Not everybody knows what the signs of dementia could be. Even Alzheimer's, the most common form of this sort of mental decline, is missed by 80% of those who have the issue, which is an issue of its own called "anosognosia". This fact is especially true as sometimes, dementia vs. depression are hard to differentiate.
Instead, the families of the affected individual may need to be those to watch for signs of impairment and take action to help them.
The following guide will help you understand by describing a clear timeline, discussing symptoms and clues to help you act confidently and get someone the help they deserve. By the end, you will learn how LakeHouse New Holstein can help you and your loved one find the support they need.
Dementia progression can often span anything from months to years, with it eventually progressing to a more serious issue as people neglect their physical needs. However, it can be hard to know precisely when it begins, as someone may forget whether they learned in the first place. This fact makes understanding if someone has dementia much harder, as those with depression are usually a lot better at reporting and worrying about symptoms.
Dementia is often easier to spot due to people having lapses in their ability to live an everyday life. For example, they may forget:
Over time, this can extend to forgetting faces, names, or other aspects of a person's life, making it very frustrating for them and those who care for them.
Depression, on the other hand, is more visible through changes to an individual's mood. While it may impact someone's ability to remember things, this is a secondary issue compared to it being a senior mental health challenge to overcome a forlorn attitude regarding their later life.
Depression is not always on its own, however, and studies even show that having depression later in life can as much as double the risk of developing dementia. As such, when someone has one, you should likely be on the lookout for the other, as cognitive changes in aging make them much more likely to occur together.
Those with dementia will tend to have more subtle issues. Minor things may slip from their memory, with progression advancing slowly and them becoming more confused over the years. Sometimes, the progression may be so slow that people ignore it, considering it merely a "part of growing old" rather than a senior wellness and cognition issue.
Major depressive episodes typically last at least two weeks but can last as long as months or years at a time, causing a lot of issues for sufferers.
Depression will often have a much clearer trigger, however. Problems in a person's life can often cause them to reconsider their position in their own future, such as:
A depressed person's reaction to such problems will often intensify quickly, especially if they are consistently reminded of them, peaking within a few weeks. However, they may not abate for a significant length of time.
There may be some overlap between these issues, especially in areas such as irritability, or if depression causes challenges when it comes to concentration. For this reason, it may benefit you to track when these symptoms first appear, to help differentiate a chronic decline from sudden or acute shifts in a person's mood. Also, be aware that issues such as seasonal affective depressive episodes can worsen issues over winter, so:
One of the other clear indications is that dementia sufferers are rarely able to be insightful about their capabilities. They may even create false memories or make up connections to fill in gaps in their memory caused by the problem.
Depression, however, will more often be expressed as frustration, the more that they have issues with memory or capabilities. They remain very aware of their struggles, and as such, this can lead to further emotional disregulation.
Whether a person owns their problem or actively denies it can also help to prioritize the help you source for them. Whether they need emotional care or cognitive exercises may thus allow you to give people the help they need.
Many of the problems that those with dementia and depression face can point to whether they suffer from one or the other. As such, pay careful attention to the specific concerns people express. For example:
Dementia signs essentially relate to memory loss.
Depression signs are more mood or hormone-related.
Differentiating between these two sets of patterns enables staff to offer cognitive games or mindfulness exercises. However, you should seek a location that provides such care over and above assisted living. Lakehouse New Holstein can advise on where to seek this help while your loved one stays with us.
Having a coordinated strategy when it comes to dementia vs. depression can ensure a senior receives the support they need and can address both their cognition and mood. Detecting which it is is thus imperative. So, ensure you have the tools to observe your loved one and give them the care they need.
LakeHouse New Holstein's staff can ensure your family member receives lasting senior care, helping them maintain their emotional and physical health. If you want to know more, contact us today to schedule a tour and learn more about what we can do for you and them.