How Dementia Care from Visiting Angels Helps Seniors in Westminster, CO and Surrounding Areas Manage Lewy Body Dementia
Does your loved one have Lewy body dementia? Choose in-home dementia care from Visiting Angels. Here’s how our home care services help seniors in Westminster, Broomfield, Northglenn and surrounding areas in Colorado get the support they need
Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a brain disease that can impair thinking and mobility. It’s one of the most common types of dementia and affects more than one million people in the United States. LBD is unfamiliar to many people and often misdiagnosed in its early stages.
If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed from caring for a loved one who has Lewy body dementia, Visiting Angels Westminster can help with personalized dementia care services.
What Causes Lewy Body Dementia?
LBD is caused by the buildup of abnormal protein deposits, called Lewy bodies, in regions of the brain that are responsible for thinking, memory, and movement. When Lewy bodies accumulate in these regions, they damage brain cells and interfere with normal brain function.
What are Common Symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia?
Although severity of symptoms varies among individuals, some symptoms that those with LBD typically experience are:
- Sleep issues
- Recurring hallucinations
- Pronounced memory loss
- Changes in thinking and reasoning
- Depression, apathy and other mood disorders
- Confusion, poor attention span and visual/spatial difficulty
- Movement disorders, such as slowness, stiffness and gait changes
- Problems regulating automatic body functions such as pulse and digestion
What are Common Risk Factors for Lewy Body Dementia?
While few risk factors have been identified, the following may increase the risk of developing LBD:
- Age — Individuals older than age 60 are more likely to be diagnosed with LBD
- Gender — Men are at a higher risk of developing LBD than women
- Family History — A family member diagnosed with LBD can make other family members more susceptible to being diagnosed, as well
How is Lewy Body Dementia Diagnosed?
LBD is often confused with Alzheimer’s disease because of common symptoms. To determine if symptoms are caused by LBD, a thorough medical evaluation is done, which includes: a physical exam, diagnostic tests, blood tests and a brain scan.
What are Treatment Options for Lewy Body Dementia?
LBD is a progressive disease and symptoms will eventually worsen. Although LBD is not curable, some non-surgical treatments and therapies can help control and manage symptoms.
A comprehensive treatment plan for individuals diagnosed with LBD may involve:
- Medications for cognitive and physical symptoms
- Physical, occupational or speech therapy
- Individual and family counseling
- Support groups
Doctors may recommend a non-drug approach because certain medications have side effects that can worsen symptoms. Treatments are more effective the earlier LBD is recognized. If you are concerned your loved one may have LBD, make an appointment with your doctor immediately.
How Our Dementia Care Services can Help Your Loved One
As the effects of LBD continue to progress, family caregivers may become overwhelmed by the burden of caring for their loved one. Visiting Angels Westminster can fill the gaps and support individuals and their families by providing custom-tailored dementia care services.
Our dementia care services can include:
- Monitoring and companionship
- Wandering prevention
- Managing moments of confusion, anxiety and anger
- Accompaniment and transportation to appointments
- Medication reminders and prescription pickups
- Laundry and light housekeeping
- Grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation
- Help with dressing, bathing and grooming
- Mobility and transfer assistance
If you’d like to learn more about our dementia care services, contact Visiting Angels Westminster at 303-625-7623.