Overview: Dementia

From PhilanthropyWiki

Dementia Overview

Dementia is a descriptive term. It is not a disease itself, but is a broad term used to describe the symptoms of a large group of illnesses which cause a progressive decline in a person’s daily functioning. Symptoms may include:

• Loss of memory, intellect, rationality and social skills
• Changes in personality, mood and behaviour

Dementia may be caused or influenced by disease or injury, drugs, alcohol, hormone or vitamin imbalances, or depression. Most sufferers from dementia are older people, but dementia is not a normal part of ageing and most older people will not suffer from it. Anyone can suffer from dementia, but it is more common after the age of 65.

Around 200,000 Australians are believed to suffer from dementia and it is estimated that dementia costs the community $6.6 billion per year [1]. Dementia is the condition that is expected to show the greatest increase in disease burden by 2023.

Sources

About Dementia (Alzheimer's Australia)

Dementia Research in Australia, accessed 19 June 2008.

Preparing for the impact of dementia (Briefing Paper No. 04/2006 by Talina Drabsch, NSW Parliament)