Dementia is a collection of symptoms resulting from certain brain disorders where two or more functions have significant impairment such as language and memory skills. Experts believe that many factors contribute to Dementia, and it often presents as a combination of progressive symptoms affecting personality, behaviour, memory, language, mood and motor skills.
Dementia is not a specific disease it is a syndrome. Rather it describes a wide range of medical conditions that affect the brain, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), Huntington’s Disease and many more.
Dementia is not characterised by memory loss alone. While is one of the many common symptoms of Dementia, memory loss by itself does not indicate Dementia. Healthcare providers may diagnose Dementia if two or more brain functions have significant impairment without loss of consciousness and there are decline in cognitive performance over time.
Dementia is not considered a “normal” part of ageing. While mild changes in cognition are common to experience as people mature, Dementia is different in its ability to cause a severe disruption in daily life and functioning.
While certain conditions can masquerade as Dementia and maybe treatable, the pathologies that cause Dementia are not considered curable.
Types of Dementia
The major types of Dementia include:
- Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) – A progressive brain disorder that typically begins slowly destroys short term memory and other mental functions….Read more
- Vascular Dementia (Multi-infarct) – The loss of cognitive function cause by multiple mini strokes.…Read more
- Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) – A progressive condition that sometimes accompanied by hallucinations may cause a decline in reasoning, mobility (slight tremors, falls), and function due to damaging microscopic deposits on the brain.….Read more
- Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) – An umbrella term for brain disorders that affect the nerve cells in the frontal and/ or prefrontal lobes, causing the lobes to shrink, which most affects executive functions like decision making.….Read more
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – A disruption of brain function usually caused by a violent blow, bump or jolt of the head (concussion). …Read more
- Huntington’s Disease – A rare and inherited condition that causes a breakdown of the brain’s nerve cells, triggering movement, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. …Read more
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – A brain and spinal cord disease where the immune system attacks the protective covering of nerves, disrupting communication between the brain and the body. … read more
- Alcohol-Related Dementia (ARD) – Is a form of dementia caused by long-term, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, resulting in neurological damage and impaired cognitive function. ARD can appear to people of all ages, regardless of gender, height or body type. Drinking small amounts of alcohol doesn’t lead to this dangerous medical condition, so having a few drinks per week is considered to be safe.….Read more
- AIDS Dementia Complex – A loss of mental skills in people with late-stage AIDS affecting thinking, reasoning, learning, understanding and moving.…Read more
In Botswana as in many other African countries, there is no equivalent term for dementia in any local language, while there is also a general lack of awareness of dementia among the community. The most prominent belief regarding the underlying cause of dementia is that although not experienced by everyone, dementia-like symptoms are part of “normal ageing”. In extreme cases born of fear and ignorance, people with dementia are perceived to be witches, inevitably resulting in discrimination, isolation and instances of violence.
Most people with Dementia are old, but it is important to remember that not all older people get Dementia. It is not a normal part of ageing.
Dementia can happen anybody but it is more common after the age of 65 years. People in their 40s and 50s can also get Dementia
Many people affected by Dementia are concerned that they may inherit or pass on Dementia. The majority of Dementia is not inherited by children and grandchildren. In rare types of Dementia there may be a strong genetic link, but these are only a tiny proportion of overall cases of Dementia.
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- Can Alzheimer’s Disease be inherited?
The most important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is age. Because Alzheimer’s disease is so common in people in their late 70s and 80s, having a parent or grandparent with Alzheimer’s disease at this age does not change your risk compared to the rest of the population.
However, if somebody has developed Alzheimer’s disease at an earlier age (for example, less than 60 years-old) there is a greater chance that it may be a type of Alzheimer’s disease that can be passed on.
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- Can Vascular Dementia be Inherited?
In most cases, vascular dementia itself is not inherited. However, the underlying health issues that sometimes contribute to this condition, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, may be passed on from one generation to another.
Other than in a few, very rare cases, parents cannot pass on vascular dementia to their children. However, a parent may pass certain genes that increase the risk of developing vascular dementia.
The sort of genes that increase the risk of vascular dementia are often the same ones that increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
For this reason, having a healthy lifestyle, such as eating well and staying physically active, are probably more important for preventing vascular dementia than they are in Alzheimer’s disease.
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- Can Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) be inherited?
Sometimes, yes. FTD is relatively rare compared with Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia, but it can be passed on directly from parent to child. A diagnosis of FTD can therefore cause a great deal of worry to someone who has children or grandchildren.
Most FTD is not directly inherited, but about 40 per cent of people who develop the condition will have at least one close relative diagnosed with some kind of dementia. This can include FTD, Alzheimer’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (sometimes known as motor neurone disease). In general, the greater the number of relatives who have had dementia – particularly FTD or ALS – the greater the chances of developing ‘familial’ FTD.
Of the different types of FTD, the behavioural form is the one that is inherited most often. The type of FTD which starts as primary progressive aphasia (struggling with communication) is only rarely inherited.
There are lots of different genes causing familial FTD, each with its own pattern of inheritance. If you are concerned about either passing on an FTD gene or inheriting the disease from your parents, you can ask your GP to refer you to a genetic testing service in your area. These people are specially trained to guide you through the process of finding out whether you have a gene that causes FTD. You can also get in touch with a specialist support group at Rare Dementia Support, who can provide information and advice about how to cope with having a heritable form of FTD in your family.
Important Notice: Pelonomi Foundation does not provide medical diagnostic and treatment. We are an organisation whose main focus is providing awareness through educational programmes on care giving for Dementia patients and their care givers with the aim of optimising quality of life and mitigating suffering amongst people with Dementia and their loved ones.
Living with Dementia
It is easy to feel overwhelmed when you, or the person close to you is diagnosed with Dementia. It is our goal at Pelonomi Foundation to offer you support that will help your independence and live well.
It is also our mission to help individuals, couples and families to:
- Think about the future
- Identify goals and priorities
- Manage dementia symptoms and live well
- Access support and services
As the first of its kind in Botswana, Pelonomi Foundation through the aid of established International Dementia organisations and Donor agencies seeks to offer support services and programs that will help to:
- Increase society’s understanding of Dementia
- Connect with Healthcare professionals
- Continue with daily activities such as personal care and household tasks
- Maintain hobbies and interest that support your health and wellbeing
- Stay socially connected to family and friends
Support for Families Carers
Family members and friends often find themselves in the role of a carer when a loved one is living with Dementia. While caring for your loved one can be rewarding, it can also have its tougher days. As you care for someone with Dementia, you may not be taking as much care of your own emotional, mental and physical well-being.
Whether you are the husband, wife, partner, daughter, son, brother, sister or friend of the person, your relationship will change. Pelonomi Foundation offers support for families and Carers so you don’t feel alone.
What are the signs and symptoms of dementia?
What are non-drug treatments for dementia?
What are drug treatments for dementia?
How can a person with dementia get support?
How can a person with dementia plan ahead?
How can a person with dementia cope with memory loss?
How can a person with dementia stay healthy and active?
About You
Pelonomi Foundation envisages to offer a range of educational programs suited to support the specific needs of people living with Dementia, families and Carers, health professionals and general community.
- For people living with Dementia
- For family members and family carers
- For Health professionals
- For general community
For People living with Dementia
Pelonomi Foundation offers a wide range of educational programs and sessions designed to support people living with dementia.
Our education sessions and programs are designed in response to the specific needs of all forms of Dementia, i.e., Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Disease and Frontotemporal dementia. The education programs focus on skills that support maintaining the independence and general wellbeing of people living with Dementia in its various stages. All sessions are delivered by Pelonomi Foundation’s highly qualified facilitators and outsourced professionals who specialise in the delivery of education and support to people living with Dementia.
Some of our programs shall be in Video format by guest speakers and uploaded onto our education page (below) for access by the public. This will cover a wide range of topics that may be deemed essential to our communities by our team of professionals.
For the General Public
The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. Stigma is born out of fear and ignorance, but mostly fear of the unknown. We offer community sessions designed to raise awareness and counter the stigma and discrimination surrounding it.
We shall also offer sessions focused on brain health which provides strategies to maintain brain health and reduce the risk of dementia, helping people better understand how memory works, and when memory changes may need to be investigated. All sessions are out-sourced from well established Dementia organisations around the world who specialise in the delivery of education and support related to dementia.