Introduction
While some decline in cognitive function is a natural part of aging, any notable changes in thinking, memory, reasoning, attention, behavior, or personality that hinder your ability to care for yourself or enjoy activities you once did should prompt a visit to your healthcare provider.
An early diagnosis allows for treatment to begin when it has the best chance of providing significant symptom relief. It also allows you to plan activities and make care arrangements while you can still participate in decision-making.
Self-Care at Home
If someone has vascular dementia, they should be under medical care. However, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of further vascular damage or stroke. The most important action is to adopt healthy habits, which include maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced and healthy diet, regular exercise, and not smoking.
You must realistically acknowledge your limitations. Some everyday tasks, like managing finances, may require assistance. You may need to give up some of your independence, such as driving. Safety, both yours and others', depends on this recognition.
Many people with vascular dementia eventually become unable to live independently and care for themselves. Often, family members become responsible for their care. It's important to discuss and plan for future care with your healthcare provider and family members.
Tips for the Caregiver
Effective caregiving is structured, respectful, and friendly. This approach is best for dealing with behavioral problems.
- Your healthcare provider can offer advice on how to provide the best care and how to handle troubling behaviors and symptoms.
- Use short, simple sentences when communicating with someone with dementia.
- Create a routine for self-care tasks like bathing and dressing, simplifying the process.
- Establish a daily routine for all activities, including meals, medication administration, recreation, exercise, and sleep.
- Use visual aids like signs, pictures, clocks, calendars, family photos, and a list of daily activities to help reorient the person when they get confused.
- Use distraction rather than confrontation to manage irritable or socially inappropriate behaviors.
If the affected person cannot cope in the community, discuss long-term care planning, including nursing home placement. Your healthcare provider can also provide guidance on caregiver stress and respite care. Respite care offers caregivers short-term relief, and day programs can provide structure and activities for the person with dementia.
Follow-up
If you've had a stroke or have vascular dementia, regular visits to your healthcare provider are essential. These visits help evaluate your symptoms and adjust treatments if needed.
You may eventually reach a point where you can't care for yourself or make decisions about your care.
Discuss future care arrangements with your family as early as possible so your wishes can be clarified and documented for the future. Your healthcare provider can guide you on the legal documents necessary to ensure your wishes are respected.
Prevention
In many cases, vascular dementia is preventable. Risk factors for stroke and vascular dementia include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, smoking, and diabetes. For many people, adopting a healthy lifestyle can reduce these risks. Those who have had a stroke may further reduce their risk by considering drug treatment or surgery in addition to a healthy lifestyle.
Outlook
At present, there is no known cure for vascular dementia. While treatment can slow the worsening of symptoms or even improve them in some cases, the brain damage caused by a stroke cannot be reversed.
As dementia progresses, behavior problems often become more severe. Agitation, aggression, wandering, sleep disorders, and inappropriate sexual behavior may become unmanageable. The physical demands of caregiving, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, feeding, and assisting with using the toilet, may become overwhelming for family members. Under these conditions, the family may decide to place the person in a nursing home or similar facility.
Vascular dementia appears to shorten life expectancy, with the most common causes of death being complications of dementia and cardiovascular disease.