Dementia is such an ambiguous word. From what I read, proper treatment begins with a proper diagnosis: to learn the underlying disease that is causing the dementia symptoms.
Dementia is the only "diagnosis" I've ever been given, and I've asked many, many times. I'm no more comfortable with this then I was after the first time I asked. Is there anyone else who feels like they are groping for answers in a pitch black room? Or is this pretty standard?
Some professionals are more qualified to make the educated guess than others. Very few primary care doctors could do it. Specialists such as geriatric psychiatrists and behavioral neurologists are a better bet, using tools designed to reveal certain aspects of the diseases.
Even the experts misdiagnose the underlying disease with alarming frequency. When clinical diagnoses are compared to autopsy results, some studies show they are correct 85% of the time, but other studies show accuracy rates as low as 50%.
This is NOT because no one is trying! There is extensive research being conducted to try to come up with methods to improve the accuracy of diagnosing the underlying causes of dementia. There are "brain banks" in various research centers around the world, where tissue donated post-mortem by dementia patients can be re-examined as new knowledge is acquired. (My husband donated tissue to such a bank.)
Progress is being made. For now, seeing an expert, or maybe more than one expert, and comparing the tentative diagnosis to what you can read about that disease and what other caregivers tell you about the symptoms of their loved ones who have been diagnosed with that disease is probably the best that you can do.
Fortunately, even without a confirmed diagnosis of the underlying disease, the symptoms of dementia can be addressed to improve the quality of life of the patient and her family. A patient with delusions will typically respond better to some caregiver approaches than to others, regardless of what is causing the delusions, for example.
It is frustrating not to have a reliable diagnosis. It does feel like groping in the dark. Lights are gradually being lit, but the science just isn't there yet to turn the switch on in the whole room.
i stayed an hour and 9 minutes. lol
dementia is considered a fatal condition because the brain controls all bodily functions and the functions will become non responsive. in my mothers case her digestive system ground to a halt and death was only hours away.
youll need to exercise more kindness and understanding in their final months than you ever thought yourself capable of.
Here are various articles from our site about Dementia. Hopefully one or more will help give you some light and understanding.
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/alzheimers-disease-dementia-warning-signs-144253.htm
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/different-forms-of-dementia-138582.htm
https://www.agingcare.com/discussions/when-dementia-begins-to-take-over-158221.htm
https://www.agingcare.com/articles/Handle-Dementia-Fueled-Outbursts-148106.htm
Hope these help.
Warm Regards,
Ashley T.
The AgingCare.com Team