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Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Dementia occurs when a person’s ability to think, reason and remember declines significantly enough to interfere with daily life. Henry Ford Health provides comprehensive dementia care that helps patients and their families feel more confident about the future.

What are dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?

Dementia refers to a group of conditions that typically affect older adults, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common. In addition to memory loss, there can be issues with communication, reasoning, judgment and visual perception. Although there is no cure for dementia, treatment often slows disease progression and eases the impact of symptoms on daily life.

Living with Alzheimer’s and dementia

Alzheimer’s and dementia may cause changes to your loved one’s emotions, abilities and habits, such as:

Compulsive behavior, irritability and other personality changes
Confusion about time or place
Difficulty problem-solving or completing familiar tasks
Loss of interest in work, hobbies and social activities
Misplacing things or having difficulty retracing steps
New problems with language, speaking or writing

Alzheimer’s and dementia care at Henry Ford: Why choose us?

Our team approach provides a seamless experience and makes us one of the region’s leading programs. Behavioral neurologists, geriatric psychiatrists, nurse specialists and social workers coordinate tests and treatments. We are easy to reach and attentive to your needs, so you never feel alone on your care journey. Find out more about cognitive health services.

Expertise in rare dementia types

Rare dementias are sometimes inherited and progress faster than other types. We help patients receive timely, appropriate services for:

Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease impacts people younger than 65 and as early as their 30s.
Frontotemporal dementia starts in an area of the brain regulating mood, self-control and judgment.
Lewy body dementia occurs when protein deposits on brain nerve cells affect thinking and behavior and can cause visual hallucinations.
Posterior cortical atrophy causes changes in vision and your ability to appropriate position yourself within your surroundings (visuospatial perception), like walking through a door.
Primary progressive aphasia affects parts of the brain controlling communication, including speech and language.

People with rare dementia types often have different needs because symptoms start while they are young enough to be working and raising a family. We provide robust patient and family education about the diagnosis and assistance planning for future medical, practical and financial needs.

Dementia and developmental delay

Henry Ford is one of the few programs in the region specializing in the unique needs of people with dementia and developmental delay. People with Down syndrome and other developmental delays experience dementia differently and standard therapies are typically not successful. We deliver research-based services that optimize quality of life.

Get more information about our Multidisciplinary Clinic for Dementia and Developmental Delay.