Understanding dementia
The word dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language.
Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease or a series of strokes or can be associated with other conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or Down’s syndrome.
Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. Viewing dementia as a series of stages can be a useful way to understand the progression of the condition, while appreciating that each individual will experience dementia in a different way and the different dementia subtypes will have different symptoms.
The terms mild, moderate and severe are most often applied to Alzheimer’s disease although all subtypes can be defined as early or severe.
Resources
- Dementia: Reduce your risk in 6 stepsApril 23 2018This document outlines 6 steps that people can take to improve both physical and mental health and significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia.
- Grief, loss and bereavementFebruary 22 2016This factsheet published by the Alzheimers Society looks at some of the feelings carers may experience in caring for someone living with dementia and suggests ways to cope. It also looks at supporting a person with dementia to cope with grief and bereavement.
- Women and Dementia: A global research overviewJune 5 2015This report published by Alzheimer’s Disease International explores the main issues affecting women in relation to dementia from an international perspective.
- Torfaen Memory Assessment ServiceDecember 10 2019Torfaen Memory Clinic is a team of healthcare professionals based at Ty Sirol Unit, County Hospital who assess, support, advise and provide treatment for people with memory problems and dementia.
- Dementia DiariesJune 4 2015Dementia Diaries is a national project that brings together people’s diverse experiences of living with dementia as a series of audio diaries.
- Improving Dementia Education and Awareness (IDEA)October 13 2013This online resource managed by the University of Nottingham is aimed at improving the care and quality of life for people with dementia.
- Information about Lewy Body DementiaApril 27 2015This handbook published by the Lewy Body Society aims to help people with Lewy body dementia (LBD), their families and health care professionals learn more about the disease and find ways and resources to help them cope with it.
- Award in Understanding DementiaMarch 18 2015The Alzheimer's Society and the Royal Society for Public Health have joined forces to create a new qualification to help people understand more about dementia.
- What is dementia?April 2 2014This resource will help practitioners to understand that dementia is more than just difficulties with memory. Dementia is not a single disease but a term used to describe a group of symptoms.
- What is dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)?June 7 2013This Alzheimer's Society factsheet outlines the causes, symptoms and treatments available for Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
- Drugs used to relieve behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementiaJanuary 20 2012This factsheet produced by the Alzheimer’s Society explores the different types of drugs that can be used to treat these symptoms if non-pharmalogical treatments have not worked.
- The Sound Doctor: Getting the best out of life with dementiaMarch 23 2015The Sound Doctor is a website full of films developed to help individuals, their relatives and carers to better understand the condition so that they can all take control and get the most out of life.
- Younger people with dementiaMay 19 2015This factsheet published by the Alzheimer's Society explores at the types of dementia that younger people under 65 years of age may have, some of the difficulties that they might experience and where support can be found.
- Services for younger people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementiasMarch 18 2006This briefing paper jointly published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Alzheimer's Society provides guidance on the services for younger people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
- How common is dementia?April 6 2014According to the Alzheimer's Society there are around 800,000 people in the UK with dementia. One in three people over 65 will develop dementia, and two-thirds of people with dementia are women.
- Dementia awareness resource packApril 10 2011This pack contains a selection of quality assured awareness raising resources designed to promote living well with dementia. The resources include leaflets, factsheets, contact lists and a DVD.
- Blackfriars Consensus on promoting brain healthMay 3 2014The Blackfriars Consensus, published by the UK Health Forum and Public Health England, explores the potential for incorporation of dementia risk reduction into current approaches for non-communicable diseases.
- Are you worried about Dementia?April 7 2014This leaflet produced by the Lewy Body Society explains the main symptoms and causes of dementia. It also outlines the distinct symptoms associated with Lewy body dementia.
- Frontotemporal dementiaAugust 6 2013This article published in the British Medical Journal highlights some of the issues pertinent to Frontotemporal dementia, a clinically and pathologically heterogeneous group of non-Alzheimer dementias characterised collectively by relatively selective, progressive atrophy involving the frontal or temporal lobes, or both.
- Dementia and aggressive behaviourMay 20 2013This factsheet produced by the Alzheimer's Society aims to aid understanding about what may cause this type of behaviour and offers some ways to deal with it.
- Sight, perception and hallucinations in dementiaOctober 20 2012This Alzheimer's Society factsheet considers some specific difficulties that people with dementia can have with sight, perception and hallucinations, and suggests ways to support them.
- What is vascular dementia?December 7 2011Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. This Alzheimer's Society factsheet outlines the causes, symptoms and treatments available for vascular dementia.
- The later stages of dementiaMarch 7 2012During the later stages of dementia most people will become increasingly frail due to the progression of the illness. They will also gradually become dependent on others for all of their care.
- Unusual behaviourNovember 29 2010This factsheet produced by the Alzheimer’s Society outlines some typical sorts of unusual behaviour in people with dementia and explains some common causes.
- Women’s experiences of dementiaJune 1 2015The 'Women's experiences of dementia' website contains a wealth of stories which highlight the experiences of women affected by dementia.
- Ten tips for communicating with a person with dementiaSeptember 8 2012These top tips produced by the Family Caregiver Alliance will help practitioners and those caring for a person with dementia to improve communication skills and ability to handle the difficult behaviour.
- Understanding and respecting the person with dementiaNovember 29 2010This factsheet produced by the Alzheimer’s Society explores ways that carers can help people living with dementia to feel valued and good about themselves.
- What is Alzheimer’s disease?March 7 2012Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around 496,000 people in the UK. This Alzheimer's Society factsheet outlines the symptoms and risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, and describes what treatments are currently available.
- Delivering major improvements in dementia care and research by 2015: A report of progressNovember 8 2012This report by the three Champion Groups leading the Prime Minister's challenge on dementia provides an update on progress since the launch of the Challenge in March 2012.
- What causes dementia?April 6 2014Dementia is the result of brain cells being damaged in an ongoing way. This happens as a result of a number of different diseases (sometimes referred to as ‘types’ of dementia). It is not an inevitable part of ageing.
- Moving and walking aboutJune 20 2012This Alzheimer's Society factsheet explains some of the reasons why a person with dementia may walk about and looks at what you can do to help.
- Dementia UKFebruary 3 2007This report into the prevalence and cost of dementia shows that as the UK's population ages the number of people with dementia will grow substantially. It also shows that dementia costs the UK £17 billion a year.
- Women and dementia: A marginalised majorityMarch 8 2015This report published by Alzheimer's Research UK reveals that dementia has become the leading cause of death among British women and that women are far more likely to end up as carers of those with dementia than men, suffering physical and emotional stress and job losses in the process.
- Dementia e-learning sessionsAugust 26 2013An interactive e-learning resource to support the training of all health and social care staff in recognising, assessing, and managing dementia, and providing high quality dementia care.
- Torfaen Carers CourseJanuary 22 2020Torfaen Carers Course is a 7 week rolling programme for carers of people with Dementia. It provides information and advice on how to manage symptoms, how a diagnosis is made, your rights as a carer, managing your relatives finances, and ongoing support for looking after yourself as a carer.
- Guidelines for Helping the Confused Older PersonMay 16 2019These guidelines are designed to help someone be able to provide assistance to an older person experiencing confusion or the cognitive changes associated with dementia although may prove useful for any age group with dementia.
- A Guide to Respite for People Affected by DementiaNovember 26 2018This guide gives carers and people living with dementia the information they need when considering respite, to help them to explore respite alternatives, and sets out their rights.
- UnforgettableApril 4 2019Unforgettable.org is a website offering advice and community as well as products to help improve the lives of people with dementia. It provides some interesting blogs of people's experiences with dementia including real stories and diaries.
- FREE Dementia Friends Sessions at Cwmbran Shopping CentreJanuary 7 2020Cwmbran shopping centre are holding FREE Dementia Friends sessions at the management offices in Powys house. A Dementia Friend is somebody that learns about dementia so they can help their community. Too many people affected by dementia feel that society fails to understand the condition they live with. Dementia Friends help by raising awareness and understanding, so that people living with dementia can continue to live in the way they want.
- Delirium awareness videoMarch 4 2018Delirium in older adults often goes unrecognised by health care professionals and can be poorly managed. This video was produced with the aim of improving recognition and management of delirium in any healthcare setting.
- Dementia Friends – bookcase analogyOctober 16 2018In this film Natalie Rodriguez, Dementia Friends Champion, uses a bookcase analogy to describe how dementia may affect a person. This simple explanation, orginally devised by Dr Gemma Jones, can be helpful for Dementia Friends Champions to explain dementia to others.
- Living with early-stage dementiaNovember 20 2019Living with early-stage dementia is a comprehensive guide published by Age UK, also known as Age Cymru in Wales.
- Gwent Access to AdvocacyAugust 30 2019Gwent Access to Advocacy GATA provides a single point of access for advocacy services in Gwent covering Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire and Torfaen. (For Newport contact Dewis Centre for Independent Living (CIL))
- Useful Apps for Dementia Patients & CarersApril 25 2019There are many apps available that can be downloaded to a smartphone or tablet that could be beneficial to people with dementia. Apps are available for daily aid, memory training, relaxation, care giver information and games.
- Dementia Action Plan for Wales 2018 – 2022November 20 2019The Welsh government have adopted the Dementia Action Plan for Wales 2018 - 2022, with Vaughan Gething, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services, stating that, "Our vision is for Wales to be a dementia friendly nation that recognises the rights of people with dementia to feel valued and to live as independently as possible in their communities."
- Caring for someone with dementiaCaring for someone with dementia is a comprehensive booklet published by Age UK, whose network includes Age Cymru in Wales.
- The Many Faces of DementiaSeptember 9 2019This online course enables you to gain a unique insight into dementia through the stories, symptoms and science behind four less common diagnoses of dementia, the people involved and the implications of these for our wider understanding.
- Alzheimer’s and Dementia Medication ManagementFebruary 27 2022Those with dementia may start to forget to take their pills or refuse to take them. Here are some medication management tips for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s and dementia medication management (singlecare.com) Proper medication management is critical for people living with dementia, and ...
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Groups
- Torfaen dementia support workersTorfaen dementia support workers offer information and practical guidance to help people understand dementia cope with day-to-day challenges and prepare for the future.Ty Siriol County Hospital, Coed Y Gric Road, Griffithstown, Pontypool, Torfaen, NP4 5YA01495 768627
- Griffithstown carers support groupGriffithstown carers support group gives people the opportunity to meet with others who understand some of what they are going through.Ty Siriol County Hospital, Coed Y Gric Road, Griffithstown, Pontypool, Torfaen, NP4 5YA01495 768744
- Llanyravon carers support groupLlanyravon carers support group gives people the opportunity to meet with others who understand some of what they are going through.Llanyravon Methodist Church, Llanyravon Way, Llanyravon, Cwmbran, NP44 8RA01495 768627
- Aneurin Bevan University Health BoardAneurin Bevan University Health Board covers the areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen and South Powys. It serves an estimated population of over 639,000, approximately 21% of the total Welsh population.St Cadoc's Hospital, Lodge Road, Caerleon, Newport, Wales, NP18 3XQ01873 732732abhb.enquiries@wales.nhs.ukhttps://www.aneurinbevanhb.wales.nhs.uk/
- Alzheimer’s Society WalesAlzheimer’s Society is the leading care and research charity for people with dementia their families
and carers. The Alzheimer's Society Wales provides a wide range of services to support people living with dementia and their carers.S4C, Parc Ty Glas, Llanishen, Cardiff CF14 5DU, UK0333 150 3456sdareaoffice-southwales@alzheimers.org.ukhttps://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200139
- Dementia UKDementia UK is a national charity, committed to improving quality of life for all people affected by dementia. The charity provides Admiral Nurses, specialist dementia nurses who provide practical and emotional support to family carers of people with dementia.2nd Floor, Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PA020 7697 4160info@dementiauk.orghttps://www.dementiauk.org
- Innovations in DementiaInnovations in Dementia is a community interest company that works nationally with people with dementia, partner organisations and professionals to develop and test projects that will enhance the lives of people with dementia.PO Box 616, Exeter, EX1 9JB01392 420076ideas@innovationsindementia.org.ukhttps://www.innovationsindementia.org.uk/
- Lewy Body SocietyThe Lewy Body Society is a charity which aims to raise awareness of Dementia with Lewy bodies for the general public and educate those in the medical profession and decision making positions about all aspects of the disease and to support research into the disease.Hudson House, 8 Albany Street, Edinburgh EH1 3QB, United Kingdom0131 473 2385info@lewybody.orghttps://lewybody.org
- Alzheimer’s SocietyAlzheimer's Society is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.Devon House, 58 St Katharine's Way, London, E1W 1LB020 7423 3500enquiries@alzheimers.org.ukhttps://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
- Alzheimer’s Research UKAlzheimer's Research UK is a leading research charity for dementia, dedicated to funding scientific studies to find ways to treat, cure or prevent all dementias. 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Cambridge, CB21 6AD0300 111 5555enquiries@alzheimersresearchuk.orghttps://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org
- Dementia PathfindersDementia Pathfinders CIC is a social enterprise delivering therapeutic care and support for people with dementia and their families, and programmes of education and learning for people working in the dementia care field.Warstones Resource Centre, Warstones Drive, Wolverhampton, WV4 4PG0845 257 2250info@dementiapathfinders.orghttps://www.dementiapathfinders.org
- Dementia Services Development CentreThe Dementia Services Development Centre is an international centre of knowledge and expertise dedicated to improving the lives of people with dementia.Iris Murdoch Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland01786 467740https://www.dementia.stir.ac.uk
- The Dementia Training CentreThe Dementia Training Centre offers a range of courses from face to face training programmes, tailored to the meet the needs of your organisation, free e-learning packages designed by experts, to a Master’s degree offering specialist dementia training.115 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ020 7848 0508info@dementiatrainingcentre.co.ukhttps://dementiatrainingcentre.com
- “Zest for Life” – Young Onset Dementia ServiceWe are a supportive group for younger individuals. Suitable for those living with young onset dementia or cognitive impairment. We welcome individuals and carers across Gwent.
Weekly Friday drop-in groupWiddershins Centre, East Ave, Griffithstown, Pontypool NP4 5AB01495 769264
- Free Legal Advice and SupportQualia Law CIC provides free legal advice and support for people living with dementia. We also provide advice to families, carers or professionals in the social care and third sector. Our solicitors are specialists in the areas of: Mental Capacity, Financial Safeguarding, the Court of Protection and Lasting Powers of Attorney.39 Bessborough Drive, Cardiff CF11 8NE, UK07961507940info@qualia-law.orghttps://www.Qualia-Law.org
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