Dementia Myth Busters – The Most Common Myths Explained Part 1

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Hello everybody. Welcome to a new episode of the

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truth, lies and Alzheimer's show with Lisa Skinner, your host, I

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am going to talk about something that just is very unnerving for

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me, and it's all of the misinformation, the

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disinformation, the myths that have been circling around,

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living with Alzheimer's disease for as long as I've been around,

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and it dates back 50 years to my first experience with my

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grandmother. So that's a long time to be hearing these myths

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that circulate around knowing that they're all untrue. And I

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think what it has ended up doing is really putting blinders on

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the situation for understanding the truth about what people go

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through when they have Alzheimer's disease or related

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dementia. So I'm busting some of those myths today. We're

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actually going to do this in two parts, because there are so many

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of them. So here's what I have to share with you for part one

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of myth busting dementia and Alzheimer's Disease Information.

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First one, memory loss is just a normal part of aging and nothing

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to worry about. Well, the truth is, while aging can bring some

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natural changes in memory, significant or progressive

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memory loss that interferes with daily life is not normal and can

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be a sign of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Now other

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disorders such as depression, thyroid issues, medications,

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sleep disorders can also cause memory problems and should be

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evaluated. So why is this misleading? Because it confuses

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age related changes with pathological decline. So the key

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point to this is seek medical evaluation if memory loss

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progresses or if it impacts a person's independence, or if it

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includes significant confusion or difficulty in planning or

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getting lost in familiar places. Another myth, Alzheimer's

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disease is caused by a single gene or is purely genetic? The

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truth, most cases are not directly caused by a single

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gene. There are rare early onset familial forms caused by

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specific genetic mutations. For example, the A, P, P, the PSE

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and one, and the PSE and two. But the majority of cases are

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sporadic and influenced by a combination of genetic risk

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factors like the A, P, O, e4, gene or lifestyle factors and

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environmental factors. So why is this one misleading? Because it

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over simplifies the causes and could also create a situation

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for people where they're feeling undue guilt or fatalism, like

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you know, why should they bother living because they're going to

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get Alzheimer's disease anyway, and that's completely far from

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the truth. The key point to this is genetics can influence risk,

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yes, but lifestyle and vascular health also play a major role in

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determining a person's risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

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Alzheimer's disease is not fatal or is just an old age brain

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decay. Truth to that, Alzheimer's is a progressive

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neurodegenerative disease that ultimately leads to severe

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cognitive and functional decline and is usually fatal. Well, it

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is fatal complications such as infections, falls and

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malnutrition. Nutrition contribute to the mortality of a

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person. So why is this one misleading? Because it downplays

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the severity and the prognosis of Alzheimer's disease and the

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other brain diseases that cause dementia. There's no going back.

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There's no cure, there's no treatment yet, there's no

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reversing it. So the key point here is early planning and

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symptom management are extremely important. Here's number four,

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only older people get Alzheimer's disease. The truth

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to that matter is the vast majority of cases occur in

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people age 65 or older, but a small percentage occur in people

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under the age of 65 we call that early onset Alzheimer's disease.

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Other forms of dementia can affect younger individuals as

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well. Why is that misleading? It ignores younger onset forms and

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the broader spectrum of dementia. So the key point is

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that early onset forms are rare, but they are very, very real,

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and the risk increases as we age number five, Alzheimer's disease

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progresses. The same for everyone? Well, that is a total

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mistruth. The disease progression varies widely among

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individuals, in rate and in pattern, some have a relatively

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slow decline over years. Others experience faster progression.

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Symptoms can vary in the way of their memory loss, language

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Visio, spatial skills, behavior, all of these can fluctuate

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between people. And why is this misleading? Because a one size

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fits all expectations are completely inaccurate. Key Point

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personalized care plans are very essential and extremely

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valuable. Myth number six, if there's no family history, you

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won't get Alzheimer's disease. That's not true. Family history

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does increase risk, but is not a prerequisite. Most people with

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Alzheimer's disease have no known family history, non

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genetic factors such as age, cardiovascular health, diabetes,

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smoking, exercise and diet significantly influence the risk

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for a person to develop Alzheimer's disease. So why is

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that misleading? Because it ignores non genetic risk

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factors. Key Point, healthy lifestyle reduces risk and can

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delay onset. For many people, there is a cure or a single pill

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that will stop Alzheimer's? No, no, no, no, no. There currently

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is no cure. Some medications can help with symptoms, to

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temporarily and modestly slow the progression down in some

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people, but unfortunately and sadly, they do not halt the

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underlying disease. Research is ongoing with several therapeutic

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approaches under study. It's misleading because it creates

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false hope about a quick fix. And the key point to this myth

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is that treatment focuses on symptom management, quality of

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life and safety. Next one, Alzheimer's disease only affects

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memory while memory problems are prominent. Alzheimer's affects

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multiple cognitive domains, language, reasoning, Visio,

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spatial skills and behavior, behavioral changes, mood

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changes, sleep disturbances and functional impairment are also

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common symptom to dementia,

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and that's misleading because it narrows the expectation of

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symptoms. I have said so many times that the majority of

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people that I have known in the past 30 years really associate

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Alzheimer's disease with short term memory loss and confusion,

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and as I. Have discussed multiple multiple times. It is

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so much more complicated than that, but people fall prey to

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these myths. So the key point is that a comprehensive assessment

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covers cognition, covers function, behavior and daily

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living. The next myth, dementia is just a part of a normal part

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of aging and cannot be prevented. Well, dementia is not

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an inevitable part of aging, though risk does increase with

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age, some risk factors are modifiable, like cardiovascular

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health, obesity, physical activity, smoking, diabetes and

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depression, prevention or delay may be possible through risk

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reducing strategies. That's misleading, because it implies

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that nothing can be done, which is not true, and the key point

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is healthy lifestyle choices can and do influence our risk of

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developing Alzheimer's disease. Next one, if someone has

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dementia, there is nothing you can do to help Well, the truth

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of that matter is that while dementia is progressive, many

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interventions can improve the quality of life, also improve

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safety, mood, Sleep and daily functioning, non pharmacological

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approaches such as cognitive stimulation, physical activity,

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social engagement and structured routines, as well as appropriate

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medical treatment, can all help care planning and caregiver

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support are crucial, and that's misleading, because it implies

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passivity. And the key point to this myth is that there is such

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a thing, and I'm certified in this called person centered care

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and adaptable routines and support services that all matter

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greatly in the dementia world. Next myth, memory tests in

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doctors offices are definitive diagnoses. No The truth is

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routine screening or brief cognitive tests are initial

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tools, but a definitive diagnosis typically requires

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comprehensive assessment, including history, repeated

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testing, medical evaluation, imaging and sometimes genetic or

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laboratory tests. Dementia can be caused by multiple conditions

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needing differential diagnosis, and that's misleading because it

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overstates the decisiveness of initial tests. So what's the key

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point here? The diagnosis is a process, not a single test. Next

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myth medicines for Alzheimer's are addictive or dangerous with

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no benefits whatsoever. Truth to that is that most approved

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medications have been studied for safety and can be beneficial

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for some people in symptom management, especially in the

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early to mid stages. Like all medications, they have potential

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side effects and require medical supervision. They are not

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generally addictive. That's misleading, because it confuses

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side effects with dependence or lack of efficacy. What's the key

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point? Discuss risks and benefits with a clinician and

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tailor it to each individual person next. Dementia only

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affects memory and is not related to other health issues.

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Again, dementia is linked with broader health factors,

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including cardiovascular health, diabetes, obesity, sleep

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disorders, depression, hearing loss and lifestyle factors.

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These things can influence risk progression and overall well

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being. That's misleading, because it isolates cognitive

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symptoms from physical health. So what's the key point here?

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Holistic Health Management is very important next. People with

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dementia cannot learn new things or engage in complex activities.

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That's not true. People with dementia can often learn and

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engage in meaningful activities, especially with tailored

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approaches, with repetition and with support, remaining engaged

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can help quality of life and may slow functional decline. There's

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many studies out there that have shown a correlation to that, and

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that's misleading, because it underestimates a person's

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retained abilities, people just assume they can't do anything

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anymore, and that's not true. So the key to this is to use a

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scent a person centered approach simple, enjoyable activities

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that are focused for each person and provide adequate support to

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their skill level. Next, dementia automatically leads to

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aggressive or violent behavior. Now, most people with dementia

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are not violent. Behavioral and psychological symptoms can

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occur, yes, such as agitation or aggression, but these are often

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due to them being uncomfortable or for environmental reasons or

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unmet needs that cannot be communicated to us, but can be

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managed with proper care strategies. So that's

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misleading, because it stigmatizes people living with

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dementia. I totally agree with that. The key point here is we

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want to assess for triggers that cause these reactions, we want

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to provide calm environments and seek professional strategies

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when behavior changes arise, tests like brain scans can

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diagnose Alzheimer's With 100% accuracy. Well, the truth to

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that is imaging and biomarkers can support a diagnosis and help

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distinguish between types of dementia, but no single test is

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definitive in all cases, it is certainly not with Alzheimer's

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disease, a diagnosis typically combines clinical evaluation,

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imaging labs and sometimes biomarker data. That's

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misleading because it over claims certainty to formulate an

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accurate diagnosis. The point to that is that a diagnosis is

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multimodal and context dependent. Next only older

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people get diagnosed with dementia under 65 never has it.

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Well, don't forget, early onset dementia that's diagnosed before

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the age of 65 does exist. It's very, very real, though less

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common. It can significantly impact families and work and may

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involve different symptom patterns. That's misleading

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because it can often ignore a real minority group. So the key

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point is to seek evaluation when persistent cognitive changes

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occur at any age. Next myth, there's nothing we can do to

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reduce our risk once we notice mild cognitive changes. Well,

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that's not true. Early attention to cardiovascular and metabolic

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health, physical activity, cognitive engagement, sleep and

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social connection, can and does influence progression and

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potentially reduce the risk of rapid decline. Early

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interventions may delay onset of severe symptoms.

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That's misleading because it implies inevitability, and the

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key point is to proactively manage matters at any stage next

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one dementia is contagious or can be transmitted like an

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infection, that one is kind of out there. I have heard this for

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years and years and years, but the truth is that dementia is

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not. Contagious. It is not a neurodegenerative condition with

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biological causes, such as an infectious disease, and of

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course, why is that misleading? Because it spreads and continues

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to spread misunderstandings and stigma, so you don't have to

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worry about getting it from sitting on a toilet seat. As my

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mother used to say, the key point is, education reduces

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stigma and fear. Education is our power. There's no doubt

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about it. The next one. If you have dementia, you should stop

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trying to communicate or interact. No people with

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dementia often benefit from continued social interaction,

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tailored communication strategies and meaningful

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engagement, patience, simple language and supportive cues

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will help maintain connection. That's misleading, because it

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can so easily lead to social withdrawal and isolation, and we

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know for a fact that that can speed up a person's decline. The

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key point is communication, adaptations do enhance quality

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of life. This has been shown to be factual. Couple more. Here's

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one, that dietary supplements can prevent or cure Alzheimer's

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What do you think about that one? Well, I'll tell you, there

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is no conclusive evidence that most supplements prevent or cure

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Alzheimer's disease. Fact, some may be helpful in certain

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contexts, but not universally proven, but they can interact

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with prescription medications. I wonder if you actually knew that

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always consult a clinician before starting any supplement,

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and that is misleading because it promotes unproven cures and

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potential harm. The key point is, evidence based approaches

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are obviously preferred. So discuss anything new with a

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healthcare provider that makes sense. Next one people with

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dementia should never live alone. The truth is, some people

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with dementia can live safely at home with appropriate supports,

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like home safety adaptations, caregiver support, community

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resources, others may require assisted living or memory care,

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but to determine that really, you've got to do individual

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assessments on each person, each case is different. That's

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misleading, because it's overly prescriptive and not person

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centered. I agree with that. The key point, safety plans and

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regular reassessment are key. Next to last, myth that I'm

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going to share with you in part one, caring for someone with

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dementia must be done by a family member. There's no need

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for professional help. The truth is, a combination of formal care

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services that could include home health aides, memory care,

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people, social workers, and informal caregiving often

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provides the best outcomes. Caregiver support reduces

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burnout and improves care quality, and that's misleading,

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because it undervalues professional resources, and in

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my experience, it just perpetuates being in that state

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of reaction if you have not been trained on effective

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communication strategies, and you just, you know, it's like

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being the hamster on the wheel. So that's an important point. So

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what should we do in that situation? Build a care team

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that includes. Health care professionals and community

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services if possible, and the last one, in part one, a busting

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myth, Once diagnosed, there's nothing that can be done, and

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the disease will inevitably worsen quickly. The truth is

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that while dementia is progressive, the trajectory

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varies person to person, symptom management, medical treatment,

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environmental adjustments and caregiver planning can improve

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quality of life and functional independence for much longer

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periods of time in a lot of people. And I think this is a

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really good point for why this is so misleading, and I've seen

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it because it promotes hopelessness. That doesn't have

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to be the case. Key point to this is that early, ongoing

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planning and care optimization can be so beneficial to our

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loved ones and the folks that we are caring for living with

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Alzheimer's disease and dementia. So there are 24 myths.

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So far that I have shared with you. That's a lot of

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misinformation out there, and I still have part two to go over

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with you, which will be published and aired the

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following week. After this one, they're going to go back to

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back. So that concludes the episode today for the truth,

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lies and Alzheimer's show. Again, I'm Lisa Skinner, your

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host, and don't forget if you want to check out our website

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for updated information and new resources, please go to minding

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dementia.com. I hope all of you have a happy and healthy week

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ahead of you, and as always, I will be back next week with part

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two of busting myths about living with Alzheimer's disease

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and dementia. So hope to see you then, bye. Bye.