Agnosia: When Familiar Things Become Unknown
Agnosia is a brain problem that makes it hard to recognize things you used to know. It’s like your brain is playing tricks on you. You might not recognize faces, objects, sounds, or even places that were once very familiar. This can be very confusing and scary, especially for seniors living in assisted living or other senior communities.
What Agnosia Looks Like:
Agnosia can show up in different ways. Some seniors might:
- Not recognize family members or friends.
- Not know what common objects are, like a spoon or a phone.
- Not recognize familiar sounds, like a doorbell or a song.
- Get lost in familiar places, like their own room.
- Not recognize their own body parts.
Why Agnosia Happens:
Agnosia happens when certain parts of the brain are damaged. This can be caused by:
- Stroke: A blood clot or bleeding in the brain.
- Brain Injury: A hit to the head.
- Dementia: Diseases like Alzheimer’s.
- Brain Tumors: Growths in the brain.
- Infections: Infections that affect the brain.
How to Help Seniors with Agnosia:
Helping seniors with agnosia requires patience and understanding. Here are some things that can help:
- Create a Safe Environment: Remove clutter and hazards.
- Use Labels and Pictures: Label objects and use pictures to help with recognition.
- Provide Consistent Routines: Stick to a daily schedule.
- Offer Simple Explanations: Use clear and simple language.
- Provide Sensory Cues: Use touch, smell, and sound to help with recognition.
- Talk to a Doctor: If agnosia is suspected, talk to a doctor.
The Misconception: Agnosia is Just “Forgetfulness” and “Only Happens to People with Severe Dementia.”
Agnosia is Like “A Disconnection from the Familiar” – It’s About the Brain Losing Its Ability to Process and Interpret Sensory Information, Not Just Memory Loss, and It’s About Recognizing That Agnosia Can Occur Independently of Severe Dementia, Affecting Specific Senses While Others Remain Intact!
Here’s how we break it down:
- The Common Misunderstanding:
- The Real Story: A Disconnection from the Familiar
- Think of agnosia as a way to:
- Show a problem with processing information: It’s not just forgetting, but the brain can’t make sense of what it sees, hears, or feels.
- Highlight that it can happen alone: Someone might have agnosia without having other signs of dementia.
- Show specific sensory issues: They might have trouble with faces but not with sounds, or vice versa.
- It is about the loss of processing, not just the loss of memory.
- It is about the sensory systems, not just the cognitive systems.
- It is about specific problems, and not just general decline.
- Think of agnosia as a way to:
- Why This is Powerful:
- The “Get it Wrong” Factor:
- People think it’s just forgetfulness, but it’s a brain processing problem.
- They think it’s only severe dementia, but it can happen on its own.
- They think it is only about memory, and not about sensory processing.
Agnosia in Senior Living:
In senior living places, staff are trained to help seniors with agnosia. They work to create a familiar and supportive environment. They also work with doctors to address any medical issues that might be causing agnosia.
Resources:
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS):
- Provides information on agnosia and other neurological disorders.
- Link: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/
- Alzheimer’s Association:
- Offers resources and support for individuals with dementia and their caregivers, including information on agnosia.
- Link: https://www.alz.org/
- AARP (American Association of Retired Persons):
- Provides information on brain health and related conditions.
- Link: https://www.aarp.org/
- Mayo Clinic:
- Offers information on agnosia, including causes, symptoms, and treatment.
- Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/
- Your Local Area Agency on Aging (AAA):
- They can provide local resources, and information regarding local programs to help with agnosia related issues.
- Use the Eldercare Locator to find your local AAA.
- Link: https://eldercare.acl.gov/