The Myths and the Truths
Everyone gets dementia when they get older... No. Dementia is not a natural part of ageing. The risk of developing dementia does increase with age but it is not an inevitable part of growing old.
A person with dementia gets violent... There are many symptoms of dementia. Personality changes can happen and sometimes a person can become agitated and at times aggressive. This is NOT going to happen to everyone and is also determined by the type of dementia diagnoses.
Once you get a diagnosis of dementia, your life is over... Not at all. It is possible to live well with dementia for a long time. The important thing is to get a diagnosis as early as possible so that treatments (for the symptoms) and support can be accessed.
Friends and family will give up on us once they know... There may be people who decide to distance themselves. This can happen with any situations in life, not just in dementia. Some people do not know how to deal with the changes dementia brings. However, most people will support you, rally round to help if they can.
Dementia and Alzheimer's are the same... No. As talked about on the 'what is dementia' page, Dementia is the umbrella term, Alzheimer's is a type of dementia.
Mum has dementia so I will get it too... Some types of dementia do have a genetic element but not all. So it is not true that you would definitely get dementia if there is a family member with it.
You only get dementia if you are over the age of 65... Unfortunately dementia occurs in people under 65 years old too. This is called young onset dementia.
You can prevent dementia and if you do get it, there is a cure... Sadly neither of these are true. There is no way to prevent getting dementia or to stop it progressing. However, we can all do things to reduce the risk of developing dementia. These include maintaining a healthy lifestyle, exercising (even a little helps), a good diet, keeping your brain active, socialising, limiting alcohol or smoking. There is no current cure but there are some medications that can help to manage the symptoms.
if you get dementia you have to move into full time care... Like other illnesses, everyone is unique in their journey. Your situation will be personal to you. Dementia takes time to progress and this means you can plan ahead and decide on how the future may look but you don't have to decide straight away. Not everyone with dementia moves into care. Many people stay at home and manage well with support.
It is good to look at legal aspects if you are diagnosed with dementia... Yes. This is something to address sooner rather than later. Things like power of attorney, writing a will, setting up payments as direct debits etc. are all helpful to look at. There may also be benefits you can access to help you financially.
A person with dementia gets violent... There are many symptoms of dementia. Personality changes can happen and sometimes a person can become agitated and at times aggressive. This is NOT going to happen to everyone and is also determined by the type of dementia diagnoses.
Once you get a diagnosis of dementia, your life is over... Not at all. It is possible to live well with dementia for a long time. The important thing is to get a diagnosis as early as possible so that treatments (for the symptoms) and support can be accessed.
Friends and family will give up on us once they know... There may be people who decide to distance themselves. This can happen with any situations in life, not just in dementia. Some people do not know how to deal with the changes dementia brings. However, most people will support you, rally round to help if they can.
Dementia and Alzheimer's are the same... No. As talked about on the 'what is dementia' page, Dementia is the umbrella term, Alzheimer's is a type of dementia.
Mum has dementia so I will get it too... Some types of dementia do have a genetic element but not all. So it is not true that you would definitely get dementia if there is a family member with it.
You only get dementia if you are over the age of 65... Unfortunately dementia occurs in people under 65 years old too. This is called young onset dementia.
You can prevent dementia and if you do get it, there is a cure... Sadly neither of these are true. There is no way to prevent getting dementia or to stop it progressing. However, we can all do things to reduce the risk of developing dementia. These include maintaining a healthy lifestyle, exercising (even a little helps), a good diet, keeping your brain active, socialising, limiting alcohol or smoking. There is no current cure but there are some medications that can help to manage the symptoms.
if you get dementia you have to move into full time care... Like other illnesses, everyone is unique in their journey. Your situation will be personal to you. Dementia takes time to progress and this means you can plan ahead and decide on how the future may look but you don't have to decide straight away. Not everyone with dementia moves into care. Many people stay at home and manage well with support.
It is good to look at legal aspects if you are diagnosed with dementia... Yes. This is something to address sooner rather than later. Things like power of attorney, writing a will, setting up payments as direct debits etc. are all helpful to look at. There may also be benefits you can access to help you financially.
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