Women and HIV/AIDS - Living with HIV/AIDS - Opportunistic Infections

AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC)

ADC (AIDS dementia complex), or mental decline, happens later in the course of AIDS. AIDS can affect the brain and cause poor memory; short attention span; trouble moving, speaking, or thinking; less alertness; loss of interest in things; depression; loss of bladder and bowel control; and wide mood swings. Mental problems can make it hard to follow the planned routines for care and make it difficult to protect the person with AIDS from infections. ADC is treated with AIDS drugs, like AZT. Other drugs, like anti-depressants can be taken to treat the symptoms of ADC. If the person you are caring for has ADC, you can help:

Keep important things in the same place all the time — a place that is easy to reach and easy to see.

If you need to, remind the person you are caring for where they are and who you are.

Put a clock and a calendar where the person you are caring for can see them. Mark off the days on the calendar. Write in what will happen each day.

Put up pictures of people who might be in the house with their names on the pictures where the person with AIDS can see them.

Speak in short, simple sentences.

Remove dangerous objects from reach.

Keep the sound from TVs, radios, and other noises down so the person doesn't get confused by unexpected sounds.

Talk to a health care worker who deals with people with dementia about how to handle problems.

Additional Information on AIDS Dementia Complex:

Publications

Caring for Someone with AIDS at Home - This publication provides information on HIV/AIDS, what it is, pointers on taking care of AIDS patients, referral sources, providing support, and guarding against infections.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/brochures/careathome/index.htm

NINDS Neurological Manifestations of AIDS Information Page - This on-line publication provides information on Neurological Manifestations Of AIDS, treatment options, prognosis, research, as well as additional resources.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/aids/aids.htm

AIDS Dementia Complex (Copyright © Project Inform) - This publication explains what AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC) is, including detailed descriptions of the symptoms it causes in its different stages. It describes how HIV is thought to cause ADC and how doctors diagnose and treat ADC and its symptoms.

http://www.projectinform.org/info/adc/13.shtml

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Content last updated January 25, 2008.