Dementia
People with Down's syndrome Define Down's syndrome face a higher risk of dementia Define Dementia as they get older.
Dementia is hard to diagnose Define Diagnose . There are other conditions that adults with Down's syndrome are more susceptible to which can be confused with dementia.
In the general population, memory changes are the first outward sign that a person may have dementia. For most people with Down's syndrome, the first signs are changes in behaviour and loss of daily living skills. Regular health checks and screening can identify treatable conditions.
Down's Syndrome Scotland has staff with expertise in dementia.
Down's Syndrome Scotland has produced a booklet 'What is Dementia?' for people with a learning disability Define Learning disability which you can download or order.
Further Reading
You will need Adobe Acrobat to read these publications Define Publications .
Down's Syndrome Scotland Publications
- Keep Talking about Dementia [PDF 293kb]
- It's Your Move - Down's Syndrome and Dementia [PDF 61kb]
- Food for Thought [PDF 47kb]
Other Publications
- Growing Older with a learning disability and dementia (Centre for Research on Families and Relationships)
- www.crfr.ac.uk/Reports/rb17.pdf
- Why wait for dementia? (journal article - subscription required)
- jld.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/7/3/221