10.3 Dementia & Alzheimer's

alzheimer's disease

A progressive brain disease and common cause of dementia that damages memory and thinking

cognition

The ability to think, learn, remember, understand, and make decisions

cognitive impairment

Difficulty with memory, thinking, understanding, judgment, or decision-making

confusion

Difficulty thinking clearly or understanding what is happening

de-escalation

Calm techniques used to reduce tension, agitation, or unsafe behavior

delirium

A sudden, often reversible change in attention, awareness, and thinking

delusion

A firmly held false belief that is not based in reality

dementia

A group of symptoms involving ongoing decline in memory and thinking that interferes with daily life

hallucination

Seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, or tasting something that is not present

hoarding

Collecting and keeping excessive items, often because of anxiety or impaired judgment

memory loss

Reduced ability to remember information or experiences

pacing

Repeated walking back and forth, often caused by restlessness or unmet needs

perseveration

Repeating the same word, question, idea, or action

redirection

Gently guiding attention from an unsafe or upsetting behavior to another activity or topic

reminiscing

Talking about and recalling past experiences

sundowning

Increased confusion or agitation in the late afternoon or evening

validation therapy

Responding to the feelings behind a person's words without arguing about their reality

wandering

Moving about without a clear purpose or into unsafe areas