My relative has dementia. What to do?

What happened?
Millions of people around the world in old age face with dementia. This is a great test both for the person himself and for his loved ones. "Medusa" has already released the monologues of people who care for their relatives with dementia, and now - publishes cards about what you need to know about this condition.

What is dementia? Memory impairment?
Not always. Many with age begin to experience small difficulties with short-term memory: it becomes more difficult to remember something new, to learn. In everyday life, this is not reflected and is considered part of a healthy aging. But if forgetfulness breaks the habitual course of life, interferes with work, a person gradually loses his skills - do not write off everything by age. Briefly, dementia is a combination of symptoms that arise from the deterioration of the brain.

How to understand that a person has dementia?
To diagnose is the task of the doctor. But you may suspect that your loved one is going to have dementia if you notice that he or she:

often loses important things, puts them in strange places;
often re-requests, forgetting the answer he just received;
time confusing or lost in a familiar place;
has difficulty concentrating, is mistaken in monetary calculations;
can not master simple instructions - for example, how to turn on a washing machine or microwave oven.
There are other signs of dementia: for example, if a person suddenly suddenly changed his character, behavior, if he began to change his mood often without any reason. Already in the early stages of an active person can suddenly become apathetic, bezynitsiativnym, stop enjoying any occupation. Later, as dementia progresses, some patients become irritable, impatient or impulsive, others become restless and even aggressive. A person may have delusional thoughts (for example, that neighbors watch him or steal his things) and sexual disinhibition. Violation of the brain leads to the fact that the behavior ceases to be realized, the patient does not recognize his relatives, gradually loses the ability to understand speech and speak.

It seems that my loved one has signs of dementia. What to do?
We must get to the doctor as soon as possible. Doctors emphasize that early diagnosis allows you to extend the years of a decent life for a loved one. Unfortunately, many seek help late, when those few drugs that could slow the process of dementia and improve the condition, no longer work.

In large cities, the positions of the district and district dementologist began to appear. Such a doctor is usually aware of the latest recommendations for the treatment of dementia. A district neurologist can send it to him, and a district therapist usually sends a neurologist. They accept in an out-patient department. A district psychiatrist can be found in the psychoneurological dispensary (PND) of your district.

If you have not been helped in the polyclinic and the HDPE, it is worthwhile to seek advice from specialized scientific centers. Their addresses can be found on the following websites:

autonomous nonprofit organization "Helping patients with Alzheimer's disease and their families";
project "Memini".

How to choose a good doctor?
It is difficult to give clear recommendations. It's easier to understand that a particular specialist does not suit you. For example, it's better to immediately run away from a doctor who says from the threshold: "Well, what do you want ?! At this age, this is normal. "

The doctor should not talk about the patient negligently or as if he is not in the office, give accurate predictions about the duration of life and the speed of the disease, promise healing. People with dementia need a long and regular observation, so it is important that the doctor is ready to answer questions and become your partner in caring for your loved one.

My relative believes that everything is fine and does not want to go to the doctor. What to do?
Yes, it happens. People with dementia may not critically assess their condition and refuse to visit a doctor. Sometimes it is easier for a person to agree to a consultation if he believes that the main reason to visit a specialist is, for example, insomnia, and not some symptoms associated with impaired memory and cognitive abilities. Some do not mind going to the doctor for a company with a relative. Doctors recommend to show tact and, if possible, not to deceive a loved one.

If you can not persuade a patient, you have the right to call a local psychiatrist at your house (for this, your relative must be registered at his place of residence). In some PND, this can be done over the phone, in others you will have to go and write an application addressed to the chief doctor with a request to examine the patient at home. The psychiatrist must come within two weeks. In a critical situation (for example, if a relative shows aggression), you can call for an early psychiatric help.