Dementia Assessment Paper

Traditional assessment tools for the diagnosis of dementia are usually not suitable when evaluating individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In addition, the majority of healthcare providers is not armed with the training and experience needed to care for that population holistically. This paper centers on: the progressive changes that occur with dementia especially for individuals with Down Syndrome (DS); the various types of dementia and a focus on Alzheimer’s disease (AD); assessments specifically for the IDD population; and the importance of creating a support system for the individual their advocates; most importantly the need for an interdisciplinary team to have the necessary tools to provide the right care for this population.

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) formally referred to as Mental Retardation is a condition, …show more content…
Falls often occur and Fall precautions including physical therapy guidelines must be put in place to minimize possibilities of injury. Adult daily living skills will most likely regress as the dementia progresses and self-care needs are seldom attended to. This becomes a challenge for an advocate as they begin to play an active role in attending to the intimate needs of a person affected by dementia; however, it becomes necessary in the continuation of care. For individuals with severe to profound intellectual disabilities, it presents more of a challenge since the level of functioning usually possesses an absence of complex skills. As dementia progresses, it affects basic functions which can become detrimental such as the ability to swallow whole food. According to the National Down Syndrome Association, often someone who is demented will need to have Eating Guidelines in place to reduce the possibility of chocking incidents where the food is mechanically pureed and liquid