Anosognosia is a neurological condition that prevents someone from understanding the extent of their cognitive state or psychiatric issues. In other words, someone who suffers from anosognosia doesn’t have the ability to recognize that there is something going on that prevents them from understanding that there’s something going on with their ability to function like they once did.
Anosognosia and Alzheimer’s disease tend to go hand in hand. The most prominent example here would be someone that is suffering from Alzheimer’s being unable to recognize that their mental state has deteriorated. If you have ever had a loved one in this situation, you know how frustrating it can be, both for the person suffering from dementia and from those that are close to them and trying to help. It’s really hard to help someone who doesn’t want it or think that they need it.
However, anosognosia isn’t just something that impacts those with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Someone who has suffered from a stroke, an aneurysm, or a traumatic brain injury can also be a victim of this condition. It isn’t a disease or additional illness, but rather a symptom that comes along with these other illnesses or conditions.
Anosognosia can be caused by two main factors: biological and psychological. Biological conditions stem from changes that take place in the brain, which is very common with Alzheimer’s disease. Psychological causes are a bit more complicated to evaluate. In general, people try to view themselves in a positive light. Denying that a problem exists is far more common than you might think. When the problem is this severe, it’s human nature to minimize the issue. The good news is that psychological conditions can be addressed in a therapeutic setting.
About 40 percent of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease also suffer from anosognosia. Unfortunately, the biological changes that come along with Alzheimer’s make it a very difficult–or even impossible–thing to treat. Having supports in place to help keep those with Alzheimer’s safe and healthy can be difficult. But these interventions are absolutely necessary.
Conditions like this–and other cognitive or physical disabilities–can make providing care for an older loved one difficult. This isn’t a reflection of someone’s love or ability to provide for their family, but rather a significant hurdle that typically requires the help of a professional. Just like you wouldn’t be able to prescribe an antibiotic to cure strep throat for a child, the professional training that a senior caregiver has is not something that everyone can do. Yes, there is training available to help with this, but it’s not something that everyone has.
If you’re interested in learning how professional in-home memory care can help to support a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, we are happy to help. Our trained caregivers specialize in helping those with Alzheimer’s to live a higher quality of life. They are equipped to handle the ups and downs of helping someone with these challenges.
We’d be happy to talk more about how we might be able to help. Please give us a call or send an email to get started.
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