Dementia

Nearly 10% of adults 65 and older have dementia, while an additional 22% experience mild cognitive impairment. At PsychPro Health, based in Brockton, Massachusetts, board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Ana Depina, PMHNP, diagnoses and provides treatments that help you or a loved one better manage dementia symptoms. Schedule an in-person or telehealth appointment with Ana by calling the office or requesting an appointment online today.

What is dementia?

Dementia is a condition describing symptoms affecting cognition, memory, and social abilities. Alzheimer’s disease is a common type of dementia that affects 24 million people worldwide, including one in nine people aged 65 and older in the United States. Treatment with Ana at PsychPro Health can help you or a loved one manage symptoms to optimize your quality of life.

Which symptoms can dementia cause?

The hallmark symptoms of dementia include:

• Problems communicating and finding the right words
• Memory loss
• Getting lost while driving
• Difficulty completing complex tasks
• Forgetting names, places, or things
• Losing items easily
• Difficulty with problem-solving or reasoning
• Confusion
• Disorientation
• Poor coordination and movements
• Difficulty with organizing and planning
• Agitation, anxiety, or depression
• Personality changes
• Inappropriate behaviors
• Paranoia 
• Hallucinations

See Ana at the first sign of you or a loved one exhibiting dementia symptoms. 

What increases the risk of dementia?

While the cause isn’t fully clear, factors that boost the chance of experiencing dementia include:

• Brain changes
• Family history of dementia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Huntington's disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Aging
• Down syndrome
• Unhealthy lifestyle habits

Causes of dementia that might be reversible with treatment include infections, immune system disorders, hormone problems, metabolic issues, nutrient deficiencies, medication side effects, brain tumors, and bleeding in the brain. 

What are ways to lessen the risk of dementia?

Adopting healthy lifestyle habits, such as exercising regularly, eating nutritious foods, limiting or avoiding alcohol, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, getting enough sleep, not smoking, and limiting exposure to environmental toxins, may reduce the risk of dementia. Avoid certain medications (such as sleeping pills and sedatives) and take vitamin supplements if asked to.

How is dementia diagnosed?

Ana completes a comprehensive mental health evaluation to determine if you or a loved one has dementia and how severe it is. She also screens for additional mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Ana might suggest a neurological evaluation, brain scan, lab testing, or other diagnostic tests if you haven’t already completed them.

How is dementia treated?

There’s no cure for dementia (unless you have a form of reversible dementia), but treatment helps you better manage its symptoms and slow disease progression. Ana offers healthy lifestyle counseling, individualized therapy, family therapy, other forms of therapy, medication management, and combinations of treatments to support superior mental health outcomes. 

She might suggest attending support groups, altering your environment, completing occupational therapy, and simplifying everyday tasks. 

Ana also offers therapy sessions, lifestyle guidance, and referrals for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia to help them cope with the challenges they may face. 

Schedule a dementia evaluation with Ana at PsychPro Health by calling the office or requesting an appointment online today.