Dementia

Throughout St Ann’s 50th anniversary, we’ll be sharing 50 bitesize webinars. Each month focuses on a specific theme, with a new bitesize session each week to watch at a time that’s best for you.

This month, our webinars will cover different aspects about supporting people with dementia at the end of life. Thanks to our friends at Alzheimer’s Society for sharing some of their videos with us.

End of life care for people with dementia

Suzie Doe and Siobhan Kenyon, Clinical Educators at St Ann’s Hospice, explain the rules of thumb guidance for end of life care for people with dementia.

What is dementia?

The term ‘dementia’ is used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions. Symptoms of dementia include loss of memory, confusion and problems with speech and understanding.

What is vascular dementia?

Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia. It is caused by problems with the blood supply to the brain. Nerve cells require oxygen and nutrients to survive. Without them, they will become damaged or die.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and also the best understood. It is thought to be caused by the formation of abnormal deposits of protein in the brain. These are called plaques and tangles, and they are made up of two key proteins: amyloid and tau.

The dementia guide

The dementia guide is for anyone who has recently been told they have dementia. This could be any type of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia or mixed dementia. It will also be useful to close friends and family of someone with dementia, as it contains information for anyone taking on a caring role.