Research shows that there are many people who have Parkinson’s disease who will get dementia, as well. This is often referred to as Parkinson’s disease dementia. This type of dementia will be caused by protein deposit buildups in one’s brain. If you are wondering if this is something that your elderly loved one has, there are some common symptoms that you should be looking out for.
Forgetfulness and Memory Loss
If your elderly loved one has Parkinson’s disease and they start forgetting things or experiencing any form of memory loss, they might have Parkinson’s disease dementia. Parkinson’s disease is difficult enough to deal with and adding dementia into the mix only makes things tougher. However, the sooner that you and your loved one’s senior care providers know about this disease, the more you can support them.
Trouble Concentrating
With Parkinson’s disease dementia, your loved one might also experience trouble concentrating. Due to the buildup of protein deposits in their brain, their concentration can be affected.
Experiencing Delusions and/or Hallucinations
When someone has Parkinson’s disease dementia, their brain is affected in many ways. Due to this fact, the person with this type of dementia might start experiencing delusions and/or hallucinations. These can be frightening for them. If your loved one starts experiencing these symptoms for any reason, you should have them see their doctor immediately.
Issues with Communication
Have you noticed that your elderly loved one has had issues verbally communicating things to you and their senior care providers lately? If you have noticed this and your loved one also has Parkinson’s disease, they could also have Parkinson’s disease dementia.
Excessive Irritability or Anger
Other symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include excessive irritability and anger. While there could be many reasons for your loved one experiencing these issues, you should still have their doctor check it out.
Lack of Judgment
As previously mentioned, any form of dementia does a number on one’s brain. With this being said, if your loved one has Parkinson’s disease dementia, you might notice they have a lack of judgment recently. Due to the protein deposit buildups on their brain, different areas of their brain are affected. This can be the cause of their lack of judgment.
Sadness and/or Depression
Many people who find out they have dementia, of any type, will become sad or depressed. This might also be the case for your elderly loved one. If you do notice they are depressed, talk to their doctor about it and let your loved one know you are there for them.
While there is not a cure for Parkinson’s disease dementia, at least the more you know about it, the more you can be there to support your elderly loved one.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Care Services Randolph, MA, call the caring staff at Rivers of Hope today at 508-857-0629. Providing Independent, Dependent, and Companion Care Services in Brockton, Boston, Braintree, Avon Randolph, Abington, and the surrounding areas. riversofhopes.com
Sources