It’s hard to overstate how important a person’s cognitive abilities are to their life. The brain is what lets us make simple and complex calculations and recollect our own lives. Dementia can progressively change how the brain operates, potentially taking a vast and severe toll on our mental health as the condition develops.
Receiving a dementia diagnosis can be a life-altering experience that raises many emotions, from shock, anger, grief, and sadness. While there is no single cure for dementia, proper treatment can mitigate the risks and make it possible to live a very rich and fulfilling life.
Let’s examine the various ways dementia can impact a person’s mental health before looking at some positive treatments.
Cognitive Impairment
Dementia can impact a person’s mental faculties, altering their ability to think, remember, and perform basic daily functions. As memory worsens, simple tasks can pose considerable problems if they’re undertaken alone.
Thankfully, leading care centres like Sagecare understand how to look after their residents’ safety while treating them with dignity. Specialized care centres with the right attitude and professional training help residents adjust to a new place, making it feel like home, even for residents experiencing cognitive decline.
They understand the value of promoting familiarity, family, and comfort, all while minding your medical and psychological needs. Memory-engaging activities like games and social opportunities can help keep the mind sharp, while physical activity also stimulates the brain and helps avoid further cognitive decline.
Depression
Depression and dementia often go hand in hand. Their symptoms overlap, so it can be hard to tell which phenomenon a person is experiencing. It could very well be both.
A person can spiral into depression upon receiving the initial diagnosis. As their dementia increases in severity, so can their depression, especially as the two things can each lead to increased social isolation or difficulty comprehending one’s own thoughts.
It’s crucial to consult a doctor and get a proper medical opinion because sometimes depression can be worsened by the medication meant to address dementia. Each case is specific, so it’s impossible to follow one overarching rule or guideline.
If you’re caring for a depressed person who also has dementia, it can make a difficult situation even harder. Consider getting a medical diagnosis to better understand the state of each condition. If you need additional support, a caring living centre could be the best option.
Anxiety
Dementia may cause people to feel increased anxiety as changes to their brain make them confused and agitated. As a person’s inability to deal with new stimuli and information increases, anxiety is likely to result.
Making matters worse, after a dementia diagnosis, people’s routines very well may undergo considerable change as they move into a retirement home or start new routines for treatments. These can be confusing and anxiety-causing.
To help reduce potential agitation, consider reducing any drastic changes to their environment, like bright lights or loud television noises. Calming environments and simplified tasks (which play a major role in helping them) can also make people with dementia feel more at ease.
Dementia is a complex phenomenon, and so is depression. They may overlap often, but no two cases are exactly alike. Hopefully, the above information helps you understand the connection between the two and makes assisting people who may have them easier.
