Social Implications of Dementia
Whenever a family is dealing with a loved one experiencing one of the many forms of dementia, it is important for them to be well education regarding the disease as well as understanding the challenges associated with memory loss and the need for social support networks for both the patient and the caregiver.
There are a variety of types of illnesses associated with memory loss and very often brain systems, such as the cortex and medial thalamus which supports the ability to recognize familiar faces and places or the hippocampal complex and the extended hippocampal system which supports the ability to recall stored information, can be affected (Andrewes, 20020. The short term memory (also referred to as the working memory) and long term memory are affected based upon the type of memory loss a person experiences. In the case of dementia, a person will experience memory loss in addition to symptoms such as poor judgment, mood changes, language difficulties, and personality changes (Stirling, 2002).
In addition to these changes a person suffering from dementia will experience a decrease in social communication and this loss can result in feelings of depersonalization and feeling a lack of belonging (Acton, Yauk, Hopkins, & Mayhew, 2007). Communication problems such as challenges with word retrieval or verbal production are common in the middle stages of dementia and this can be challenging for a caregiver to manage. Additionally, those suffering from dementia will start to have challenges with managing their eating behaviors and likely will not have any recall in his or her working memory regarding meals so the caregiver will have to manage a communication strategy surrounding food liquid intake (Thomas & Morley, 2002). Besides the health implications, socially it is important to ensure that regular communication occurs with a person suffering from dementia. Acton et al. (2007) stated that disruptive behaviors associated with dementia decreased by 56% when social interaction was occurring. Additionally, it was noted that questions posed by caregivers ending with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer rather than having an open ended response (expected by the dementia suffer) resulted in more successful communication opportunities.
Acton, G. J., Yauk, S., Hopkins, B. A., & Mayhew, P. A. (2007). Increasing social communication in persons with dementia. Research & Theory for Nursing Practice, 21(1), 32-44.
Andrewes, D. (2002) Neuropsychology: From theory to practice. New York: Psychology Press.
Stirling, J. (2002). Introducing neuropsychology. New York: Psychology Press.
Thomas, D. R. & Morley, J. E. (2002). Nutritional considerations in older people. Topic in Clinical Chiropractic, 9(2).
Dr. Lisa Samuel
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