Accepting the Challenge: Defining Dementia and Brain Change

Video Runtime: 44 Minutes; Learning Assessment Time: 44 Minutes

This is part one of a four-part series, Accepting the Challenge, on caring for people with dementia. Part 1 is an introduction for professionals and caregivers. It begins by discussing how dementia is not typical aging, but a neurodegenerative disease process. It breaks down the key categories of dementia (Alzheimer's, Lewy Body, FTD, Vascular) and explains the profound and predictable impact of brain change on critical cognitive domains: memory (loss of recent memories and confabulation), language (loss of formal speech while preserving automatic skills), and impulse control (loss of emotional regulation leading to behavioral changes). The goal of the course is to help caregivers develop awareness, knowledge, and skills to become effective care partners who can offer compassionate and helpful support that respects the person living with brain change.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the fundamental changes in brain structure and function that typically occur during the process of dementia
• List the major forms of dementia and their hallmark symptoms
• Recognize common cognitive and emotional symptoms experienced by people living with dementia
• Outline the value of obtaining a specific dementia diagnosis and how it influences care approaches
• Identify typical changes in communication abilities across the dementia spectrum
• Select basic strategies to improve communication and manage distress in dementia care interactions