Taking care of a loved one who has Alzheimers disease or another dementia can be a difficult, stressful, and tiring job. It affects the caregivers health and ability to rest and can be a source of stress and conflict for the entire household.

Communicating with a person who has Alzheimers disease or another dementia can be very challenging. Changing your approach to the way you communicate may be helpful.

A diagnosis of Alzheimers disease or another dementia often raises some important legal and financial issues for the future. The person with dementia should be involved in these decisions as long as he or she is able and willing to be involved.

Many people with Alzheimers disease or another dementia can become agitated or upset easily. It may be helpful to

Confusion, wandering, and memory loss can lead to accidents and injuries. Help protect the person with dementia by making your home safe.

Whether a person with Alzheimers disease or another dementia should still be allowed to drive is a common dilemma faced by people with the disease and their caregivers.

To diagnose dementia, the doctor will ask questions during a medical history to assess a persons past and current overall health. He or she also will ask whether there is a family history of dementia or other illnesses.

Some people have memory loss but do not have dementia. They have what is known as mild cognitive impairment, a middle ground between normal aging and dementia.

Certain problems can be warning signs of dementia. Talk to a doctor if you, a friend, or a family member has been having increased difficulty with any of the following activities

Dementia is a loss of mental skills that affects your daily life. It can cause problems with your memory and how well you can think and plan.

Health tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health. Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems. Should I put my relative with Alzheimers or other dementia in a nursin

Learn about dementia and what causes it, including injury to the brain caused by tumors, head injury, or strokes, or diseases, such as Parkinsons disease.

Symptoms of dementia vary depending on the cause and the area of the brain that is affected. Memory loss is usually the earliest and most noticeable symptom.

How quickly dementia progresses depends on what is causing it and the area of the brain that is affected. Some types of dementia progress slowly over several years. Other types may progress more rapidly.

Aging is the main risk factor for all types of dementia. Some diseases that cause dementia (such as early-onset Alzheimers disease and some frontotemporal dementias) may run in families.

Call 911 or other emergency services immediately if signs of a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) develop suddenly. These may include: Numbness, weakness, or inability to move the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body, vision proble

Doctors diagnose the cause of dementia by asking questions about the persons medical history and doing a physical exam, a mental status exam, and lab and imaging tests. Tests can help the doctor learn whether dementia is caused by a treatable condition.

Some cases of dementia are caused by medical conditions that can be treated, fully or partly restoring mental function. When dementia cannot be reversed, the goal of treatment is to make life as easy as possible for the person and the caregivers.

Dementia is difficult to prevent because what causes it often is not known. However, people who have vascular dementia may be able to prevent future declines by lowering their risk of heart disease and stroke. Even if you dont have these known risks, you

Home treatment for dementia involves teamwork among health professionals and caregivers to create a safe and comfortable environment and to make tasks of daily living as easy as possible.