What is Dementia?

Dementia may still be one of the most misunderstood medical conditions of today.  From believing dementia is an inevitable part of aging to thinking any sign of forgetfulness is evidence of dementia, many people hold inaccurate views regarding the term.  The Alzheimer’s Association defines dementia as not being a specific disease.  Rather they say, “It's an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities.” 

Also, it can complicate the matter as the term dementia covers a range of conditions with the most common one being Alzheimer’s disease.  Other forms of dementia include vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and other disorders.  

To determine if your or a loved one’s memory loss is a symptom of dementia, you need to be evaluated by a health care professional.  Simply being forgetful is not enough for a doctor to make the diagnosis of dementia but rather he or she will run a series of tests to determine if there is other evidence of cognition problems.   Other signs of dementia involve a person having difficulty completing sentences or finding the right word to say, difficulty completing tasks, and difficulty recognizing items or people.   

In some cases the person may exhibit signs of poor judgement and have trouble performing common household chores, paying bills, or preparing food.  They may have problems with organizing thoughts, and repeatedly ask the same questions or relate the same stories. A person with dementia can lose their way even in a familiar environment as well as become more agitated and irritable. 

At MorningStar Assisted Living & Memory Care of Fountain Hills, we have 28 secure suites devoted to the individualized care of those with memory impairment from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related conditions along with 63 assisted living suites. Please visit our website to learn more about our holistic approach to memory care.  

At MorningStar of Fountain Hills, we exemplify the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” Our foundation is built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve…all of which contributes to creating a true home for residents amid a beautiful, serene setting. Please call to schedule a visit to see firsthand the finest assisted living and memory care in the area.