LBD and unbrella term for Parkinsons and LBD

Lewy body dementia, an umbrella term for both Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies

By: Mohan Garikiparithi | Brain Function | Wednesday, November 16, 2016 - 02:30 PM

     

Lew body dementia (LBD) is an umbrella term referring to both Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. In dementia with Lewy bodies, cognitive symptoms interfering with daily living present themselves before or within one year of Parkinson’s-like movement problems. In Parkinson’s disease dementia, cognitive symptoms usually don’t appear until after a year of the onset of movement problems.

Researcher Howard I. Hurtig explained, “An early and accurate diagnosis may be lifesaving. The avoidance of medications that can worsen the symptoms of LBD cannot be overemphasized. Every patient with LBD and their caregiver(s) should memorize the list of acceptable and forbidden drugs.”

Lewy body dementia is characterized by an abnormal buildup of Lewy bodies in areas of the brain responsible for memory, behavior, movement, and personality. Parkinson’s disease symptoms primarily affect mobility and motor abilities. Diagnosis can be difficult because more than one cognitive disorder can be causing changes in the brain. For proper diagnosis and differentiation between dementia and Parkinson’s disease, it’s best to consult with a neurologist or geriatric physician.

Signs and symptoms of dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia

Parkinson’s disease dementia

·         Changes in memory, concentration, or judgement

·         Trouble interpreting visual information

·         Muffled speech

·         Visual hallucinations

·         Delusions, paranoid thoughts

·         Depression

·         Irritability and anxiety

·         Sleep disturbances

·         Loss of decision-making ability

·         Disorientation in familiar surroundings

·         Trouble learning new material

·         Difficulty using complex language

Dementia with Lewy bodies

·         Changes in thinking and reasoning

·         Confusion and alertness that varies significantly

·         Parkinson’s symptoms

·         Visual hallucinations

·         Delusions

·         Trouble interpreting visual information

·         Acting out dreams

·         Memory loss

As you can see, Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies share many signs and symptoms. It’s important that a specialist reviews the patient’s specific symptoms to establish a proper diagnosis and recommend an appropriate mode of treatment.

Dementia Awareness

I have just read some of Wendy Gibson's comments about dementia Awareness,  and still find it staggering that some major UK companies are not really dementia friendly

Many years ago we had Talk Talk broadband, and found it very stressful, to get hold of someone you could understand clearly. Usually you got passed around the world, and never understood half of the people you had to talk too.

Many think that because you don't understand a strong foreign accent, that you are being racist or rude.

I have a problem with most accents, but find many foreign accents difficult at best to understand, and that's on a good day.

Eventually after the floods in 2012, we went to BT, thinking that things would pick up, but that was even worse.

I found that we ended up taking to someone in the far east again. On many occasions my wife would talk because I was having a bad day, and could not think clearly.

However the people on the other end of the phone were arrogant and rude, they thought all females were to thick to understand what they were talking about.

Even I found this to be too bad, because the phone was on speaker phone, so I heard what was being said.

One day I took the phone off my wife and said that as a retired engineer I found there service to be a disgrace,

On another day they contacted us when my wife was out , and started to ask many questions which I simply did not understand.

In the end, I said sorry I don't understand you because i have Dementia?

The person on the other end of the phone, said that I was being disrespectful to those with the illness, and put the phone down

So I rang back asking to speak to a manager, and they were just as bad.

Looking back I am sure that BT is supposedly Dementia Friendly?

However we have also had problems with engineers when things go wrong, so I am assuming that BT are dementia friendly in name only.

I also struggle with their email service and complained one day. I am assuming it was all of the adverts slowing  the website down.

So  I asked if we could have them stopped, because I simply want to write or read an email, not to watch a lot of adverts.

I was told to reset the page, but I had not got a clue as to what he was talking about, and even explaining that I had dementia just did not sink in.

These people think that we all know about these websites and how to change settings, they forget that many of us have major problems working things out.

I personally think that every so called dementia friendly company,  should make sure that most,  if not all of their staff understand what the illness is, before telling everyone that they are dementia friendly.

I honestly think that's it's time that companies realised that, just because they are dementia friendly they know it all.

Dementia friendly means nothing to anyone, if your staff treat people who have dementia etc, with a lack of respect

We don't want any special treatment,  just respect and understanding, something that everyone else takes for granted.

Is this too much to ask these days