How Dementia Care from Visiting Angels Central Coast Can Help Seniors Living with Lewy Body Dementia in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties in California
Learn more about Lewy body dementia (LBD) and how our dementia care services can help seniors with LBD in Scotts Valley, Watsonville, Carmel, Aptos, Santa Cruz, Marina, and nearby cities in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties get the support they need
Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a brain disease that can impair thinking and mobility. It’s one of the most common types of dementia and affects more than one million people in the United States. LBD is unfamiliar to many people and often misdiagnosed in its early stages. When life with LBD gets to be overwhelming, Visiting Angels Central Coast can help with personalized in-home dementia care.
What Causes Lewy Body Dementia?
LBD is caused by the buildup of abnormal protein deposits, called Lewy bodies, in regions of the brain that are responsible for thinking, memory, and movement. When Lewy bodies accumulate in these regions, they damage brain cells and interfere with normal brain function.
What are the Symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia?
Although severity varies among individuals, some of the most common symptoms of Lewy body dementia are:
- Sleep issues
- Changes in thinking and reasoning
- Pronounced memory loss
- Confusion, poor attention span and visual/spatial difficulty
- Recurring hallucinations
- Depression, apathy and other mood disorders
- Movement disorders, such as slowness, stiffness and gait changes
- Problems regulating automatic body functions such as pulse and digestion
What are Risk Factors for Lewy Body Dementia?
While few risk factors have been identified, the following may increase the risk of developing LBD:
- Age: Individuals older than age 60
- Gender: Men are at a higher risk than women
- Family History: A family member diagnosed with the disease
How is Lewy Body Dementia Diagnosed?
LBD is often confused with Alzheimer’s disease because of common symptoms. To determine if symptoms are caused by LBD, a thorough medical evaluation is done, which includes: a physical exam, diagnostic tests, blood tests and a brain scan.
How is Lewy Body Dementia Treated?
LBD is a progressive disease and symptoms will eventually worsen. Although LBD is not curable, some non-surgical treatments and therapies can help control and manage symptoms.
A comprehensive treatment plan may involve:
- Medications for cognitive and physical symptoms
- Physical, occupational or speech therapy
- Individual and family counseling
- Support groups
Doctors may recommend a non-drug approach because certain medications have side effects that can worsen symptoms. Treatments are more effective the earlier LBD is recognized. If you are concerned your loved one may have LBD, make an appointment with your doctor immediately.
How Can Dementia Care from Visiting Angels Central Coast Help My Loved One?
As the effects of LBD continue to progress, family caregivers may become overwhelmed by the burden of caring for their loved one. Visiting Angels Central Coast can fill the gaps and support individuals and their families with personalized, one-on-one dementia care services.
Our dementia care services include:
- Monitoring and companionship
- Wandering prevention
- Managing moments of confusion, anxiety, and anger
- Accompaniment and transportation to appointments
- Medication reminders and prescription pickups
- Laundry and light housekeeping
- Grocery shopping, meal planning, and preparation
- Help with dressing, bathing, and grooming
- Mobility and transfer assistance
If you’d like to learn how dementia care from Visiting Angels Central Coast helps seniors in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties manage symptoms of Lewy body dementia, call us at 831-430-0616.