A Caregiver's Guide to Lewy Body Dementia

by Helen Whitworth, MS, BSN and Jim Whitworth, LBDA co-founder

Why You Need This Book:

Lewy body dementia is the second most common dementia, after Alzheimer's and yet it is often unrecognized. If your loved one has LBD--or is at risk for LBD, you need to know about its special issues. And then you need to be an advocate for your loved one's best treatment and care.

The Caregiver's Guide can give you the information you need
to help you to do this.

If you work in a care facility:

Tell your supervisor about the Whitwoth's

Lewy Body Dementia Trainer's Kit

(same information on PowerPoint slides)

Lewy body disorders and dementia:

• Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) starts with dementia.
• Parkinson's disease (PD) starts with motor symptoms and
  may advance to
• Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD).
• DLB and PDD are both called Lewy body dementia (LBD)

Lewy body disorders include some or all of the following:

• Dementia
• Emotional disturbances and imbalances
• Autonomic dysfunctions like
  • orthostatic hypotension,
  • swallowing problems,
  • gastrointestinal and urinary dysfunctions.
• Perceptual dysfunctions like
  • hallucinations,
  • illusions and
  • delusions
• Sleep disorders like REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).
• Motor dysfunctions like
  • tremors and
  • other symptoms related to PD