The Different Types of Dementia Treated at Avalon Memory Care

When you hear the word “dementia,” what do you automatically think of? For most people, the phrase “Alzheimer’s disease” most often springs to mind. To someone whose life hasn’t been affected by neurocognitive disease, the words “dementia” and “Alzheimer’s” may be used interchangeably. But though these two words are similar, they have very different meanings.

“Dementia” is a blanket term for a group of neurocognitive disorders. It’s not a disease in and of itself: it’s a group of symptoms that are caused by other conditions. Generally, they manifest in similar ways: they’re progressive, generally are characterized by memory loss and behavior changes and often result in death.

It’s important to note that because these diseases attack the brain, memory is only one aspect that is affected. Depending on where the disease spreads, individuals can lose physical abilities and undergo mental and emotional changes. While Alzheimer’s disease is a dementia (and the most common form of dementia), it is not the only form of dementia.

Currently, the medical community recognizes 13 different kinds of dementia. Here are the five main types of dementia that make up nearly all of cases:

Alzheimer’s disease. This form of dementia makes up 60-80% of dementia cases. It’s characterized by memory loss, particularly short-term memory loss, poor judgement, disruptive behaviors like anger and agitation and eventual loss of physical abilities. Researchers are not sure yet why or how people develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Vascular dementia. Vascular dementia is caused by something going awry in the circulatory system that affects the flow of blood to the brain. This can be caused by a stroke, coronary artery disease, or any other cardiovascular symptoms that narrow the blood vessels. Symptoms of vascular dementia will be different for each person, depending on what area of the brain has been affected. Although damage caused by vascular dementia can’t be reversed, the disease can stabilize and not progress any further if there are no further issues with the cardiovascular system.

Dementia from Parkinson’s disease/Lewy Body Dementia. These two similar types of dementia are characterized by abnormal protein deposits called Lewy Bodies. These proteins appear on nerve cells in the brain stem and disrupt the brain’s functioning.

Frontotemporal dementia (Pick’s disease). Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), or Pick’s disease, is a syndrome where the frontal and temporal anterior lobes of the brain shrink. This form of dementia affects an individual’s personalities first and later begins to impact memory.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. This dementia is believed to be caused by an infected protein known as a prion, which causes normally folded proteins to become misfolded. Early symptoms include memory problems, poor coordination, behavioral changes, and visual disturbances, all with progressing severity.

No matter what form of dementia a person has, it will manifest differently for each individual. At Avalon Memory Care, we are focused on helping each person in our care based on their specific behaviors and who they are as a person, not their diagnosis. We get to know our residents on a one-on-one basis, because each person is different. While medicine can play a part on treatment, our main focus is making sure those in our care feel safe, supported, comfortable and worthy.

Our 20+ years of experience solely in memory care allows Avalon Memory Care to provide customized programs for all types of dementia. If you have questions, call us and let us help. Call us at (972) 385-4386 today.

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Testimonials

“Since my mother has lived at Avalon, I have had peace of mind for the first time since Alzheimer’s began to exact its terrible price from my mother’s life. Thank you for your part in making our lives better.”

Daughter | Ft. Worth, TX

“I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the care and love afforded to my mom over the last two weeks. Your success in finding such quality people has my gratitude and respect.”

Daughter | Dallas, TX

“We are very pleased with all of the efforts that your caring staff has made to smooth this traumatic transition.”

Son | Plano, TX

“I know my husband had the very best care in his final days. I regret that I did not know about Avalon sooner.”

Wife | Dallas, TX

“Mom spent the final 8 months of her life in Avalon Memory Care in Allen. The staff was great. There was rarely a day that my brother or I did not come by and they were always friendly to us and did their best to make mom comfortable and happy. We really appreciated them for everything they did.”

Daughter | Allen, TX

“Making the decision to place my mother in residential memory care was the hardest thing I think I have ever done. But living at Avalon has been the best thing for her at this stage of her life.”

Daughter | Allen, TX

“My grandmother has lived at Avalon Memory Care for 6 months now. I cannot speak highly enough about the warmth, dedication, and caring compassion of the staff. They always make us feel welcome and go out of their way to work with us to accommodate grandma’s needs.”

Grandson | Arlington, TX

“My grandmother spent her final days at Avalon and we couldn’t have asked for a better place to care for her. The caregivers are attentive and kind, and many of them have been with Avalon for years. If you are looking for a place to love on you and your family in a season that is inevitably difficult, Avalon is a wonderful choice.”

Granddaughter | Arlington, TX

“We are delighted with the facility of Avalon Memory Care. We just placed Grandma in an apartment with them and couldn’t be happier. It is clean and well-lit, and everyone greets us, down to the folks who clean up.”

Granddaughter | Arlington, TX