Welcome to “Sensory Changes in Dementia.” This self-guided training. In this course, you will move through the material at your own pace while hearing directly from persons living with dementia who share their lived experiences.
The real teachers in this course are the members of the National Council of Dementia Minds—each a person living with a different type of dementia.
We have an incredible opportunity to learn directly from persons living with dementia about the sensory changes experienced due to dementia.
Before we explore sensory changes, let’s make sure everyone is on the same page about what dementia means. We will begin by hearing from Kelli, a registered nurse living with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Were you surprised to learn there are more than 100 types of dementia? Each type affects the brain differently, so experiences can vary widely.
That’s why we often say, “When you’ve met one person living with dementia, you’ve met one person living with dementia.” Every journey is unique, like each person is unique—with different strengths, challenges, and ways of communicating.
Kelli also talked about younger-onset dementia. Were you surprised to learn that a diagnosis can happen in someone’s 40s or 50s? It’s one of the biggest myths—that dementia only affects older adults.