Selected Podcast
What is Dementia?
In part one of our five part series on memory disorders, Celisa Bonner, LCSW discusses the dementia umbrella, myths surrounding it, how memory disorders are diagnosed and treated.
Featured Speaker:
Celisa Bonner, LCSW
Celisa Bonner is a licensed clinical social worker and the Clinic Coordinator for the Madonna Ptak Center for Alzheimer’s Research & Memory Disorders Clinic where she has worked for over 16 years. She is also a wife and mother. Her passion is counseling caregivers in their journey through Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. She also enjoys educating others about the disease process and it’s dynamics. She does this through the Governor’s Dementia Care & Cure Initiative for the state of Florida, while being the Co-Chair for the Pasco & Pinellas counties. Transcription:
Intro: This is BayCare HealthChat, another podcast from BayCare Health System.
Deborah Howell: Welcome to BayCare HealthChat. I'm Deborah Howell, and I invite you to listen as we discuss some of the myths about dementia and how it's diagnosed and treated. I'm joined today by Celisa Bonner, licensed clinical social worker and clinic coordinator for the Madonna Ptak Center for Alzheimer's Research and Memory Disorders Clinic.
Celisa, what a pleasure to have you with us today.
Celisa Bonner: Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here.
Deborah Howell: Well, you know, there's sort of a myth that dementia is one big single illness, but really that's incorrect. Can you set us straight on that, please?
Celisa Bonner: Sure. Dementia is really an umbrella term for over 200 different types of illness that affect the brain in its capability to function normally as it always has. It's really a comprehensive term for a decline in mental ability, including memory, planning or language. And it is severe enough to interfere with our daily life.
Deborah Howell: Now, is dementia a normal natural result of getting older?
Celisa Bonner: So, no. Many older adults live an entire life without developing dementia. Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not part of normal aging. Normal aging may include weakening of the muscles and bones and stiffening of our arteries and vessels and some age-related memory changes that may show as maybe we misplace our car keys or we struggle to find that right word, but we do remember it later or maybe we forget the name of a person that we just met or maybe we forget just the most recent event. But normally, knowledge and experiences built over years, old memories and language are going to stay intact.
Deborah Howell: Okay. Now, you sometimes hear people talk about the dementias. Can you tell us why they use that plural term?
Celisa Bonner: So the dementias share a common symptom presentation, but they are different based upon their origin of cause.
Deborah Howell: Okay. That makes sense. Now, how is a person diagnosed in what happens during medical appointments?
Celisa Bonner: So a diagnosis is made by a specialist, a doctor that specializes in brain health called a neurologist. They do a comprehensive medical evaluation. They want to evaluate everything from head to toe that's going on with that individual. And then they're going to order diagnostic tests. The diagnostic tests could include taking an X-ray of the brain, like an MRI or a PET scan. But really we're going to have a comprehensive battery of labs, really more than just what your regular doctor's going to do, because they're looking at some more specifics, what's going on with the blood. And then seeing a specialized psychologist called a neuropsychologist to do cognitive testing. And that testing can range from three to six hours. That's really looking at or weaning out the strengths and weaknesses of what's going on with the different lobes of the brain.
Deborah Howell: Got it. Now, does a loved one always come into the appointments with the patient?
Celisa Bonner: It's really important for a family member to come with the patient to the appointment. We really need to know what does that family member see that that person is exhibiting, the things of their daily life, because sometimes the patient may not really be aware of that or the person may not be aware of that. So, we want to learn what do the family members say.
Deborah Howell: Yeah, everybody needs education on as to how the person is doing. What is the most common form of dementia?
Celisa Bonner: So Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.
Deborah Howell: Is there anything else you'd like to add about Alzheimer's?
Celisa Bonner: So I do want to talk about the 10 early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease: memory loss that disrupts daily life, changes in planning or solving problems, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, misplacing things or losing the ability to retrace your step to find that thing, decreased or poor judgment, withdrawal from work or social activities, changes in your mood and personality and, also and finally, new problems with words in speaking or writing. And those are the 10 early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease.
Deborah Howell: It's a sobering list, especially the social withdrawal and, you know, the coming apart of the relationship because they don't remember, you know, who they're with. I mean, it's God's work you're doing, Celisa. What's the most important and maybe the most wonderful thing about your job?
Celisa Bonner: Since I have been through it myself with my mother, I understand the caregiver piece of it. So it's heartbreaking, because it's a constant loss. Your loved one is constantly losing their ability to remember and to do things that they normally do. So their life is changing and then you're having to adapt to their change. We're always looking at, "Oh, they can't do this anymore. They can't do any of this anymore." So what I try to do is counsel caregivers. Let's get away from the can't and see what can they still do. And let's adapt what we need them to do, what they're still able to do. So the caregiver really has to do a lot of changing, which is hard. So that's the most rewarding thing. And my job is just to educate caregivers that we're here for you, and we're going to help you get through this journey with your loved one, but also to remember to teach them about self-care.
Deborah Howell: Yeah. That's so important. So key. Well, thank you so much, Celisa, for all you do and for enlightening us on all these topics.
Celisa Bonner: Thank you for this time, too.
Deborah Howell: And that wraps up this episode of BayCare HealthChat. For more information, or to get connected with one of our providers, contact the Memory Disorder Center in Clearwater at (727) 298-6025 and the Memory Disorder Center in St. Pete at (727) 825-1595. There's also lots of great information at BayCareMemories.org.
Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all the other BayCare podcasts. And for more health tips and updates, follow us on your social channels. Hey, if you found this podcast informative, please share on your social media and be sure to check out all the other interesting podcasts in our library.
This is Deborah Howell. Have yourself a terrific day.
Intro: This is BayCare HealthChat, another podcast from BayCare Health System.
Deborah Howell: Welcome to BayCare HealthChat. I'm Deborah Howell, and I invite you to listen as we discuss some of the myths about dementia and how it's diagnosed and treated. I'm joined today by Celisa Bonner, licensed clinical social worker and clinic coordinator for the Madonna Ptak Center for Alzheimer's Research and Memory Disorders Clinic.
Celisa, what a pleasure to have you with us today.
Celisa Bonner: Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here.
Deborah Howell: Well, you know, there's sort of a myth that dementia is one big single illness, but really that's incorrect. Can you set us straight on that, please?
Celisa Bonner: Sure. Dementia is really an umbrella term for over 200 different types of illness that affect the brain in its capability to function normally as it always has. It's really a comprehensive term for a decline in mental ability, including memory, planning or language. And it is severe enough to interfere with our daily life.
Deborah Howell: Now, is dementia a normal natural result of getting older?
Celisa Bonner: So, no. Many older adults live an entire life without developing dementia. Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not part of normal aging. Normal aging may include weakening of the muscles and bones and stiffening of our arteries and vessels and some age-related memory changes that may show as maybe we misplace our car keys or we struggle to find that right word, but we do remember it later or maybe we forget the name of a person that we just met or maybe we forget just the most recent event. But normally, knowledge and experiences built over years, old memories and language are going to stay intact.
Deborah Howell: Okay. Now, you sometimes hear people talk about the dementias. Can you tell us why they use that plural term?
Celisa Bonner: So the dementias share a common symptom presentation, but they are different based upon their origin of cause.
Deborah Howell: Okay. That makes sense. Now, how is a person diagnosed in what happens during medical appointments?
Celisa Bonner: So a diagnosis is made by a specialist, a doctor that specializes in brain health called a neurologist. They do a comprehensive medical evaluation. They want to evaluate everything from head to toe that's going on with that individual. And then they're going to order diagnostic tests. The diagnostic tests could include taking an X-ray of the brain, like an MRI or a PET scan. But really we're going to have a comprehensive battery of labs, really more than just what your regular doctor's going to do, because they're looking at some more specifics, what's going on with the blood. And then seeing a specialized psychologist called a neuropsychologist to do cognitive testing. And that testing can range from three to six hours. That's really looking at or weaning out the strengths and weaknesses of what's going on with the different lobes of the brain.
Deborah Howell: Got it. Now, does a loved one always come into the appointments with the patient?
Celisa Bonner: It's really important for a family member to come with the patient to the appointment. We really need to know what does that family member see that that person is exhibiting, the things of their daily life, because sometimes the patient may not really be aware of that or the person may not be aware of that. So, we want to learn what do the family members say.
Deborah Howell: Yeah, everybody needs education on as to how the person is doing. What is the most common form of dementia?
Celisa Bonner: So Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.
Deborah Howell: Is there anything else you'd like to add about Alzheimer's?
Celisa Bonner: So I do want to talk about the 10 early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease: memory loss that disrupts daily life, changes in planning or solving problems, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, misplacing things or losing the ability to retrace your step to find that thing, decreased or poor judgment, withdrawal from work or social activities, changes in your mood and personality and, also and finally, new problems with words in speaking or writing. And those are the 10 early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease.
Deborah Howell: It's a sobering list, especially the social withdrawal and, you know, the coming apart of the relationship because they don't remember, you know, who they're with. I mean, it's God's work you're doing, Celisa. What's the most important and maybe the most wonderful thing about your job?
Celisa Bonner: Since I have been through it myself with my mother, I understand the caregiver piece of it. So it's heartbreaking, because it's a constant loss. Your loved one is constantly losing their ability to remember and to do things that they normally do. So their life is changing and then you're having to adapt to their change. We're always looking at, "Oh, they can't do this anymore. They can't do any of this anymore." So what I try to do is counsel caregivers. Let's get away from the can't and see what can they still do. And let's adapt what we need them to do, what they're still able to do. So the caregiver really has to do a lot of changing, which is hard. So that's the most rewarding thing. And my job is just to educate caregivers that we're here for you, and we're going to help you get through this journey with your loved one, but also to remember to teach them about self-care.
Deborah Howell: Yeah. That's so important. So key. Well, thank you so much, Celisa, for all you do and for enlightening us on all these topics.
Celisa Bonner: Thank you for this time, too.
Deborah Howell: And that wraps up this episode of BayCare HealthChat. For more information, or to get connected with one of our providers, contact the Memory Disorder Center in Clearwater at (727) 298-6025 and the Memory Disorder Center in St. Pete at (727) 825-1595. There's also lots of great information at BayCareMemories.org.
Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all the other BayCare podcasts. And for more health tips and updates, follow us on your social channels. Hey, if you found this podcast informative, please share on your social media and be sure to check out all the other interesting podcasts in our library.
This is Deborah Howell. Have yourself a terrific day.