Though the damage to the brain by dementia is usually irreversible, the right treatment can delay its symptoms can slow down its progress. For dementia patients, this can be a lifeline towards enjoying the rest of their golden years with their loved ones, family, and friends. Dementia patients need the right medications, exercise, diets, and cognitive activities to slow down their progress of mental deterioration. Not getting the right treatment for dementia may result in many critical issues, which we will cover in this article below.
Getting Injured Because of the Symptoms of Dementia
Dementia unfortunately results in a loss of mental cognition and a decrease in abilities to remember and make judgment calls. For example, you may forget the expiration date of food and beverages and consume foods that have turned bad. Some dementia patients may start on a household chore that they are not able to perform, and end up injuring themselves with a fall or a cut. Dementia patients often need a caregiver to help them to keep track of and perform these tasks to keep them safe and comfortable.
Losing Basic Abilities
While dementia is known for memory loss, it also affects a person’s cognitive function. Without treatment, you may eventually lose your ability to chew foods and eat by yourself. You may also not be able to communicate or speak, or even regulate your own behavior. Fortunately, treatment for dementia has advanced and can slow down cognitive decline. This means that you still can enjoy many more meaningful years with your loved ones if you seek help.
Becoming Alone and Isolated
With memory and communication failure, patients with dementia tend to feel confused and isolated and cut off their communications with family and friends. Some patients mistakenly feel like they are a liability to their families, without realizing that with the proper help they can still have meaningful relationships and interactions with their loved ones. Social activities can help to slow down the progression of dementia and its symptoms while ensuring your golden years remain fruitful and enjoyable.
Hurting Someone You Love
The last thing anyone wants to do is to hurt the people they love. Patients with untreated dementia may accidentally hurt their families and friends. For example, you may cause an unintentional car accident due to a memory lapse or even forget to turn off the stove and cause a house fire. Getting the right treatment can help to prevent these accidents from happening. Patients with more severe dementia can work together with caregivers and family to strategize how to get assistance for tasks and activities so that they keep their loved ones and themselves safe.
Getting Hit with Crime
Dementia patients are easy targets for crime because they are vulnerable. They may fall prey to scammers and lose their life savings because of their problems with memory and cognition. The loss of ability to communicate can also create conditions for abuse by caregivers and family to go undetected. Getting the right treatment and trusted caregivers can help dementia patients prevent these scenarios before their condition worsens.
Our Memory Care community provides wonderful care options to help manage dementia and increase your quality of life. Contact us to learn how we can support your treatment and care for dementia.
