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Thursday, 28 November 2013

What Is The Dementia Rating Scale?

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By Jack Morgan


There are many people all over the world who suffer from a condition known as dementia. Dementia is a condition that affects people of older ages in the areas of memory loss, behavior, daily routines, and over all health as a result of the affects that dementia has on the human brain.

The scale was developed on the basis of a clinically structured interview protocol arranged by John C. Morris and other researchers at the Washington School of Medicine. By using this model, a professional health practitioner is able to evaluate a patient's functional as well as cognitive performance in six aspects which are; orientation, judgment, memory, personal care, home and hobbies, problem solving and community affairs.

In stage one; there is Dementia and also no Cognitive Decline. This is normally a stage whereby a person is normally functioning well, no loss of memory and he/she is mentally healthy. Stage one is the stage where people are not considered to be having Dementia.

The Quality of Life test for the determination of the dementia rating scale is to observe the daily actions and behaviors of the patient and figure out just how much the condition is affecting the patient's ability to remember daily routines or memories, and responsibilities. The more the condition affects the patient's cognitive abilities, the higher the rating.

Stage three is a stage where there is also Dementia.There is increased forgetfulness, a slight concentration difficulty, and work performance is decreased. People can get lost regularly and also there is difficulty in finding the words which are right. Normally, there is notice of a Cognitive decline by the person`s loved ones. Average period for this is 7 years before the onset of Dementia.

The Clinical Dementia Rating scale is playing a critical role in pharmacology especially in the production of drugs for halting and arresting the development of dementia related condition such as Alzheimer's disease. CDR scale is important for accurately diagnosing the condition and staging it accurately so as to define appropriate clinical care.

CDR scale is not the only tool in the inquiry domain of dementia. PAINAD scale is another instrument used for assessing the severity of dementia symptoms. This tool is used on patients who have the form of dementia that has escalated to advanced stages so much that the patients can no longer communicate verbally.

Stage six is also referred as mid-stage and Decline which is at middle Dementia stage. Extensive assistance is required for daily activities. Names of the close family are forgotten and there is little memory of events which are recent. Speaking ability declines and they can only remember some of the things before getting this problem. Average duration for this stage is 2.5 years.

Each case of dementia is unique and this is why it is imperative to determine the unique dementia rating scale of your loved one. This will assist doctors in the measures needed to make sure that your loved one is being taken care of in the most effective ways possible to ensure a happy healthy life.




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