What is Dementia? What Causes Dementia?

Dementia does not refer to a disease itself.  Rather, the term dementia refers to a multitude of symptoms that may manifest in various ways.  Some symptoms include confusion, short-term memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, mood swings, forgetting names, difficulty with language, disorientation in familiar surroundings, personality changes, etc.  In essence, when someone is said to have "dementia" they are manifesting certain symptoms rather than a disease.

Dementia is caused when certain areas of the brain associated with language, memory, learning, and decision making are affected by certain conditions or diseases.  Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and is responsible for 50-70% of dementia cases.  Other causes of dementia include stroke, head injury, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease.

Finding elder care for seniors with dementia can be challenging.  If an assisted living facility has a tiered level-of-care rate structure the cost of assisted living for seniors with dementia may be high.  However, some Santa Rosa assisted living facilities excel in dementia care and provide flat-rate pricing.  Contact us and let Accessible Elder Care help you find a great assisted living facility that can meet both your elder care needs and budget.