Dementia Aware

Dementia has physical, psychological, social, and economic impacts for people living with the disease their care partners, families, and society at large. Unfortunately, there is often a lack of awareness and understanding of dementia, resulting in barriers to diagnosis and care, as well as stigma and poor quality of life. Knowledge and appreciation of evidence-based science is key to building a dementia-aware Utah.

With information comes empowerment. Through targeted educational programs and carefully crafted media messaging, we can change the perception of dementia and work towards accepting and treating the disease to improve quality of life.

At this time, dementia cannot be prevented, but there are ways to reduce your risk. We have created an entire page with risk reduction tips.

There is growing evidence that shows people who adopt healthy lifestyles and habits can lower their risk of dementia. These same behaviors can lower your risk for many other chronic conditions as well.

Resources:

Can I prevent dementia?
Dementia factors and risk reduction
Dementia risk reduction
Dr. Sanjay Gupta's prescription for fighting off dementia
International Association for Indigenous Aging
UsAgainstAlzheimer's Brain Health Academy
- Obesity and Dementia
- Diabetes and Dementia
- Hearing and Dementia
- Smoking and Dementia
- Alcohol Use and Dementia
- Depression and Dementia

Early detection and diagnosis of dementia is very important not just for the person living with the disease, but their families, caregivers and healthcare providers. Medicare provides an Annual Wellness Visit each year for people 65 and older. During this visit with your healthcare provider, be sure to ask for a cognitive health screening, or as we call it, a brain health check. If you have concerns with your (or a family member's) thinking, behaviors, memory, emotions or vision be sure to talk to a healthcare provider.

Resources:

NOTE: It’s possible for individuals to experience one or more of these signs in varying degrees. It is not necessary to experience every sign in order to raise concern.

Cognitive changes

Challenges with communicating or finding words
Confusion and disorientation
Declining coordination and motor functions
Issues with reasoning or problem-solving
Memory loss, which is usually noticed by someone else
Poor visual and spatial abilities, such as getting lost while driving
Problems handling complex tasks
Trouble with planning and organizing

Psychological changes

Agitation
Anxiety
Depression
Hallucinations
Inappropriate behavior
Paranoia
Personality changes

What to do if you notice a sign(s):
If you notice one or more signs in yourself or another person it can be difficult to know what to do. It’s common to feel uncertain or nervous about discussing these changes with others. Talking about your concerns might make them seem more “real.” Or, you may fear upsetting someone by sharing observations about changes in their abilities or behavior. However, these signs are significant health concerns that should be evaluated by a doctor. It’s important to actively figure out what’s going on.

There are many types of dementias. As you saw on the home page, the most common are Alzheimer's disease, Frontotemporal degeneration, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia. Below are helpful links to find the differences between the types of dementias.

Dementia touches almost everyone. You could be the person living with dementia, a caregiver, friend, family or community member. Within the last several years, there have been huge steps world wide to reduce risk of dementia, raise awareness, reduce stigma, and for governments to fund and support these efforts. Without these worldwide efforts, local efforts would cease to exist. Utah has based our dementia efforts off of the Healthy Brain Initiative and the Building our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure Act while continuing to work with the needs of our communities.

There are many opportunities in Utah for you, your family/friends, business or community to become more dementia aware. Utah is part of the Dementia Friendly America initiative and our statewide partners offer a variety of education and classes. To find classes near you check the statewide calendar or contact your local Area Agency on Aging. If you would like to request a presentation or class for your business or organization, please fill out this form.