How to Identify 5 Common Dementias

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on May 15, 2018

Categories: Geriatrics, Geriatrics, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy

One of the main questions that I am asked at the hundreds of talks I give each year is, “What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia?” With so many groups fighting against Alzheimer’s disease, it can seem like the word dementia is interchangeable. How would you respond to that inquiry? Is it important what type of dementia someone has for his or her care? It’s critical to firmly understand the five more common dementias, including Alzheimer’s, so that you have a stronger, and more supportive answer to these questions.

Five Dementias

Using five role-play scenarios of screening assessment tools and a family member, you can test your own skill at identifying characteristics and key indicators of the following five dementias. My course dives deeper into each of these and demonstrates case scenarios for each. Get started below with some more general attributes of each common form of dementia:

Alzheimer’s disease

Often simply characterized with memory loss, there is more to this disease that may get missed early on in the journey.

Vascular dementia

It’s key to look at all of the health factors in a person’s life as well as sudden drops or changes in function to help identify vascular dementia. In these cases damage is related to blood supply and treatment can plateau. There are good and bads for these patients.

Frontal Variant Frontotemporal dementia

While in the family of FTDs, the prefrontal frontal cortex causes specific changes in behavior that can be surprising and frustrating without a clear understanding of the changes.

Frontal-Temporal dementia

Someone with temporal deterioration may experience language challenges along with shifts in personality that occur with frontal lobe damage. As discussed in my course, it’s important to support these individuals to avoid agitation.

Lewy Body dementia

One of the most commonly misdiagnosed or missed dementias, there are several strong indicators of this particular dementia including movement issues, visual hallucinations, fine motor problems, episodes of rigidity, insomnia, delusions, or fluctuations in abilities.

With the number of types and causes of dementia continuing to climb to over 110, only digging into five may seem like a small start. However, as you work through my course, you will look more critically at each of these more common dementias and start to assemble a number of different screening tools to help you catch changes earlier and with more accuracy than before.

Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA

Teepa Snow, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA

Teepa Snow is an advocate for those living with dementia and has made it her personal mission to help families and professionals better understand how it feels to be living with such challenges. She seeks to change and improve life for everyone involved. Her practice has included everything from neuro-intensive care units in tertiary hospitals to in-home, end-of-life care in rural parts of the North Carolina. She has taught at medical schools and post-doctoral programs, health professional programs, colleges and universities, community colleges, and community centers. She led educational and training efforts as the educational director of the Eastern NC Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association for many years and was a major contributor and author of the in-depth, hands-on training delivered to family members and staff that led to the production of the DVD Accepting the Challenge: Providing the Best Care for People with Dementia, an internationally recognized resource for training and understanding dementia.

As one of America's leading educators on dementia, Teepa has developed a dementia care philosophy reflective of her education, work experience, medical research, and first-hand caregiving experiences. She is a graduate of Duke University, and received her MS from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. As an occupational therapist with over 30 years of experience in geriatrics, she has worked as the OT director in a head injury facility, a clinical specialist in geriatrics for a Veteran's Administration Medical Center, and a restorative care coordinator for a long-term care facility. Her hands-on caregiving experiences include providing direct care in home health, assisted living, long-term care, and rehabilitation settings. Teepa also served as the director of education and lead trainer for the Eastern NC Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, and as a clinical associate professor at UNC's School of Medicine, Program on Aging.

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