Dementia Guru was designed with four missions. We aim to provide our members with resources for a comprehensive knowledge base of all things dementia and related illnesses. We aim to provide our members with training and know how for all scenarios related to taking care of victims of dementia. We aim to provide our members with a place to come for support, whether that be a safe space for practical questions to be answered, or a safe place where people can relate to each other’s difficulties and help support each other through them. Lastly, we aim to inform the world on the wonders that come with dementia, demonstrating how these individuals still have loves and hates, feelings and desires, a sense of humor and a sense of preference, a sense of belonging and dignity. So to answer the question, in that any person with dementia is left unable to help themselves, Dementia Guru is here to help you and/or your loved one’s caregivers in education, training, and support, in all these matters, so they may be to live in an ideal situation. For a more thorough breakdown, watch the introductory video found of dementiaguru.com.

Dementia is not a diagnosis per se, it is an umbrella term which covers a dozen or so subtypes of dementia. Which subtype a person has largely depends on the cause for it – vascular dementia for example is caused by brain damage from a stroke. Alzheimer’s disease is one of these subtypes. For a more thorough breakdown, watch the lesson “Alzheimer’s: The Big One” in the Dementia Education module of dementiaguru.com

Wandering is a common symptom of dementia, and the reasons for it will change from person to person. Remember, people with dementia are usually disoriented to their own situation. So wandering may come as result of stress or anxiety, it may be their attempt to find help. Dementia will often revert people to living in past routines, so wandering may be their way of trying to go to work or take a walk in the park. It may also be looking for something they once had. Wandering is not necessarily problematic, so long as the environment is safe for the individual. Continued supervision in that space is often ideal, however it is not always possible. Keeping an individual contained in their environment for their safety is important, so changing locks and installing alarms is important. Technology options such as alarm systems amd remote security cameras can also be very helpful. Sometimes it can be as simple a thing as an activity that can act as a distraction to the individual. Talk with the loved one about what it is they’re trying to find or do – that interview may lend the insight you need to help solve the problem. In more serious circumstances wherein an individual is regularly putting themselves in harm’s way, it is worth considering placing them in a memory care unit where they can’t get out the door, and have the care they need 24 hours a day. For a more thorough breakdown, watch the lesson “Elopement” in the Dementia Training module coming soon to dementiaguru.com

Alzheimer’s disease takes anywhere from a few months to a few years to develop, and it can happen as early as fifty years old. Remember, as we get older, some difficulty with short-term memory is all but inevitable – it does not necessarily imply dementia. If you notice having trouble remembering where you are and what you’re doing in greater frequency, schedule a consultation with a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or neurology – these are the professional dealing most frequently with dementia, and can help you to narrow how if this is happening for you, and if so, what steps you should take so to ensure a continued high quality of life. Rule out other more subtle but possible causes for cognitive decline such as urinary tract infection. For more thorough information, watch the lessons “What Exactly is Not Dementia? Part 1 and 2” in the Dementia Education module of dementiaguru.com

Dementia comes about by a number of different and unrelated causes, so each subtype would in theory require its own cure. However, at the present we have no cure for any subtype. Having said that, the search for a cure is an ever-growing research project across the planet, each subtype has its own team of scientists who are all pushing the boundaries on methods for rebuilding the brain’s cells that were damaged or destroyed. Provided medical science and technology continues to go in the direction it’s all going in, in theory, and as with most diseases, it’s only a matter of time before we have the technology and knowhow to mitigate this one, in one way or another. For a more thorough breakdown, watch the lesson “What Then Exactly Is Dementia?” in the Dementia Education module on dementiaguru.com

Absolutely. Keep blood pressure down through regular physical exercise, doing so will keep the brain healthy – especially as we get older. Give the brain a good regular workout as well by doing mental activities you find interesting and also challenging. Take your pick, whether that’s Sudoku, reading a new book, a simple word hunt, or get on an online program that keeps you thinking, programs like Lumosity or BrainHQ. Keep your thoughts realistic and positive, keep your mental health in check, don’t expect too much nor too little of yourself and you’re on the road. To be clear, there is no one definitive prevention for dementia, no one-size-fits-all, there are too many variable for a person to navigate through to have a surefire chance at that. Do what you can to work with what you have, keep your eyes both on realistic energy but positive energy. For a more thorough breakdown, watch the lesson “Prevention is Redemption” in the Dementia Training module on dementiaguru.com.

Dementia takes a toll on many people, and not only the victims – family members and loved ones are affected just as dramatically as the victims are. It is equally important to taking care of your loved one that you also take care of you own mental health and find solutions for problems. These may include finding a safe place with plenty of empathy and commiseration, a shoulder to cry on if you will, and in our day and age, those options are plentiful. They include local support groups in most communities where people can meet together, online support groups on social media such as the Dementia Guru Facebook page, websites designed for the same purpose, to name a few. Dementiaguru.com likewise offers a wealth of information and training which will also alleviate the pressures of a caregiver’s life. Keep your doctor informed on your own mental health, they may have additional solutions and know of other local options. For a more thorough breakdown, see the Support module on dementiaguru.com.

Every Speech-Language Pathologist in the United States has a Master’s Degree that includes education and training on dementia, as well as all cognitive-linguistic deficits and related illnesses. There are many roads an SLP may take in their career, whether that be helping children in the school systems with their speech impediments, helping the elderly in skilled nursing with strokes and dysphagia, helping cancer patients with their voice disorders, the list goes on – but let it be known, Speech-Language Pathologists can become as specialized and expert in the field of dementia as any medical professional. For a more thorough breakdown, watch the introduction on dementiaguru.com

As a degenerative illness, remember that, like so many illnesses, at the present dementia does always end in death, as we have yet to find a cure for it. Having said that, dementia does not rob a person of their identity nor all the memories they have. The things we desire to hold on to the most are the ones that linger the best in our long-term memory in the brain. Our long-term memory center, the hippocampus, added them a long time before it couldn’t fiunction anymore. You may have noticed most people with dementia, while they can’t tell you what they had for breakfast or even where they are, can still tell you where they went to high school, who their first kiss was, what they love about their children, what kinds of movies they like best. For a more thorough breakdown, watch the lesson “The You Abides” in the Dementia Education module on dementiaguru.com

There are illnesses which can unfortunately leave a person in a vegetative state, in other words leave them showing no sense of awareness of anything going on in their life. Dementia does not generally do this until the end stages of the course it runs, at which point the body and mind are actively preparing to decease. Until that time, you will still find things to enjoy in your life. Consider this: do you currently feel anxiety that you can’t remember every time you enjoyed eating your favorite piece of food? Of course not, and it will be the same with dementia. You won’t remember all the things you’ve done, but life is best lived in the present, and the present is something people with dementia have every bit as much as the rest of us. For a more thorough breakdown, watch the lesson “Elephant in the Room” in the Dementia Education module on dementiaguru.com