Dementia Treatment in Petaluma, CA
Dementia, a term encompassing a range of cognitive disorders, affects millions of lives globally. We can help those in the San Francisco Bay Area get help for themselves or their loved ones.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is not a specific disease but rather a general term for a decline in cognitive abilities that interfere with daily life. This includes memory, thinking, and social abilities.
Diseases grouped under the term dementia are caused by abnormal brain changes.
Dementia typically includes the following conditions:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Vascular dementia
- Lewy body dementia
- Frontotemporal disorders
- And more
What Causes Dementia?
Dementia is caused by a variety of diseases that cause damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behavior, and feelings can be affected.
While everyone loses some neurons as they age, people with dementia experience far greater loss. Dementia should not be dismissed as a normal part of aging.
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80 percent of cases of dementia, and is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s is due to an abnormal amount of proteins in the brain. Other dementias can be due to microscopic blood leakage in the brain or other issues.
All cases of dementia are associated with particular types of brain cell damage in particular regions of the brain.
What are the Symptoms of Dementia?
Early detection is helpful as you strive to manage dementia. It is very common, with more than 3 million cases per year in the United States. We are highly trained to look for signs of dementia and can help you if you have questions.
Dementia symptoms show a decline in thinking skills severe enough to impair daily life and independent function. The symptoms also affect behavior, feelings, and relationships.
Some symptoms of dementia may include:
- Memory loss
- Difficulty with communication
- Impaired reasoning
- Changes in mood or behavior
It’s essential for individuals and their families to seek medical evaluation promptly to identify the specific type of dementia and plan appropriate care.
How is Dementia Diagnosed?
Diagnostic procedures for dementia involve:
- Cognitive assessments
- Medical evaluations
- Neuroimaging to rule out other conditions
- Medical history
- Personal health history
Despite the difficulty in accepting a diagnosis, understanding the disease’s progression equips individuals and their families to plan for the future and access appropriate support.
Cognitive Consultation Services
There is no cure for dementia, so we work with you to develop a helpful treatment plan. We provide cognitive consultation services to give you a complete picture of your health and a path moving forward.
Medications, cognitive therapies, and lifestyle modifications, including a balanced diet and physical exercise, play integral roles in managing symptoms and slowing the progression of the disease.
We believe a patient needs to be an active participant in their plan of care and treatments. We will work with you and your family to formulate the best possible treatment plan.
