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Each person experiences dementia in different ways, so your loved one with IDD may experience one symptom and not others.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Dementia with IDD

Diagnosing dementia is rarely straightforward, but can be even more challenging for those in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) community. Many of the most common symptoms of dementia such as language challenges and difficulty with coordination are often things people with IDD already struggle with. This can make it all the more difficult to separate symptoms of dementia from their pre-existing symptoms.

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By Julie Hayes | 05/15/2023

Preventing Brain Disease: Risk Factors and Early Signs and Symptoms of Dementia

This session highlights preventable risk factors associated with brain disease and stress the differences in signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in the Down Syndrome population compared to the general aging population.

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By Donna Barrett, Jennifer Hudak | 04/25/2023

An older couple embracing

Understanding and Diagnosing an Older Loved One’s Dementia- or IDD-Related Depression

Dementia, intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and depression can, unfortunately, be closely linked. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of individuals diagnosed with dementia may also suffer from depression. This number includes older adults in the IDD population who also have dementia—and who are already fifty percent more likely to struggle with mental health conditions, according to the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. 

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By Julie Hayes | 03/15/2023

A caregiver helping a loved one with a walker walk down the street

Spring Increases Risk of Dementia-Related Wandering

For caregivers of someone with memory and thinking problems, the change of seasons from winter to spring can raise unique concerns. The same freedom that warmer weather provides can also increase the risk of wandering for those with dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 60 percent of persons with dementia will wander at least once; many will wander repeatedly. As risky and dangerous as wandering is, caregivers can take steps to reduce the risk.

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By Cathy Franz | 03/15/2023

An older adult looking at old photographs in a memory book

Communication Aids to Support People with Dementia and IDD

One of the biggest challenges facing caregivers and loved ones of someone with moderate to severe dementia and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is communication. Both conditions can affect a person’s ability to understand what is being said and to respond in a clear, appropriate and easy-to-understand way. Because communication can become so challenging, many caregivers and loved ones make the mistake of getting visibly frustrated, avoiding communication as much as possible and even speaking as if the person with dementia and IDD isn’t in the room and by nature can’t understand anything being said.

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By Julie Hayes | 02/15/2023