Learn More About Dementia

Dementia may still be one of the most misunderstood medical conditions of today.  From believing dementia is an inevitable part of aging to thinking any sign of forgetfulness is evidence of dementia, many people hold inaccurate views regarding the term.  The Alzheimer’s Association defines dementia as not being a specific disease.  Rather they say, “It's an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities.” 

Also, it can complicate the matter as the term dementia covers a range of conditions with the most common one being Alzheimer’s disease.  Other forms of dementia include vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and other disorders.   

To determine if you or a loved one’s memory loss is a symptom of dementia, you need to be evaluated by a health care professional.  Simply being forgetful is not enough for a doctor to make the diagnosis of dementia but rather he or she will run a series of tests to determine if there is other evidence of cognition problems.   Other signs of dementia involve a person having difficulty completing sentences or finding the right word to say, difficulty completing tasks, and difficulty recognizing items or people.   

In some cases, the person may exhibit signs of poor judgement and have trouble performing common household chores, paying bills, or preparing food.  They may have problems with organizing thoughts, and repeatedly ask the same questions or relate the same stories.  A person with dementia can lose their way even in a familiar environment as well as become more agitated and irritable. 

At MorningStar at Jordan Creek, we specialize in providing seniors with a lifestyle of comfort, wellness and community.  Along with exceptional memory care, we provide the finest assisted living Des Moines-West Des Moines offers.  Please see our website for more information including our new protocols in the fight against COVID-19.

MorningStar at Jordan Creek proudly provides the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest memory care and assisted living Des Moines – West Des Moines has to offer.