Granny Snatching: Alzheimer’s vs. Dementia

We hear the words thrown around literally whenever we speak of the elderly, but do we know what they mean? Alzheimer’s and Dementia that is.

I took a look at this issue in my book Granny Snatching, but it occurred to me after I wrote last week’s column that it is certainly worthwhile to revisit the issue. What is dementia, and how is it different from Alzheimer’s if at all?

First, the dictionary definition of: de·men·tia – noun, Psychiatry, severe impairment or loss of intellectual capacity and personality integration, due to the loss of or damage to neurons in the brain.

Next: Alzheimer’s or Alz·hei·mer’s disease – noun, Pathology; a common form of dementia of unknown cause, usually beginning in late middle age, characterized by memory lapses, confusion, emotional instability, and progressive loss of mental ability.

Is that helpful? In my experience it seems that dementia can have levels of impairment that are not necessarily severe, while Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia with attitude. In other words, all dementia is not necessarily Alzheimer’s but all Alzheimer’s is dementia.

Rather than getting all hung up on the definitions perhaps it is better to give some examples of behavior to look for if you suspect a friend or relative may be in early stages of Alzheimer’s. I used some of these examples in my book Granny Snatching.

A common forewarning of Alzheimer’s is permanent memory loss including important dates or events. Some memory loss is normal, however, and we all have moments when we forget something. The key is that we remember it later. Alzheimer’s sufferers won’t remember.

Reduced ability to do simple math or follow a plan such as a long-established recipe or the rule of a game we have played many times. Again, we all make occasional mistakes. With Alzheimer’s this is a permanent loss.

Another sign of Alzheimer’s is losing track of the passage of time. An Alzheimer’s sufferer may not remember the day, month or even the season. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there. It is common to occasionally forget what day it is or where we are going, but we will remember later on.

For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. Normal vision changes can occur due to glaucoma, retina damage, cataracts or eye diseases and may have nothing to do with Alzheimer’s. Charles Bonnet syndrome can cause visions that are misdiagnosed as mental disorders.

People with Alzheimer’s may have difficulty following a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or have difficulties finding the right word. This also can occasionally happen to people who aren’t suffering from Alzheimer’s.

A person with Alzheimer’s disease may misplace items. It is common to forget where we put something, but a person with Alzheimer’s will be unable to retrace their steps to find them. They may even accuse others of stealing.

People with Alzheimer’s may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to unscrupulous salespeople. They also may disregard their own cleanliness or grooming.

A person with Alzheimer’s may disassociate themselves from favorite activities as a result of forgetting their previous connection to a sports team or hobby. This can also lead to anti-social behavior.

Alzheimer’s sufferers can experience mood and personality changes. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious if they can no longer recognize once familiar people or places.

Obviously there is a lot to look for, and a lot to understand. If you think you are dealing with an Alzheimer’s sufferer, or may be in the foreseeable future, my advice is to begin reading up on it now, learn all you can, and especially learn as much as possible about caring for and relating to an Alzheimer’s victim. It is never too early, but it can easily be too late.

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