ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County Aging Services is looking to make more residents “dementia friendly.”
A one-hour information session is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 4 at the Ashley Chapel Community Center.
Attendees will learn about living with dementia, what dementia is, and tips for communicating with people who have dementia.
According to the Mayo Clinic:
“Dementia isn’t a specific disease. Instead, dementia describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily functioning.
Though dementia generally involves memory loss, memory loss has different causes. So memory loss alone doesn’t mean you have dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of a progressive dementia in older adults, but there are a number of causes of dementia. Depending on the cause, some dementia symptoms can be reversed.”
Patients can exhibit both cognitive and psychological symptoms including:
- Memory loss, which is usually noticed by a spouse or someone else
- Difficulty communicating or finding words
- Difficulty reasoning or problem-solving
- Difficulty handling complex tasks
- Difficulty with planning and organizing
- Difficulty with coordination and motor functions
- Confusion and disorientation
- Personality changes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Inappropriate behavior
- Paranoia
- Agitation
- Hallucinations
According to the 2017 State of the County Health Report, Alzheimer’s was Richmond County’s sixth leading cause of death in 2016. The number of Alzheimer’s deaths in the county increased from four in 2011 to 25 in 2015, as shown in the 2016 Community Health Assessment.
The event is one of many events sponsored by the Richmond County Department of Aging Services to create dementia-friendly communities throughout the county.
Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
The community center is located at 297 Mizpah Road, Rockingham.
For more information, contact Sheila Brosier at 910-997-8350.
