Office of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care
Who We Are
The Office of Alzheimer’s and Dementia aims to improve the quality of life for all New Mexicans affected by dementia and to promote brain health statewide. We work to build a comprehensive support system for New Mexicans living with dementia, their families and their caregivers. Through public awareness and education on brain health, aging and dementia, the Office of Alzheimer’s and Dementia seeks to reduce stigma and decrease the impacts of dementia in our communities. We implement initiatives and policies to build a dementia-capable workforce, increase access to resources, streamline care coordination and decrease the financial impact of dementia on individuals, families, and our system as a whole.
Long - Term Care Planning
When someone is diagnosed with dementia, planning for the future can feel overwhelming. It’s important to create a long-term care plan so the person with dementia can be involved in decisions about their healthcare, finances, and legal matters.
Caregiving
Being a caregiver for someone with dementia is a personal journey, but many people share similar experiences.
Brain Health
According to an article on the Mayo Clinic Connect website, brain health includes our thinking, movement, senses, emotions, and behavior. These aspects all play a role in how we act, think, feel, and connect with others.
What is Dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of diseases that occur because of damage to and loss of brain cells and their connections. Dementia symptoms include loss of memory, thinking, language use, and problem-solving abilities and interfere with a person’s daily life and activities. Some people with dementia experience changes in their behavior, lose their ability to control their emotions, and may even undergo personality change.
The symptoms of dementia can range in severity depending on the disease, the parts of the brain it affects, and the disease progression. Although there are common symptoms that people experience, each person’s experience with dementia is unique.
Dementia-like symptoms do not always mean a person has a progressive disease. Infections, medication side effects, and brain bleeds are examples of reversible conditions that can be helped with treatment. It is important to see your doctor if you or your loved one is experiencing any dementia symptoms.
A dementia diagnosis can be devastating for individuals and their families. With education and better awareness, we can help change views about dementia to promote greater understanding, increased supports, and the ability to deal with changed circumstances.
Diseases that cause dementia
Click on the links below each description for more detailed information on the disease, and to find resources, and support.
Alzheimer’s – Damages the brain cells in the areas responsible for our memory, language, and thinking, causing issues there first.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease? Symptoms & Causes | alz.org
Vascular – Changes to thinking, memory, and behavior due to damage to the blood vessels, which disrupts the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.
Lewy body – Changes that cause problems with behavior, mood, thinking, and movement due to abnormal amounts of a certain protein, called Lewy bodies, that affect the chemicals in the brain.
Lewy Body Dementia Association
Fronto-temporal Degeneration – It is a group of brain disorders that cause deterioration in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. These areas of the brain are responsible for and will cause changes in behavior, language, planning, organizing and/or movement. Most cases affect people between the ages of 45 -64.
Frontotemporal Degeneration, Dementia – What is FTD?
Parkinson’s Disease Dementia- Parkinson’s mainly affects a person’s movement. As the disease progresses, changes in the brain can occur that affect memory and thinking.
Dementia | Parkinson’s Foundation
Creutzfeldt- Jakob Home – CJD Foundation
Huntington’s What Is Huntington’s Disease?
Wernicke- Korsakoff How Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome Affects the Brain