Lewy Body Dementia Hits Close To Home
My dear friend Maggi called me this week to report that her older brother Michael was just diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. Maggi and I have both been nursing home administrators for over 20 years and certainly are familiar with individuals being diagnosed with dementia. Of course, when it happens to you or someone you care about, that's when things feel so different.
In case you don't know, Lewy Body Dementia is considered a form of degenerative dementia and accounts for approximately 20% of all cases of dementia. Studies estimate that there are approximately 800,000 individuals in the U.S. with Lewy Body Dementia. Interestingly, the form of dementia that often occurs in persons who have Parkinson's Disease is also a form of Lewy Body Dementia.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders info page states that there are three unique features of Lewy Body Dementia (besides the cognitive decline) which are: 1. fluctuations in alertness and attention 2. visual hallucinations 3. symptoms similiar to those seen in Parkinson's disease such as body rigidity and lack of spontaneous movement. As with other dementias, there is no cure for Lewy Body Dementia but research continues through a number of organizations. Any treatments that are available to current patients focus on controlling the symptoms.
Two good resources for Maggi and her family are the Lewy Body Dementia Blog and good info from the Family Caregiver's Alliance. Hey Maggi, we are rooting for Michael! Hang in there!
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Posted by: kevin | January 22, 2007 at 05:57 PM