{"id":339119,"date":"2019-05-23T10:18:45","date_gmt":"2019-05-23T10:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk\/our-location\/birmingham\/blog\/living-with-alzheimers\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T14:34:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T14:34:02","slug":"living-with-alzheimers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk\/blog\/living-with-alzheimers\/","title":{"rendered":"Living with Alzheimer’s"},"content":{"rendered":"

As one of the UK’s leading Dementia Home Care Specialists<\/a>, we understand how the effects of this group of conditions can impact upon people’s lives.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ve created a series of blogs on the different types of dementia and how you and your family can live well with whichever condition you or your loved one has.<\/p>\n

With 850,000 in the UK living with dementia<\/a> and with this number set to rise to over 1 million by 2025, there is more need than ever to understand as much as we can about this condition and to work closer to a cure. Beginning with the most common type of dementia – Alzheimer’s – we explore what the condition is, symptoms and different treatment options.<\/p>\n

Are Alzheimer’s and dementia the same?<\/h2>\n

Dementia<\/a> is an umbrella term for a group of progressive conditions that affect the brain and can cause problems primarily with memory, concentration, thinking, language, perception, mood and behaviour. There are more than 100 different types of dementia, with Alzheimer\u2019s being the most common – affecting 520,000 people in the UK<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So in essence, dementia is not the same as Alzheimer\u2019s; dementia isn\u2019t a condition in it\u2019s own right and is actually better described as a group of symptoms caused by a condition such as Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n

As Alzheimer\u2019s is the most common cause of dementia, it is the most talked about and perhaps the reason why many confuse the two different terms.<\/p>\n

What is Alzheimer’s?<\/h2>\n

Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a> is a progressive condition that occurs in the brain and directly affects memory, cognition, and behaviour. Alzheimer\u2019s isn\u2019t a normal part of aging, yet it is the most commonly diagnosed condition for those aged 65 and over in the UK.<\/a> The signs of Alzheimer\u2019s can be quite subtle to begin with, but gradually worsen over time and affect everyday tasks such as personal care, eating and communicating.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Named after Alois Alzheimer<\/a>, the German doctor who discovered the condition, Alzheimer\u2019s occurs<\/a> when a build up of protein forms abnormal plaques and tangles in the brain. This causes nerve cells to die and brain tissue to diminish. The death of these cells and tissue also affect the chemical signals within the brain, as nerve cells are vital for messages being passed on for the brain to work properly. Without them, signals aren\u2019t passed on as successfully, which ultimately affects the brain\u2019s ability to function.<\/p>\n

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s<\/h2>\n

Initially, the early symptoms of Alzheimer\u2019s are fairly mild and can sometimes be difficult to spot. Generally, the first area of the brain affected is the hippocampus<\/a>, which is responsible for memory retrieval. This is usually the first thing that someone with early-onset Alzheimer\u2019s or their family may notice first. It could start off quite small, like persistently losing keys, but can quickly spread to forgetting important dates, recent conversations or getting lost on a daily visit to the shops. Yet asking your loved one to recall events from years ago may be much easier, as the first part of the memory function to be affected is short-term or new memories.<\/p>\n

As well as memory difficulties, the early stages of Alzheimer\u2019s affects speech, concentration and the ability to judge distance, sound, and space (visuospatial ability). They may find it difficult to find the right word they are looking for or lose track of what they\u2019re doing, even if it\u2019s a straight-forward task like putting the laundry in the washing machine.<\/p>\n

As time goes by, the damage to the brain progressively gets worse with more areas becoming damaged or shrinking. During the later stages of Alzheimer\u2019s, people may experience difficulties with:<\/p>\n