What Is It?
Occasionally forgetting where you put your car keys is not a serious issue, but significant memory problems can interfere with daily activities. Problems with memory or thinking (also called cognition) may be the result of mild cognitive impairment, which can precede dementia, or they may be due to several types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia and vascular dementia, to name a few.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and has a gradual onset of memory, thinking and behavior problems that interfere with daily life. It affects approximately 4 million people in the United States. One in 10 persons over the age of 65 and nearly half of people over the age of 85 have Alzheimer’s disease. In the beginning, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may be confused and have difficulty remembering recent events. This progresses to behavior changes, getting lost in familiar places and difficulty talking, swallowing and walking.
How We Treat It
In partnership with Aegis Therapies, we approach memory issues and dementia with a focus on multiple areas:
- Using the Allen Cognitive Disabilities Model to determine what the person is still able to do and what skills they can maintain for as long as possible
- Assisting family members and caregivers with identifying activities and communication approaches that are suitable for the person’s cognitive level
- Training family members and caregivers in what to expect in terms of walking and other physical activities
- Advising family members about the amount of care and assistance the person requires
What You Can Expect
We are committed to staying abreast of updates related to assessing and treating cognitive deficits.
