How to help those living with dementia beyond awareness and education |
A terrible irony of dementia — which can result in the inability to recognize people and places — is that the condition itself does not get the worldwide recognition it deserves.
Until now.
The United Nations recently announced a plan to address major neurological disorders, such as dementia. This is particularly significant because many countries do not always understand or treat the condition, which affects more than 57 million people worldwide. The U.N. action, though overdue, is welcome news for those of us working to raise awareness and improve the lives of people living with dementia and their care partners.
Unfortunately, too many people and families are struggling with the condition and need more assistance.As a condition, dementia is not a single disease. Instead, it is an umbrella term — a syndrome with a wide array of symptoms caused by one or more underlying pathologies affecting the brain. Just as the term “cancer” refers to numerous forms of the disease, dementia encompasses wide-ranging impacts to cognition, including memory loss,........