November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Nearly 50 million people around the world live with dementia and nearly 8 million are diagnosed each year.  That leaves countless people caring for them as they struggle.  November is the month designated to bring awareness to the disease and help patients and caretakers.

Right at Home owner Jennifer Selden says there is a difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s.  “A forgetful person can probably continue to live independently with mild support, but living with dementia is nearly impossible to navigate alone. Dementia is not just memory loss, or being forgetful, it’s actually structural and chemical brain failure.
Alzheimer’s disease includes memory loss that disrupts daily life.”

Signs of Alzheimer’s include memory loss which disrupts daily life, confusion of time or place, Changes in judgement or decision making, and changes in mood or personality

Selden says to help patients you should “Slow down and use fewer words, eye contact is very important and you should take it one step at a time”.

You can get more information on dementia, Alzheimer’s and how you can help by clicking here.