Visiting Angels of Mid Maine Offers Home Care for Seniors Dealing with Lewy Body Dementia

Things You Should Know About Lewy Body Dementia and Home Care in Bangor, ME and Surrounding Areas 

Lewy body dementia is a brain disease that impairs cognitive abilities and mobility functions. Lewy body dementia, often abbreviated as LBD, is among the most common forms of dementia. However, it is still widely unknown and underdiagnosed in its early stages.

Lewy body dementia results from a build-up of unusual protein deposits, also called Lewy bodies, in the brain areas in charge of thinking, memory, and mobility. As these Lewy bodies build-up, they interfere with healthy brain cells and impair normal brain functions. 

There are many symptoms of Lewy body dementia, and they vary from patient to patient. Some of the most common symptoms are memory loss, changes in thinking and reasoning, problems with sleeping, hallucinations, shorter attention spans, depression, difficulty moving, stiffness, and irregularities in body functions such as heart rate and digestion.

Age, gender, and genetics are contributors to deciding who is at higher risk for developing LBD. Those at the highest risk are people over 60, women, and those who have family histories of Lewy body dementia.

LBD has no cure, but treatments are available to help alleviate symptoms and prolong the lives, mobilities, and cognitive functions of those who suffer. Prescription medication is available to make patients more comfortable and to lessen the pain associated with movement. It can also help improve their brain function and reducing the occurrence of hallucinations. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, counseling, and support groups are also available to those suffering from LBD. These forms of treatment can help a different facet of LBD, whether physical, emotional, mental, or social.

As the disease progresses, it can become stressful for family members to care for the person they love suffering from LBD. At Visiting Angels, our skilled caretakers are available 24/7 to provide various care services if you need a break or if the care becomes too much for you to handle. Some of the services we offer are:

• Fall prevention and wandering prevention
• Reminding the patient to take their medication
• Stress relief
• Symptom relief
• Assistance with bathing and grooming
• Light housekeeping
• Meal preparation
• Running errands
• Social support
• Improving the overall quality of the patient’s life

Contact Visiting Angels of Mid Maine

If you or someone you know might benefit from LBD care or would like to learn more about how Visiting Angels of Mid Maine can provide high-quality home care, please contact us at 207-605-8288