Caring For A Loved One With Dementia with Dr. David C. Weisman MD AI50

Dementia is a disease / condition that is characterized by a decline in memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking skills. This condition will affect a person's ability to perform everyday activities such as memory loss. Is Alzheimer's the most common cause of dementia?

Dementia is a very broad word and all it means is having a cognitive problem that makes one unable to carry out previous activities that can be difficulty with doing finances or calculating a tip, missing appointments, unable to drive without getting lost. Anything that changes you cognitively could do that. That could be a traumatic brain injury or a stroke could make one demented, so the word is so broad, it's almost vacuous. What most people are talking about when they talk about dementing diseases is Alzheimer's disease, so Alzheimer's disease is this specific kind of dementia like a Rose is a kind of flower. Alzheimer's is a kind of dementia. It accounts for about 80% of all dementias and we can make that diagnosis. When somebody comes to us with progressive cognitive problems that were gradual and onset and progressively get worse, it usually starts with memory loss manifested by repeating questions and not be able to retain information in short term memory, long-term memory, totally fine. Short term memory, very problematic. Gradually that gives rise to a dementia. Problems with preparing finance, doing finances, making appointments, taking medications, getting lost, and then we can make the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Please join me and Dr. David C. Weisman MD, Trialist And Neurologist At Abington Neurological Associates, as we talk about dementia care for our Baby Boomers from a Neurologist's point of view.

You can listen to Dr. Weisman's second interview appearance on the show (season2, episode99) here: Dr. David C. Weisman – Is Research Showing Optimism About the Future Diagnosis of and Treatment for Alzheimer's?

You can learn more about Dr. David C. Weisman MD at:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-weisman-59539ba

Abington Neurological Associates
http://www.abingtonneurology.com/providers/weisman/

View other articles by Dr. David C. Weisman MD:

(Essay: Specious Souls)
http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/from_divided_minds_a_specious_soul/

(Essay: The Evils of Football)
http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/disposable_heroes/

(Essay: Buddhism and the Brain)
http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/buddhism_and_the_brain/