Psychiatrist Dr Kailas Roberts helps us understand what dementia is and how it is diagnosed. He discusses the four most common dementia diagnoses and how they commonly present. He talks about other health conditions that may mimic early-stage dementia.
Learn about what tests are done to diagnose dementia, medication that may improve symptoms, and strategies to help maintain cognitive function, even after a diagnosis of dementia.
In this episode:
- Dementia is an umbrella term for a problem with cognition that causes impairment of daily function
- The four main dementia diagnoses and how each one presents
- Other health conditions that may look like an emerging dementia
- The steps in making a diagnosis of dementia
- Different tests that are done to confirm a dementia diagnosis
- The benefits of a team of allied health providers to support the person after diagnosis
- Medications that may help improve cognition in Alzheimer’s disease
- Treating other conditions as well
- Strategies that people can use to maintain cognitive function after diagnosis
Resources mentioned:
- Mind Your Brain. The Essential Australian Guide to Dementia
- Dementia Australia
- Dementia Support Australia
- Forward with dementia
Connect with Dr Kailas Roberts:
Connect with Coral Wilkinson:
About Your Aged Care Compass Podcast:
Are you supporting an older loved one at home and ready to give up because it’s just too hard? Your Aged Care Compass is aimed at anyone who is caring for an older loved one who still lives at home and is wondering what support is available to them.
We're Coral and Michelle, the sisters behind our business, See Me Aged Care Navigators.
Coral is a registered nurse with over 30 years’ experience in both health and aged care. A former assessor with the aged care assessment team, an advocate and author, there’s not much Coral doesn’t know about Australia’s aged care system.
Michelle is a former pharmacist with over 30 years in the public health and private sectors of pharmacy. Michelle is now client care manager for our business.
Our story started as one of supporting our parents to remain in their own home, to be as independent as possible and remain connected to their community. We reached a point however, of needing extra support and we achieved this because we know Australia’s aged care system so well, we knew what programs could assist us and our parents.
This podcast, Your Aged Care Compass, brings together not only our personal experience in supporting our own ageing parents but also our vast professional experience in supporting other families to keep their loved ones at home.
We will help you makes sense of Australia’s aged care system, from your first contact with My Aged Care through to the different funding streams and assessment workforces, management options for home care packages and extra funding that people might be eligible for.
There's so much more. Topics relating to dementia and legal and financial considerations will be covered, as well as real life stories of where it went wrong for people and how we guided them to get it right.
Your Aged Care Compass will guide you clearly and compassionately to the right support at the right time for your ageing parents and loved ones.
Like what you hear? Please leave us a rating and review. We’d love you to share this podcast with any friends or family who have older loved ones.