Jan 12 2011 by Rhiannon Cooke, Crewe Chronicle

Research shows 821,884 people in the UK live with dementia and it costs the UK economy £23bn per year, which is more than cancer (£12bn per year) and heart disease (£8bn per year) combined. but what support is out there for those living with the condition and their carers?

DEMENTIA can cause the loss of the ability to remember, think and reason.

It’s a progressive condition, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse.

Symptoms include loss of memory, mood changes and communication problems.

Although it mainly affects older people, it can affect younger people and there are over 16,000 people in the UK under the age of 65 who have dementia.

Across Cheshire East approximately 4,900 people over 65, and 150 under 65, are living with dementia, of this around 65% are women.

Cheshire East Council and the Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT have been working to implement the national Dementia Care Strategy.

One of the objectives is to improve dementia awareness and care in hospitals by developing specific ‘care pathways’ for individuals.

Dealing with the disease can be a terrifying prospect for both the person with dementia and the carer – but there is help at hand.

Cheshire East Council is working in partnership with the Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT, Age UK Cheshire and Opportunity Links to develop a national pilot project called DemenShare.

It enables people with dementia and their carers to come together online to discuss the ways in which dementia affects their lives.

Operating in a similar way to Facebook and Twitter, the pioneering website offers users the opportunity to share experiences and find out more about the support and services available.

DemenShare.com community resource manager, Diane Christopherson, of Age UK Cheshire, whose role is to signpost people to the help they need on the website, said: “This is an exciting project and a great way of embracing the future by using social media to help people who until now may have been feeling isolated and alone.

“This is a new project which is still in its relatively early stages but the discussions and conversations are picking up on the site.

“Hopefully we have made it a friendly place where people can brew up, sit down and log in to get support and share problems and find answers.

The project will be geographically focussed on Central and East Cheshire, but it is web-based which means it can spread across the UK.

Sadly, at present, most forms of dementia cannot be cured, although research is continuing into developing drugs, vaccines and treatments which can temporarily alleviate some of the symptoms.

Cheshire East has been working hard to implement the National Dementia Strategy since early 2009, and one of the key outcomes has been the £1m refurbishment of Lincoln House in Crewe which reopened in August.

It provides a range of respite and reablement services tailored to the needs of older people and carers.

The respite suite is equipped with assistive technology such as bed and movement sensors to detect when users leave their beds, plus ‘one-touch’ radios, clocks or mobile phones. These devices can also be provided for use at home to reduce the need for residential care and to support carers.

At present, experts are not sure what causes dementia. This means it is difficult to be sure what can be done to prevent it. however, the evidence seems to indicate that a healthy diet and lifestyle may help protect against dementia.

If you have any concerns about dementia it is very important to get a proper and early diagnosis, this will help rule out any illnesses that might have similar symptoms to dementia, including depression.

Having a diagnosis may mean it is possible to be prescribed drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and can also help you prepare and plan for the future.

More details on dementia awareness and care in hospitals will be available at cheshireeast.gov.uk in January.

For more information visit demenshare.com.

Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive condition that damages areas of the brain involved in intelligence, memory, behavior, judgment, and language. it is the most common form of mental decline in older adults. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, but the course of the disease varies from person to person. some people may still be able to function relatively well until late stages of Alzheimers disease. others may lose the ability to do daily activities in earlier stages. Over time, Alzheimer’s disease causes severe mental and functional problems and eventually results in death.

The interrelated nature of Alzheimer’s risk factors poses challenges to researchers. For instance, a lower level of education may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease, but may be a result of other environmental factors like poverty, which can be related to a patient’s familial background. High blood pressure and high cholesterol can be considered risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, but are also likely caused by a poor diet, which is identified as another risk factor. Extensive research studies aim to continually reveal more evidence of what causes Alzheimer’s disease and how it can be prevented or alleviated, keeping hope alive that the medical field will someday be equipped with the knowledge to combat the disease.

Early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease :ConfusionApathyAvoiding social contactIrritability and anxiousneForgetting names and places on a regular basisRepeating oneself often in a short space of timeAn inability to get organised, plan and think coherentlyDifficulty with daily routine tasks and making decisionsDifficulty with arithmetic, reading, writing and other cognitive tasksMay become disorientated in familiar placesIndulging in strange behaviour

Like many health problems, the chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease increase with age. Fortunately, most of us won’t suffer from Alzheimer’s, even at advanced ages. But there are two definite factors that increase your risk. if a close relative – a parent, sibling or grandparent – has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, you are twice as likely to develop it. you also have a greater risk if you have a close relative with Down’s syndrome. Although age and family history are out of our control, several lifestyle factors can influence a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Evidence suggests that exercise and a healthy diet reduce Alzheimer’s risk.

prevention of Alzheimer’s diseaseThough difficult at the outset, lifestyle changes, change of outlook and active mental and physical routine are supposed to render help in prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. to begin with, let us see how mental stimulation may assist in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.Health studies conducted on nuns revealed that those who participated regularly in intellectual pursuits were less likely to contact Alzheimer’s. Further studies also proved that a mere brainwave might not put a stringent check on Alzheimer’s altogether, but it certainly delayed the onset and the progression of the symptoms that are no less distressing. So, for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease one could just about read adventure stories, travel literature, sci-fi stories or do Crossword puzzles, play chess or scrabble.

symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are often confused with the changes that take place in normal aging, it’s important to recognize the difference. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. Any symptoms that are observed in older relatives or yourself should be considered serious. A doctor’s appointment should be scheduled to determine the cause of the symptoms.

The progress in the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s looks promising. several Research scientists are being funded by The Alzheimer’s Disease Association as well as additional resources from private and philanthropic organizations. Scientists are gaining insights how the disease progresses in the brain. Many Experts believe that a new generation of treatments will evolve that will prevent, slow or perhaps reverse the damaging effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most dreaded nervous system diseases, affecting many people as they advance in age. The most common cause of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease increases in prevalence in the elderly, although it can occasionally prevent earlier in life.

Prevent and Treatment :Curry,Dark green leaf juice,cold water fish,Cinnamon powder,Tomato,Grape juice,Broccoli.

causes Alzheimer’s disease:

Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking, and performance brutal enough to affect language communication, memory, lifelong hobbies or social life of a person. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and it is a fatal disease. there are certain proven ways to slow down the progression of this disease. Let’s discuss these prevention methods:Omega 3 Fatty Acids,Eliminate Stress,Exercise-Both Physical and Mental

cure for Alzheimer:Although some physicians are using certain medication to either slow down the degeneration process which is done sometimes with the vitamin B12, or to diminish the severity of certain symptoms, behaviors or mood changes, experts all agree on one fact: there is no cure.

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