The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Between 50% and 75% of all people with dementia have Alzheimer’s Disease. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates 5.3 million Americans are afflicted with this disease.

Vascular Dementia, characterized by a reduction of blood flow to certain areas of the brain, is the second most common form of dementia. Symptoms of Vascular Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are very similar, and often occur together.  This is also known as “Mixed Dementia.”

Lewy Bodies Dementia is a type of dementia characterized by problems with attention and alertness, and visual hallucinations, muscle rigidity and tremors. These muscle-related symptoms are very similar to those typical of individuals with Parkinson’s disease. 

Fronto-Temporal Dementia (FTD) or Pick’s Disease are extremely rare and are very difficult to distinguish from Alzheimer’s Disease. However, there are often are changes in personality before the memory loss occurs which are good indicators of these diseases.

There are other reasons for a person to have dementia that may not necessarily be indicative of a “disease.”  These can include depression, the side effects of certain medications, excessive use of alcohol, thyroid problems, having a poor diet or vitamin deficiency, and certain kinds of infections.

When trying to determine the cause of a person’s dementia, doctors use many tools. In addition to a thorough physical exam which includes blood and urine tests, they may also complete an assessment of the individual’s mental status, which tests short term memory, the ability to follow instructions, and problem-solving skills. A neurological exams test speech, balance, coordination and reflexes. Additionally, doctors use imaging tests, such as CT Scans, MRIs and PET scans to rule out other causes for the dementia, including tumors or strokes.

 While no single test can prove conclusively that a person has Alzheimer’s Disease, early diagnosis and treatment methods are improving daily. If you or a loved one are experiencing significant memory problems, it is important to see a physician for testing as soon as possible.  For more information on this topic, contact the Alzheimer’s Association.

Greetings!  Welcome to Oak Leaf Manor’s new blog about personal care and retirement living. We hope you will stay a while, or at least bookmark this page or subscribe to our blog.

There are some great reasons to make reading our blog a part of your busy life.  Our research has uncovered very few blogs that talk about how to successfully transition to retirement living in Central Pennsylvania in general and Lancaster County in particular.  We think there is a lot of information that could be very helpful to you and those you love.  Here is a sneak peek at what you will learn about from Oak Leaf Manor’s blog in the days and weeks to come:

What are your options if someone you love is not safe at home right now, and you are caught unprepared?

What are the differences between independent living, assisted living, personal care, and skilled care?  What is a CCRC? SNF? AL vs IL? Stay tuned here and you’ll find out.

What are the top 5 signs that you should consider personal care or additional support for someone who matters to you?

How do you even begin to address the issue of “giving up my home” with your family member?

How do you pick a good community for your loved one?

Once your family member has moved in, what can you do to ensure a successful stay?

Do these topics sound helpful to you? We hope so.  Our bloggers will also sprinkle in some great stories about people who live here with us, or events that we know are coming up in Central PA which you might find useful or entertaining.

Most of all, we want to hear back from you. That’s part of what blogging is about, after all. What are you concerned about? What information would help you most?  What keeps you up at night?

Give us a piece of your mind, and we will try to give you peace from ours in return.