory will give back years of life as a individual age in late adulthood. Studies shows that detention and recall are dependent on individual memory performance. A person with Alzheimer's will not have a brain that function in this capacity. I can recall individuals that I have known that had Alzheimer's were not able to recall or even know their family. However, one that does not have Alzheimer's will be able to meet these abilities. Crystallized memory had it share of criticism, I do believe that it is the way that most elderly individuals memory develop as they grow older. Living around those in late adulthood has shown me that they can learn and have the ability to reflect on their pass and future life. I have witness how they can enlighten you about things that happen in the late sixty when gas was not as high as it is now. My grandparents were very sharp thinkers. My grandmother was in her right mind until the day she pass. Unfortunately, my grandfather was stricken with Alzheimer. My grandparents and other elders are better emotionally. They know how to respond and cope with situations better than younger people. That's when the old saying comes in "the older you get the wiser you become" Younger people tend to react more impulsively in their problem solving, while elders are better at emotional self -regulation. I must admit, as a child I would never play with my peers ; I always cling to older people. They have given me wisdom and knowledge that have blessed my life. As time goes on, we all may arrive at the stage in our life, I discovered that successful aging occurs when elders have developed many ways to minimize losses and maximize gains. They are things such as, well- funded social security plans, good health care, safe housing that adjust to changes in elders needs, social services, opportunities for lifelong learning. As I end, I would like to thank you for your time and comments.

One common Personality Change in late adulthood is Dementia

Dementia is a brain disease that cause memory and cognitive abilities to deteriorate. It robs people of their personality. Dementia has an effect on individuals in late adulthood. It is not as progressive as Alzheimer disease but has some of the same symptom's. Dementia can be caused by complications of chronic high blood pressure, blood vessel disease or a stroke. Here are some risk factors of cognitive decline with dementia including genetic. They are female gender, medical conditions, heart disease,diabetes, lifestyle choices such as smoking, substance abuse, psychological and psychosocial factors such as low education achievement, lack of physical activity, lack of social interaction and leisure activities. It is very important to try to live a health life. Just three weeks ago I had my yearly physical and my doctor informed me that I need to lose weight( 20lbs.) I thought that this was a little extreme, but I decided to take his advice, I have loss a total of 11lbs in four weeks. As I shared in my last blog, my grandfather died from these diseases. I have made a conscious decision to learn how to prevent this from occurring in my life and others. From Dimensions of Human Behavior it informs me that poor health can later on contribute to having dementia or Alzheimer disease that leads to personality change. If I want to live a long health life I must consider these factors. Every time I have my blood pressure checked I am at the boarder line of hypertension. My doctor cautioned me, he stated if I loss the weight my blood pressure will drop several points. How many of us go through out our day not realizing the dangers we put ourselves in. I think I am health, I eat the right food's and exercise everyday. Little did I know that being health determine will you develope Dementia. Take a look at all these risk factors and examine what is it that you may need to do to prevent yourself from these diseases. Be safe, look for signs from your ones, don't let it be to late, early prevention save lives.

Health Minds. Healthy Lives.

This topic became interesting to me from experiences on a personal and professional level .I watched my mother take care of my grandfather as his mind deteriorate by this disease called Alzheimer's. It effected his mental personality capablities. His personality changed to a different person, he became aggessive, angry, loss of memory of everyone, and he would even walk out of the house without anyone knowing where to find him. This was hard to cope with. As a family, we made it by the grace of God. On a professional level there are many clients that I served who are in their early stage of this disease and Dementia. I have witness how families cope with their love one from these diseases. Erikson states that there are three aspects of personality that increase significantly: outgoingness, self- confidence, and warmth. On the other hand, Vaillant suggest that there are also two components: temperament and character. Vaillant states that temperament doesn't change, and adaptation in adolesence is one of the best predictors of adapation in late adulthood. Sadly, many of our elderly are reluctant to seek psychiatric treatment which could possibly cure or alleviate their symptons and level of functioning. America has the highest suicide rate among the elderly ranging from aged 65. Worldwide, elderly people lead the World Health Organization's list of new cases of mental illness. This topic has become very close to me. As I continue to research this topic, I hope that it becomes informative and helpful to those who may have a love one who suffers from this disorder or a client/consumer that you my come in contact with through your practice. I discovered informative information that explained causes and affects that contribute to this particular topic. It explained symptoms and percentile of victims. This information that I found is from American Psychiatric Association and Dimensions of Human Behavior by Elizabeth D. Hutchison. Stick around for the up coming blog post on Personality changes in Late Adulthood.