Dementia is the name for a combination of symptoms, in which the brain can no longer process information properly. As a result, someone can perform daily actions that were previously done effortlessly, less well or no longer. This concerns actions such as getting dressed, preparing food, taking medication correctly, or paying bills.
Dementia is a collective name for more than fifty brain diseases. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Lewy body dementia are common.
In the Netherlands, 290,000 people have dementia. Of these, an estimated 15,000 are under the age of 65. More than 80,000 people with dementia live in nursing or care homes.
Source: Alzheimer Netherlands