Dementia Demystified by Tim England.

Dementia is a complex condition that impairs a person’s memory, their cognition, and their daily functioning. To help address these many challenges, the expertise of "ologists" plays a vital role in ensuring comprehensive care and support for your loved one with dementia. But what are Ologists.??  Today you will discover who and what Ologists are, and how they can help you and your loved...

Today this is a quick review to understand what are Lewy Body Dementia’s. In Australia a lesser-known form dementia is called Lewy Body Dementia’s. Lewy Body Dementia’s is the 4th most common form of dementia in Australia. Lewy Body Dementia’s are very common dementia’s, however very few people have heard about it. Lewy Body Dementia’s is an umbrella term for a spectrum of dementias.  The illnesse...

Today this is a quick review to understand what Frontotemporal Dementias are .In Australia a lesser-known form of dementia is called Frontotemporal Dementia’s. Frontotemporal Dementia’s is the 3rd most common form of dementia in Australia and Frontotemporal Dementia’s is responsible for about 10% of all dementia cases, but that percentage can vary greatly from region to region. The cause of Fronto...

Today this is a quick review to understand what is Vascular Dementia. Vascular Dementia is very different to Alzheimer's disease. Vascular Dementia is the 2nd most common form of dementia in Australia and Vascular dementia is responsible for between 10 – 20% of all dementia cases, but that percentage can vary greatly from region to region. Vascular dementia, as the name suggests, involves the...

Today this is a quick review to understand what is Alzheimer's disease. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's Disease is responsible for between 60 – 70% of all dementia cases, but that percentage can vary greatly from region to region. For reasons that we don't fully understand Alzheimer's disease tends to impact an area of the brain cal...

It is well understood from research that therapies, such as Occupational Therapy, music and physical therapy, is a critical component of dementia care. Targeted therapy can improve the quality of life for your loved one with dementia and help manage dementia symptoms. However, there are numerous barriers that hinder the access and effectiveness of such vital therapies.  These challenges range from...

Dementia is a topic that most people wish to avoid. Dementia is one of the most deeply feared medical diagnoses in modern society. This fear is not unfounded: dementia undermines the very essence of what it means to be you, eroding one’s memory, reasoning, language, and the capacity for independent living.  However, an early dementia diagnosis comes with a multitude of benefits, from accessing tre...

This question is not whether preparation is possible, but rather are you and your community willing to take the steps necessary to achieve it.  In this episode we are going to discuss is just that. What is needed to be prepared for dementia in the community.  About me My name is Tim England and I’m the host and creator of the podcasts Dementia Demystified. I’m also a Dementia Champion and a leadin...

There are four main diseases that cause dementia. These are Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementias and Frontotemporal Dementias, and each of these diseases are associated with hallmark symptoms and characteristics.  What is not common knowledge is that your loved one with dementia may have more than one form of dementia. If this is the case we refer this as being Mixed Dementi...

Australia operates a unique emergency and hands-on tactical team to support those living with dementia if their individual Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia, or BPSD, becomes acute and critical and they are at risk of harm and that of others around them.  This team is called Severe Behaviour Response Teams. This service has been operating in Australia for about a decade, but you h...

The management of BPSD often involves a combination of interventions including both non-pharmacological and pharmacological, and non-pharmacological is always the priority and must be used first. There is a significant list of non-pharmacological interventions. There is a place for pharmacological approaches, but these must be a last resort once all other interventions have failed, that they have...

Behavioural and Psychological symptoms of Dementia or BPSD, is a way of describing a broad range of non-cognitive symptoms that your loved one with dementia can display.  In the previous episode we briefly discuss what BPSD is. In this episode we will expand on the previous episode and review some of the triggers of BPSD, and in the next episode you will discover some possible treatments and manag...

Behavioural and Psychological symptoms of Dementia or BPSD, is a way of describing a broad range of non-cognitive symptoms that your loved one with dementia can display.  BPSD falls into 5 broad areas, such as Cognitive, Motor, Verbal, Emotional, and Vegetative, and according to research your loved one with dementia will experience several BPSD as their dementia progresses.  Signs of BPSD will var...

  Your loved one with dementia may lose their appetite for food. This is significant because poor food intake can create nutritional issues, weight loss and a decline in overall health.  There can be many reasons why there is a reduced desire to eat, which could include cognitive impairment or other underlying factors, such as pain or fatigue. In this episode we will look at how dementia can affec...

I’ve made this bold statement in a previous episode about CTE and asbestosis. It could be argued that CTE is the asbestosis of the 21st century, and the potential impacts within Australia for current and future professional, amateur and grassroots sporting and recreational activities is unknown.  In this episode we will discuss the next steps and the impact of CTE on Australian society Concussion...

While CTE may be a novel neurodegenerative disease it does have a well recorded history.  CTE is well known about and is a neurodegenerative disease which is linked to repeated head trauma. Hall mark symptoms often include changes in behaviour and behavioural problems, problems with mood swings, and problems with thinking. This disease is progressive and becomes worse over time and CTE can result...

Concussion and traumatic brain injury in contact sports and their links to dementia have again been in the media spotlight.  Many retired professional athletes have recently revealed that they have been diagnosed with probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE. These announcements follow closely after media stories about others who have been diagnosed with CTE after their death.  CTE is a b...

In the very first series of Dementia Demystified there is an episode called ‘The 3 D’s of confusion - Dementia, Delirium and Depression’. There you discovered that your loved one with dementia could experience a sudden and acute state of confusion known as delirium. In that episode possible causes of a delirium where mentioned, with one being Urinary Tract Infection or UTI for short. Unfortunately...

It’s important to remember, for a person living with dementia, living at home can give them a sense of independence, a feeling of safety and comfortability, and allow them to continue to enjoy their home By making some changes to their home, many that are not expensive, supports them to continue with the routines or activities they enjoy. Each of these changes may help them stay safe, active, and...

Imagine you had an illness like diabetes, an injury like a broken leg, or have just undergone surgery of some kind … you’d have access to individualised rehabilitation after the diagnosis and/or surgery….  Of course you would, because the benefits of rehabilitation are known to support an individual’s quality-of-life, promote independence and their self-esteem. But what about dementia?? Is there a...

People with Young Onset Dementia have different experiences and often different symptoms to older people with dementia and the impact on their lives is also significantly different. Young onset dementia is any form of dementia that occurs in people under the age of 65 years. People in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s do develop dementia, and it’s far more common than your community understands. Abo...

Is there a need for a Personal Health Plan for someone with dementia? The answer is.. Yes…  absolutely….A person with dementia needs a Personal Health Plan. It’s does not matter where a person is with their dementia, their age and/or what stage they are at with dementia.  A Personal Health Plan is a document designed and structured in such a way to help you outline and organise your health and wel...

Although we understand what and why things change for people living with dementia, we need to remember the pioneering work of Tom Kitwood in 1997.  Tom Kitwood’s statement of ‘If you have met one person with dementia, you have only met one person with dementia’, is propound and reminds us that everyone, including people with dementia require personhood.  This episode come from the perspective of y...

If you care for a loved one living with dementia, do you often feel emotions and have thoughts that are hard to admit?  If you do …. That’s OK, … it’s quite normal and you are not alone.  In this episode you and I will dive into some raw, unspoken thoughts and truths of dementia caregiving that so many experience but no one talks about, and you will understand why none of these thoughts makes you...

We humans all desire to feel valued, loved, respected and safe. This is the same for your loved one with dementia. They desire the same thing. But we as caregivers often forget these core conventions. Dementia is a condition with cognitive decline severe enough to significantly interfere with daily life and therefor requires specialised approaches. Today we will discuss some golden rules essential...