Dementia Demystified by Tim England.

In previous episodes you discovered that dementia is not a disease. Dementia is a brain disorder that is caused by disease or injury, and there are over 100 causes of dementia.  We have also discussed that dementia is very difficult to diagnose. There is no single definitive test for diagnosing dementia in a living person. The only definitive test is at postmortem when brain tissue is examined mic...

A dementia diagnosis does not necessarily mean that a person with dementia have to stop driving straight away. However, because the condition involves a gradual decline in both cognitive and physical ability, they will need to stop driving at some point. Having the discussion about stopping driving is very difficult, but very necessary, because dementia ultimately reduces your loved one’s driving...

In Australia there are national organisations that provide quality dementia education, much of this is government funded. These organisations offered Introductory, Foundational and Enhanced Practice programs to a broad range of healthcare professionals, allied health specialists and the public. Most are online, with some providing face-to-face programs. Links below.  The Wicking Dementia Research...

When I was about 10 years of age, people around me did not talk about the ‘C’ word. The ‘C’ was cancer. But today, we as a community talk openly about cancer, and cancer is no longer a taboo subject of conversation. However, dementia is the C word of today. Dementia is not talked about, it’s hidden, and stigmatised, just as cancer once was. Well, you and I are going to change that…… right now... T...

The world can appear to be a very confusing place for your loved one with dementia because the way they see, feels and interprets the world around them can be very different to you. It’s important to remember, for a your loved one with dementia, living at home can give them a sense of independence. By making some simple changes to their home, they may be able to continue with the routines or activ...

Many families have told me that during doctor visits, that often doctors do not discuss some basic information about dementia. This includes, what could and may happen, how their loved one may respond to dementia, what therapeutic options are available, the benefits of creating a personalised health care plan, and much more. I understand that this episode could be confronting, but I believe correc...

Please think about this… ‘ Right now, thousands of children are suffering and dying slowly with dementia and most people don’t know about it’ . This is a quote from Megan Maack, CEO of the Childhood Dementia Initiative, which was formed in Sydney, Australia in 2020 to lead world-first action and awareness for all children with dementia. Megan has two children living with Childhood Dementia.  I can...

In Australia, and in other countries, you as a competent adult has the legal right to accept or decline any medical treatment. It’s the same in many other countries. You have choice with your health care and medical care.   However, if you are unable to communicate your wishes or have lost the mental capacity to make your own decisions, what then? Who would speak for you? What would you want them...

You and I are human beings and because of this we are subject to the human condition. The human condition incorporates both positive aspects like joy and love, as well as negative aspects like ageing, and mortality. This unfortunately includes some memory loss.  However, there is a stage between the expected decline in memory and thinking that happens as you age, and the more serious decline of de...

I’ve worked with many family carers over the years, and I’m asked many, many challenging questions.  One of the common questions I’m asked is ‘When will we know it’s time for nursing home care for my loved one who has dementia?’ My answer is sincere: I say” “You will know when it’s time.” But how will you recognise this.  Well today we are going to discuss the difficult subject of nursing home car...

There are 2 popular models that explain the different stages of dementia. These are:- a 3-Stage dementia model and a 7-Stage dementia model.  But before we compare these models you need to think about dementia as being on a continuum with no cognitive impairment on one end and very severe cognitive impairment on the other. Think about these stages as fluid with the ability for some small variation...

I’m a leading voice on dementia in Australia with a Masters of Dementia and a Bachelor of Dementia Care . Many consider me an expert in dementia, and I am often asked a very confronting question by families. How long will my loved one with dementia live for. This may appear as a straightforward question but really there is not a straightforward answer. Although life expectancy and dementia is a ch...

So, you or your loved one have been diagnosed with dementia. Now what? What do you do now?  It can be difficult to accept a dementia diagnosis. Fear, anger, denial and sadness are just a few of the emotions you or your loved one may experience.  This is normal.  However, there are things you can do post diagnosis, but it requires courage, desire and tenacity, and some Aussie grit on your part. Thi...

This is the first episode of Series 2.  In the first series there is a short podcast called ‘ Some Myths of Dementia ’. That episode listed many common and outdated myths, and miss understandings about dementia. These misbeliefs lead to misconceptions about this group of conditions by the public, and unfortunately within the medical community. You can hear about some of these myths on my previous...

Here are some sobering facts. Someone in the world develops dementia every 3 seconds. There are over 55 million people worldwide living with dementia in 2024. This number is expected to almost double every 20 years reaching over 140 million by 2055.  Each country will continue to discover more cases of dementia in their population. The research is clear on this, and without a medical breakthrough,...

There's been a lot of research around communication and dementia. Research suggests very strongly that many people in dementia care settings do not modify their communication strategies to suit the changing stages of dementia. This can result in sub-optimal outcomes for people with dementia and their families. It’s also been mentioned that communication is a very important subject that we nee...

From previous episodes you have learned that dementia is not a disease but is a brain disorder caused by disease. Dementia is not a normal part of ageing and it’s the result from damage to nerve cells and their connections. But what is the underpinning pathology of disease that's causing the dementia condition doing to the brain. In this episode you will have a brief introduction into the bra...

As we age, many adults are affected by Dementia, Delirium and/or Depression. It’s understood that Dementia is not a normal part of ageing, and it’s the same for Delirium and Depression. However, all three conditions are very different from one another.  These three conditions can impact a person’s ability to function and any delays in investigating and treatment can have serious consequences for t...

If you saw a child in the street who appeared lost, worried, and confused, you’d help them… RIGHT…? But what would you do if it was an older person displaying the same signs? What would you do then?  Unfortunately, members of the public often don’t help a distressed person showing signs of dementia, because they don’t understand the condition and/or don’t want to get involved.  So, how do YOU help...

Have you ever stopped and thought about how you see, feel and interpret the world around you. You probably don’t give this much thought and simple go about your day just doing and not thinking about the world you. But what about a person with dementia. How do their see and feel the world around them?  Well, that's the topic for today's podcast - How do people with dementia interpret the...

If you do not what to develop dementia , then do not grow older . Although ageing is not a cause of dementia, it is a major risk factor. But you cannot stop the ageing process.  However, in recent years 12 modifiable risk factors for dementia have been identified. Researchers such as Prof Gill Livingston suggests that future cases of dementia could be prevented or delayed if people change aspects...

Dementia is not a disease. Dementia is a brain disorder caused by disease and / or injury, and dementia is not caused by age. Ageing is a risk factor, but ageing is not a cause. There's over a hundred different diseases that will cause a dementia condition. Today we're going to talk about the four main ones that you may have heard about, and some that are new to you.  These being:- Alzhe...

There are many common and outdated myths and miss understandings about dementia, which leads to misconceptions about this group of conditions by the public, and unfortunately within the medical community.   To fully understand dementia, these myths and misconceptions must be discussed to dispel popular stereotypes and to help fight the stigma linked to dementia. Here some common myths about dement...

Dementia is an insidious condition and it tenacles infiltrate all levels of societies, and dementia is a challenging topic to discuss. Stigma and fear are associated with dementia and many actively avoid the subject. But avoiding dementia does not support those with the condition and/or their families, and only increases social isolation, loneliness, and the burden of family carers. There is a gre...

One of the many questions I get asked in the workshops that I run for the public regarding dementia awareness is What is dementia? That is a very good question.  Today we're going to actively explore that, and we'll be looking from two different perspectives. Firstly, what is dementia, and equally important what dementia isn't You will soon understand that dementia is not a disease,...