How can I explain the difference between dementia and Alzheimers?
Dragonladynaps asked...
My mom has Parkinson's dementia, but because she is being treated with Alzheimer's meds including Aricept and Namenda, my father truly believes she has Alzheimer's. How can I convince him otherwise?
Expert Answer
Paula Spencer Scott is the author of Surviving Alzheimer's. A Met Life Foundation Journalists in Aging fellow, she writes extensively about health and caregiving; four of her family members have had dementia.
I'm not sure why you need to convince him -- or can, aside from repeating the facts. Parkinson's Disease Dementia (PDD) and Alzheimer's Disease share many symptoms and, as your mother illustrates, treatments. Both are neurodegenerative brain disorders that progress at similar rates. PDD is common in people with Parkinson's, especially late in the disease.