Today this is a quick review to understand what are Lewy Body Dementia’s. In Australia a lesser-known form dementia is called Lewy Body Dementia’s. Lewy Body Dementia’s is the 4th most common form of dementia in Australia. Lewy Body Dementia’s are very common dementia’s, however very few people have heard about it. Lewy Body Dementia’s is an umbrella term for a spectrum of dementias. The illnesses caused by this disease are called, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, or Parkinson disease dementi...

Today this is a quick review to understand what Frontotemporal Dementias are .In Australia a lesser-known form of dementia is called Frontotemporal Dementia’s. Frontotemporal Dementia’s is the 3rd most common form of dementia in Australia and Frontotemporal Dementia’s is responsible for about 10% of all dementia cases, but that percentage can vary greatly from region to region. The cause of Frontotemporal Dementia is not fully understood, but several factors have been identified. These includ...

Today this is a quick review to understand what is Vascular Dementia. Vascular Dementia is very different to Alzheimer's disease. Vascular Dementia is the 2nd most common form of dementia in Australia and Vascular dementia is responsible for between 10 – 20% of all dementia cases, but that percentage can vary greatly from region to region. Vascular dementia, as the name suggests, involves the vascular system or the blood flow system in your body. Part of the human vascular system includes blo...

Today this is a quick review to understand what is Alzheimer's disease. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's Disease is responsible for between 60 – 70% of all dementia cases, but that percentage can vary greatly from region to region. For reasons that we don't fully understand Alzheimer's disease tends to impact an area of the brain called the hippocampus. The hippocampus is involved with short-term memory, and it's located on either side the brain n...

It is well understood from research that therapies, such as Occupational Therapy, music and physical therapy, is a critical component of dementia care. Targeted therapy can improve the quality of life for your loved one with dementia and help manage dementia symptoms. However, there are numerous barriers that hinder the access and effectiveness of such vital therapies. These challenges range from societal stigma, a lack of awareness within the medical and non-medical community, to syste...

Dementia is a topic that most people wish to avoid. Dementia is one of the most deeply feared medical diagnoses in modern society. This fear is not unfounded: dementia undermines the very essence of what it means to be you, eroding one’s memory, reasoning, language, and the capacity for independent living. However, an early dementia diagnosis comes with a multitude of benefits, from accessing treatments and support, to planning with confidence. It allows you or your loved one with demen...

This question is not whether preparation is possible, but rather are you and your community willing to take the steps necessary to achieve it. In this episode we are going to discuss is just that. What is needed to be prepared for dementia in the community. About me My name is Tim England and I’m the host and creator of the podcasts Dementia Demystified. I’m also a Dementia Champion and a leading voice on dementia in Australia and I have been active in this area for over 14 years....

There are four main diseases that cause dementia. These are Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementias and Frontotemporal Dementias, and each of these diseases are associated with hallmark symptoms and characteristics. What is not common knowledge is that your loved one with dementia may have more than one form of dementia. If this is the case we refer this as being Mixed Dementia. Identifying mixed dementia in your loved one with dementia can be particularly chal...

Australia operates a unique emergency and hands-on tactical team to support those living with dementia if their individual Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia, or BPSD, becomes acute and critical and they are at risk of harm and that of others around them. This team is called Severe Behaviour Response Teams. This service has been operating in Australia for about a decade, but you have probably never heard of them, know what they do, or how to access their service. W...

The management of BPSD often involves a combination of interventions including both non-pharmacological and pharmacological, and non-pharmacological is always the priority and must be used first. There is a significant list of non-pharmacological interventions. There is a place for pharmacological approaches, but these must be a last resort once all other interventions have failed, that they have been documented and that the person who will receive this invention has given their consent, or i...

Behavioural and Psychological symptoms of Dementia or BPSD, is a way of describing a broad range of non-cognitive symptoms that your loved one with dementia can display. In the previous episode we briefly discuss what BPSD is. In this episode we will expand on the previous episode and review some of the triggers of BPSD, and in the next episode you will discover some possible treatments and management of BPSD to best support a person with dementia. I recommend that you listen to part 1 ...

Behavioural and Psychological symptoms of Dementia or BPSD, is a way of describing a broad range of non-cognitive symptoms that your loved one with dementia can display. BPSD falls into 5 broad areas, such as Cognitive, Motor, Verbal, Emotional, and Vegetative, and according to research your loved one with dementia will experience several BPSD as their dementia progresses. Signs of BPSD will vary greatly in both type and severity and can vary greatly on a day-by-day basis. However...

Your loved one with dementia may lose their appetite for food. This is significant because poor food intake can create nutritional issues, weight loss and a decline in overall health. There can be many reasons why there is a reduced desire to eat, which could include cognitive impairment or other underlying factors, such as pain or fatigue. In this episode we will look at how dementia can affect appetite and discuss strategies to encourage your loved one with dementia to eat and w...

I’ve made this bold statement in a previous episode about CTE and asbestosis. It could be argued that CTE is the asbestosis of the 21st century, and the potential impacts within Australia for current and future professional, amateur and grassroots sporting and recreational activities is unknown. In this episode we will discuss the next steps and the impact of CTE on Australian society Concussion and traumatic brain injury in contact sports and their links to dementia have again been in ...

While CTE may be a novel neurodegenerative disease it does have a well recorded history. CTE is well known about and is a neurodegenerative disease which is linked to repeated head trauma. Hall mark symptoms often include changes in behaviour and behavioural problems, problems with mood swings, and problems with thinking. This disease is progressive and becomes worse over time and CTE can result in dementia. However, until 20 years ago CTE was believed to only effect retires boxers, but...

Concussion and traumatic brain injury in contact sports and their links to dementia have again been in the media spotlight. Many retired professional athletes have recently revealed that they have been diagnosed with probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE. These announcements follow closely after media stories about others who have been diagnosed with CTE after their death. CTE is a big subject to cover so we will discuss CTE over 3 separate podcasts. We will dis...

In the very first series of Dementia Demystified there is an episode called ‘The 3 D’s of confusion - Dementia, Delirium and Depression’. There you discovered that your loved one with dementia could experience a sudden and acute state of confusion known as delirium. In that episode possible causes of a delirium where mentioned, with one being Urinary Tract Infection or UTI for short. Unfortunately, UTI’s in dementia are often overlooked, miss-understood, poorly treated, and symptoms are regul...

It’s important to remember, for a person living with dementia, living at home can give them a sense of independence, a feeling of safety and comfortability, and allow them to continue to enjoy their home By making some changes to their home, many that are not expensive, supports them to continue with the routines or activities they enjoy. Each of these changes may help them stay safe, active, and connected. Recently an Australian organisation has released an excellent FREE interactive o...

Imagine you had an illness like diabetes, an injury like a broken leg, or have just undergone surgery of some kind … you’d have access to individualised rehabilitation after the diagnosis and/or surgery…. Of course you would, because the benefits of rehabilitation are known to support an individual’s quality-of-life, promote independence and their self-esteem. But what about dementia?? Is there a need for Rehabilitation and Reablement support as part of a Personal Health Plan for someon...

People with Young Onset Dementia have different experiences and often different symptoms to older people with dementia and the impact on their lives is also significantly different. Young onset dementia is any form of dementia that occurs in people under the age of 65 years. People in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s do develop dementia, and it’s far more common than your community understands. About me My name is Tim England and I’m the host and creator of the podcasts Dementia Demystified. I...