Diagnosing dementia
There are over 100 types of dementia, the most
common being Alzheimer’s disease and vascular
dementia (Alzheimer’s Society, 2014). The
early signs and symptoms include forgetfulness,
repetitiveness, short-term memory loss and
difficulty in finding the right words. As the
condition progresses, episodes of disorientation,
getting lost, and difficulty managing social
situations and daily living become more frequent.
Reasoning becomes impaired and the individual
struggles to make decisions. Advanced dementia
results in the loss of those skills learnt at an early
age, resulting in incontinence, inability to care for
or feed oneself and complete dependence on others.
An example of a screening tool for dementia in
people with diabetes is the Mini-Cog™ test, which
has 83% accuracy (Sinclair et al, 2013). In the test,
the participants are shown three items and asked
to name them. These are then hidden from view.
Participants are then asked to draw the numbers
in a blank clock face and put the hands at, for
example, ten to three. Finally, they are asked to
recall the three items shown before they drew the
clock. For formal diagnosis, referral to a memory
assessment service for a number of tests, including
a brain scan and electroencephalogram, is required
(NICE, 2010).