Receiving a dementia diagnosis
At St Luke’s Care, we recognise that this is a challenging time for your family. We are here to guide you and your loved one through their diagnosis and beyond and support your family every step of the way.
Recognising the early signs of dementia and seeking help quickly will lead to the best outcomes for you and your loved ones. We can help you navigate this journey.
It is common to react to changes in your loved one’s behaviour with denial, dismissing them as normal or assuming there is another cause for these changes. This can lead to delays between the onset of symptoms and seeking and receiving help.
Seek help early on
Early dementia intervention
Seeking help at the first sign of symptoms is incredibly beneficial for those living with dementia. The earlier a diagnosis is given, the easier it is for both your loved one and yourself as a carer to understand this condition and the changes to your lives. A diagnosis will involve visiting your local doctor, a review of your medical history as well as psychological, neurological and physical assessments.
Dementia Tip Sheets
Early signs of Dementia
- Misplacing or losing items
- Memory loss
- Repetitive questioning or actions
- Difficulty completing familiar daily tasks
- Confusion about time and place
- Loss of motivation
- Changes in personality or inappropriate behaviour
- Difficulty with speech
- Inability to focus for long periods of time
- Losing interest in previously enjoyed activities
- Loss of social skills
- Loss of spacial perception which can lead to falls
Types of Dementia
- Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia and the first noticeable symptoms include memory loss and having difficulties doing familiar things or making plans.
- Vascular dementia – this is usually caused by a stroke and symptoms depend on which part of the brain was affected by the stroke, but are usually first seen in trouble making plans or decisions, organisation and poor judgement.
- Lewy body dementia – this is caused by Lewy body disease where Lewy bodies, microscopic structures within some brain cells, become tangled or disrupted, resulting in the appearance of dementia symptoms. Lewy body diseases includes Parkinson’s disease, Parkinsons’ disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.
- Frontotemporal dementia – damaged is caused to either or both the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain.