Face dementia now to improve life later
Early diagnosis is the key to living with dementia – and getting out of that comfy chair in front of the TV can help keep it at bay.
We don’t yet have a cure for dementia but timely diagnosis, regardless of age or disease progression, allows for the person and their family to adjust and make lifestyle changes that can slow the progression of dementia and significantly improve their quality of life.
That’s the key message of the new campaign to raise public awareness of the benefits of diagnosing dementia before it is too far developed.
The campaign is especially valuable given that, of the estimated 400,000-plus Australians living with dementia, 50% of them are undiagnosed.
The disease is the leading cause of death for women in Australia and the second leading cause of death for men.
The Face Dementia campaign is the work of researchers from seven universities across Australia, health organisations, and peak bodies such as Dementia Australia.
It offers a range of online resources, including a checklist to help people identify the symptoms of dementia, and it provides advice on how to have conversations about dementia with your general practitioner and family.
For information about the signs to look for, click here.
People aged 60 and over who spend long hours engaged in sedentary behaviours such as sitting while watching TV may be at increased risk of developing dementia, according to an American study.
Those who spend 10 hours without moving are at particular risk. The study says the average American is sedentary for about 9.5 hours each day – and Australians are probbaly not far behind!
University of Southern California and University of Arizona researchers found the way sedentary behaviour is accumulated over the course of the day didn’t matter as much as the total time spent sedentary each day.
Whether spent in extended periods spanning several hours or spread out intermittently throughout the day, total sedentary behaviour had a similar association with dementia, according to study author David Raichlen.
While high amounts of sedentary behaviour were linked with increased risk of dementia, the researchers found that there were certain amounts of sedentary behaviour that were not associated with dementia.
For example, otherwise sedentary office workers may benefit from the mental stimulation that occurs while using a computer.
The researchers concluded, “This should provide some reassurance to those of us with office jobs that involve prolonged periods of sitting, as long we limit our total daily time spent sedentary."
One of the benefits of seeking an early diagnosis is discovering whether there is cause for concern. After conducting memory and thinking tests and other health checks, your doctor might tell you that the symptoms are not dementia.
Dementia-like symptoms can be caused by depression and stress, sleep apnoea, infection, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid or hormonal disorders, brain tumours, or other medical conditions.
The cause of the changes may be treatable and reversible. When causes of changes are treated, this may reduce or completely stop the symptoms.
If the changes are dementia, you can get treatment to slow its progression, and support to continue living life. Medications, rehabilitation, and subsidised healthcare and services are available to help people living with dementia and their families.
Related reading: Face Dementia, Australian Ageing Agenda
