Unit 2: Senior Learners and the Concept of Wellbeing
Who are our learners?
1.2 Dementia and Quality of Life
As you will have found out in the fact sheet in the previous activity, of the people in care homes in the United Kingdom, 70% have dementia or severe memory problems. In this activity you will learn about the impact of these conditions on people’s quality of life.
When watching the video by Alzheimer’s Research UK on dementia below, take notes in your learning diary to answer these questions:
- What is dementia?
- How does it impact the brain and its cognitive functions?
Watch the video from Alzheimer's Research UK (opens in new tab).
If you would like to watch this video with closed captions, please switch these on in the YouTube player by selecting this icon 
The Types of Dementia
Experts have established that dementia in itself is not a condition but a collective term for a group of symptoms that occur when brain cells stop working properly with specific types that can be identified.
Explore the relevant information on the Alzheimer's Research UK (opens in new tab) website to find out about the seven commonly accepted types of dementia.
Based on the information you are gathering from
the website and what you found out in the previous activity, complete
the table
()
(downloadable Word document) by
selecting at least two key facts on the different types of dementia.
Save the table for your own learning diary and compare your answer with our model answer.
The Stages of Dementia
In addition to different types of dementia, experts have established that in the course of the illness progressing seven specific stages can be identified. The dementia.org website provides a useful overview of these stages.
Step A
Read the information on the Stages of Dementia (opens in a new tab) and make notes in your learning diary on the key characteristics of each stage.
Compare your answer with our model answer.
Step B
The German painter Carolus Horn (1921-1992), who suffered from dementia himself, illustrated the impact of the condition on his perception and capacity of expression in his paintings. An example is his four paintings of the Rialto Bridge in Venice, one of his favourite motifs.
Explore the four paintings on slides 36-46 in Through the eyes of Alzheimer's (opens in a new tab) and describe the changes Horn visualises as the illness progresses. Note that picture A was painted when the artist was in full health.
Then, compare your thoughts with our model answer.