Understanding Lewy Body Dementia: Symptoms, Treatments, and Care Strategies
Lewy Body Dementia is a type of dementia. It is the third most common form of dementia in the UK, with approximately 4.6% of all dementia cases being diagnosed with Lewy body Dementia (LBD).
While symptoms of this form of dementia are similar to other types, such as Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia, the cause of it is different. This makes the treatments and care strategies different.
At LuxuryCare, all of our homes are able to care for your loved one with Lewy Body Dementia. Our staff have extensive training in dementia care, which comprehensively covers how care needs change across each type of dementia.
In this blog, we have written your go-to guide on Lewy Body Dementia, sharing everything you need to know, from symptoms to treatments and typical care strategies.
What Is Lewy Body Dementia?
Before diving in, we wanted to touch on what Lewy Body Dementia is, as this is the basis of all the other details.
Lewy Body Dementia is characterised by the formation of abnormal protein deposits in the brain, which are called Lewy Bodies.
These proteins cause the symptoms experienced by your loved one.
Symptoms Of Lewy Body Dementia
Symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia are similar to other forms of dementia.
The most well-known symptom is the decline in cognitive function, which can include:
- Memory loss
- Inability to make decision
- Inability to follow instructions
- Struggling to communicate
- Confusion
- Inability to solve a problem or plan
- Attention deficits
- Mood and behavioural changes
It is important to know that these aren’t the only symptoms of this type of dementia.
Other symptoms include:
- Visual hallucinations
- REM sleep behaviour disorder
- Tremors and motor issues
- Muscle stiffness
- Problems with Spatial Awareness
Available Treatment Options
Unfortunately, there currently isn’t any cure for this dementia. Therefore, treatments centre around managing symptoms and improving quality of life rather than resolving the issues.
Each individual will experience different symptoms, meaning that care will vary based on the individual needs demonstrated.
Common medical treatments can include:
- Donepezil (Aricept) and Rivastigmine (Exelon): Medications to help improve cognitive function, alertness, and reduce hallucinations or confusion by increasing levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory and thinking.
- Levodopa (L-DOPA): Medication to manage motor symptoms, such as rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and tremors.
- Antipsychotics: These drugs are given in certain situations when hallucinations, delusions, or agitation become severe. Those living with Lewy Body Dementia are particularly sensitive to antipsychotic drugs as they worsen symptoms or cause severe side effects.
- Melatonin or Clonazepam: Medications often prescribed to help sleep disturbances.
- Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) like Sertraline (Zoloft) or Citalopram (Celexa): Medications used to help stabilise mood and improve overall emotional well-being.
In addition to these medications, a range of therapies are often used too.
- Cognitive Therapy: Therapies that encourage the use of the brain, such as jigsaws and memory games, to improve cognitive functions.
- Occupational Therapy: To maintain strength and movement where possible, focusing on movements that facilitate independence.
- Physical Therapy: Therapies to help motor symptoms such as balance, mobility and muscle strength, potentially reducing the risk of falls.
- Speech Therapy: Speech and language therapies help maintain or improve communication and swallowing.
The Importance of Specialised Care For Lewy Body Dementia
Because the symptoms of this dementia type can differ so much, specialised care and a person-centred approach are incredibly important.
Those providing care need to be acutely aware of the progression of the disease so that they can adapt therapies and tasks to their capabilities and target specific abilities to prevent their deterioration.
Of course, it is also important that those caring for anyone living with Lewy Body Dementia are aware of symptom changes so that care can be amended to reflect and manage these.
How LuxuryCare Supports Those with Lewy Body Dementia
At LuxuryCare, we are dementia care specialists and have been providing quality care for over 20 years in the Poole and Bournemouth area.
Our teams are highly trained and understand how Lewy Body Dementia differs from other types and how their care will differ.
During the admission process, a member of our staff will complete a care needs assessment from which a bespoke care plan will be drawn up. This will detail any medication that will be continued to be administered and the therapies that your loved one will participate in.
Each care home has an activities coordinator who ensures every activity is accessible for your loved one, amending them to their abilities.
On top of this, our care home interior design has been curated with dementia symptoms in mind, specifically confusion. Each room door has the resident’s name on it, and the different areas of the home and facilities use bright colours, signage, visual cues and sensory reminders, allowing your loved one to wander independently around while remaining confident that they will know where they are or how to get back.
Of course, our staff are always on hand to help out, whether this be assisting your loved one back to their room or picking up the phone to answer your questions.
We recommend you visit one of our care homes to learn more about how we cater towards Lewy Body Dementia and get a feeling for the lifestyle of living in our home. We always look forward to welcoming you into our homes.
Call 01202 037373 or complete our online contact form to arrange a viewing today.
