18B Memory Problems and Dementia - Symptoms Update 1 - 28/11/13]

One of the aims of Swanley as a Dementia Friendly Community [see Post 1] is to enhance awareness of dementia, and so support the national policy to increase the rates of diagnoses of dementias. 

The way in which this will be done is to let residents, visitors and those who work in the town know of the symptoms and so encourage those with memory problems or other symptoms to go to their general practitioner (GP), ie a doctor for an assessment.

However, it may be noted that there may be other conditions causing memory problems, eg depression. This Post is a general review of the symptoms that a person living with a dementia may show. [See Post 18 for types of dementia.]

Initial Assessment
Firstly though, you may like to note that a person may exhibit one of these symptoms, eg a problem of memory loss, but that this might be caused by a condition which is not in fact dementia. It is important therefore for the individual to be assessed by a clinical practitioner with relevant training and experience. In some instances the illness will not be dementia. As a result the person may be treated or referred for appropriate treatment after the assessment.

A second aspect of national policy on diagnosis or initial assessment for dementia is that a person over the age of 74 years who is admitted to hospital for 48 hours or more will be assessed routinely for dementia.

Symptoms of Dementia
In life with dementia the various symptoms manivest at different times and may be dormant for long periods. Although there are common symptoms some of those with a particular dementia may not show all of them.

The list which follows is derived from talking to friends at the time when they were early-diagnosed and from written accounts by those who have dementia or by their family members. It is not an attempt to provide clinical  list so what I have called a symptom may be one of the outcomes of an underlying or general symptom.

1. Loss of short term memory
2. Confusion
3. Inappropriate behaviour
4. Expressions of anger, frustration, etc, eg shouting
5. Difficulty with or inability to do simple tasks, eg preparing vegetables
6. Difficulty with reading, eg reading written signage 
7. Difficulty with numbers, eg dealing with money
8. Having a propensity to wander and /or becoming lost
9. Repeatedly asking the same question 
10. Mild to severe cognitive difficulties
11. Being unable to recognise faces, eg family members or friends 
12. Inability to speak or understand
13. Lack of concentration.

Notes
Note 1 Readers in @Europe, @USA and other places may like to note that in the England most residents and long stay visitors are registered with a general practice doctor (GP) in a local NHS primary care surgery. During opening hours, unless an illness or injury is life-threatening, we will be treated by the GP, dentist, pharmacist, etc. Sometimes we go to a minor injuries unit (MIU) or a walk-in centre.

Note 2 Most of us are encouraged to avoid our local (secondary care) NHS hospital unless:

• we are referred to a hospital consultant or the hospital's A&E by our GP or an out-of-hours duty doctor
• we suffer an acute illness or other life threatening injury and emergency paramedics take us to the hospital's Accident and Emergency Unit (A&E), eg by the regional ambulance service, etc
• we become ill out-of-hours, in which case be bettle off to the A&E.