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Pick up a newspaper or turn on the television or radio, and it won’t be long before you come across a reference to dementia. Either there’s been a breakthrough in research, or someone famous has been diagnosed with it, or an expert has decided that some food or other, which we’ve previously enjoyed without a second thought, is now believed to double our risk of developing the condition.

But its media popularity isn’t really that much of a shock, because dementia is on the rise. In fact, it’s reckoned that every four seconds someone somewhere in the world is diagnosed with dementia, so the number of cases is rising pretty fast.

At the moment, the World Health Organization estimates that 35.6 million people have dementia across the globe, with 7.7 million cases being added every 12 months. And closer to home, the number of people in the UK with dementia is thought to be 820,000, which, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK, means that 23 million of us will know a close friend or family member who has been diagnosed with it.

Sadly, those figures mean that a lot of people are, or will be, directly affected by dementia.

About This Book

The scope of this book is extremely wide ranging, covering the basics of how each of the four diseases that cause dementia develop, along with an explanation of the changes that happen in the brain to cause the disease’s disabling symptoms. I look at the treatments available, both from mainstream medicine and complementary therapies, and review what works and what doesn’t. Then sections give tips to carers about how to handle difficult symptoms as the condition progresses, advice on when and how to make a will, and details of how to choose the right care home. Plus much more.

This book isn’t necessarily designed to be read from the front cover to the final page in order – although if you want to do that, it will take you on a logical journey from finding the diagnosis to dealing sensitively with end-of-life care. Instead, each chapter is designed to stand alone. You can read the chapters just as easily in a completely random order, according to your area of interest, as in numerical order by chapter.

The main information about each topic is contained in the main text of each chapter, but you will also notice shaded boxes of text in each chapter, called sidebars. These boxes offer interesting asides, designed to complement the rest of the chapter, rather than essential information. So if a sidebar doesn’t interest you, just skip it; you’ll still be able to understand everything else without it.

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending that the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy: just click the web address to be taken directly to the page.

Foolish Assumptions

I’ve written this book with everyone who has dementia or who may one day be affected by dementia in mind. It’s for those who are just generally worried about dementia and want to find out more about the condition and how it develops, as well as for those currently experiencing symptoms that they think may mean they already have dementia and who want to know what they should do next. It’s also for people who’ve already been given the diagnosis and who need advice about how to get the best care available, and for those looking after people with dementia who want to know how to be the best carers they can be.

But despite the wealth of information, I’ve designed this book so that you don’t need to

✔ Have a degree in medicine or biology to understand the science stuff

✔ Be trained in social work to follow details of how to navigate the care and benefits system

✔ Be a lawyer to write the most appropriate, all-encompassing, watertight will

Everything in this book should make sense to everyone with an interest in dementia and how best to care for the people who develop it.

Icons Used in This Book

As you go through the book, you’ll notice that a variety of different icons pop up in the margins. These are designed to identify information that you need to know; information that may be interesting, but which you can live without; and hints about how to understand what you’re reading.

These are handy bits of information that are worth remembering because they will help you deal with problems and perhaps see them off before they arise.

These are key facts that anyone wanting to get a handle on dementia and what it’s all about will want to know.

This icon flags potential dangers and pitfalls that can lead to problems when managing dementia.

This icon points out information that’s interesting or in-depth but that isn’t necessary for you to read.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the material in the print or e-book you’re reading right now, this product also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. These resources are crammed with useful summaries about everything you need to know about dementia. Check out the free cheat sheet at http://www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/dementia for more information about the condition and helpful reminders about the essentials of being a carer.

And you’ll also find online articles at www.dummies.com/extras/dementia. There’s one looking at the tests that doctors carry out to diagnose dementia, another on the steps you need to follow to set up a lasting power of attorney and finally an article highlighting the top tips for finding a suitable care home.

Where to Go from Here

By all means carry on reading from here in chapter order; if you do, you obviously won’t go far wrong. But if you have particular needs and interests when it comes to dementia and its care then you may well want to flit about through the book.

If you want to understand the causes of dementia and the way the disease affects the brain then head to Chapter 4. If you need to grasp the difference between Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body disease and fronto-temporal dementia then I discuss these in Chapter 3.

If the medical bits don’t really captivate you, but you want tips about being a great carer, then you can start reading from Chapter 10. Or if you’re worried you may have dementia and need to know how to have it diagnosed then you should start reading at Chapter 6.

Basically, thanks to the layout of all For Dummies books, the choice of how you read through this book is completely yours. But, however you decide to set off, I hope you enjoy learning more about this increasingly important subject.