Dementia vs Alzheimer's Disease
Dementia is the general word for changes in memory and thinking. Alzheimer's disease is its most common cause. Either way, help at home starts with how your parent's day goes.
- What dementia means
- What Alzheimer's is
- What helps at home
Dementia is the general term for changes in memory, thinking and everyday abilities caused by specific diseases, and Alzheimer's disease is the most common of those causes, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of cases, so a person can have dementia from Alzheimer's or from another condition.
If a doctor has used both words, or you’ve seen them side by side in your own reading, here’s how they fit together.
Dementia is the umbrella term
Alzheimer's disease is its most common cause60 to 80 percent
Dementia describes changes in memory, thinking, everyday abilities and behavior. It names what is happening, not what is causing it. Several conditions can cause dementia, and Alzheimer's disease is the most common, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases according to the Alzheimer's Association. So the two words aren’t interchangeable. One describes the changes. The other is one cause of them.
That’s why a family can hear “dementia” first and talk about the cause later. Finding the cause is work for your parent’s doctor, and help at home doesn’t have to wait for it. For the wider set of questions, our guide to dementia care at home is the place to start.
Whichever word the doctor uses, the day is what you plan around.
Whichever word is used, one thing is worth knowing first: dementia isn’t a normal part of getting older. So a change you’ve noticed is worth mentioning to a doctor rather than putting down to age.
At home, what helps is the shape of the day. A steady routine helps, and the Alzheimer's Association recommends activity as part of it: something to do, at the usual time, with someone there to share it. That advice is the same whichever word is used.
- Keep meals, walks and bedtime at familiar times.
- Plan help around the hours of the day that are hardest.
- Choose activities your parent enjoys and can still do with ease.
If you’re still wondering whether the changes you’ve noticed are worth a doctor’s visit, start with early signs of dementia.
What stays the same either way
The help a caregiver gives doesn’t depend on which word is used. It follows how your parent’s day goes, and it’s arranged around the hours your family finds hardest. A registered nurse visits first and writes the care plan with you, and we introduce the caregiver before the first visit.
Company
Much of the week is simply good company: conversation, a meal together, an errand run side by side, a walk around the block. None of that depends on the word on the paperwork, and it is the part families tell us they underestimated.
Help around the house
Cooking, laundry and tidying, so the household keeps running and the day has fewer snags.
Reminders
Reminders for medicines, meals and appointments, at times that fit your parent’s routine.
Someone nearby
A caregiver keeps an eye on things through the hours your family finds hardest, and lets you know how the day went.
Nursing and medical care
Endurance Home Care helps with daily life at home: company, meals, the house, errands, appointments and, where it's needed, hands-on personal care. For skilled nursing, home health aides or physical therapy in Connecticut, our separate company, Endurance Home Health, can help. Your parent’s doctor leads on diagnosis and treatment. To see what a regular schedule can look like, read about in home dementia care.
What we ask you
You don’t need a diagnosis to talk to us. Tell us the hours that are hardest, the routine worth keeping, and who your parent still enjoys seeing.
Questions families ask
Dementia vs alzheimers: what is the difference?
Dementia is an umbrella term describing a collection of cognitive, functional, and behavioral symptoms caused by specific diseases. Alzheimer's disease is the most common of those diseases, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. So a person has dementia as a set of symptoms, and Alzheimer's as one possible cause. Neither is a normal part of aging.
Can someone have dementia without Alzheimer's?
Yes. Alzheimer's accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases, so it is the most common cause but not the only one, and other conditions account for the rest. Dementia describes the changes a person is living with, and finding the underlying cause is a question for their doctor. Help at home doesn't need to wait for that answer.
Does the diagnosis change what home care does?
Less than families expect. Help at home follows how the day goes rather than the name of the condition: a steady routine, good light, activities the person enjoys, company, and help with meals and errands. The care plan is written with your family and adjusted as needs change, while your parent's doctor leads on diagnosis and treatment.
Let’s talk about your parent’s day
Tell us what the days look like and which hours have become harder. We’ll talk through the help available at home. Endurance is registered in Connecticut as HCA.0002450 and in New Jersey as well. The first conversation is free, and nothing starts until you say so.