What is Vascular Dementia?

Vascular dementia is one of the most common types of dementia, after Alzheimer’s disease, and it is thought to affect around 150,000 people in the UK. Dementia is a type of progressive neurological condition (PNC) that is associated with a range of symptoms, including problems with:

• Memory
• Thinking
• Problem solving
• Language

Vascular dementia develops due to a reduction or restriction in blood flow to the brain. This can be due to a number of factors including:

• Suffering from a stroke, which causes blood supply to the brain to be cut off. This is known as ‘post-stroke vascular dementia’ or ‘single-infarct vascular dementia’
• Suffering from multiple ‘mini-strokes’, which again, cause the brain’s blood supply to be cut off, reduced or restricted. This is known as ‘multi-infarct vascular dementia’
• Narrowing of the blood vessels within the brain, which restricts the flow of blood. This is known as ‘subcortical vascular dementia’

When the brain’s blood supply is restricted, reduced, or cut off, this results in brain cells not getting the nutrients and oxygen that they need, which can cause cell death, and the corresponding symptoms of vascular dementia.

The risk of vascular dementia increases with age, and the risk of developing the condition doubles approximately every five years over the age of 65. Vascular dementia is an irreversible, progressive, and life-limiting illness, which currently has no cure.

Treatment for Vascular Dementia at Priory

Priory provides high quality treatment interventions that aim to maximise independence and maintain quality of life for those living with vascular dementia, as part of our dedicated Brain Injury Services. We can provide expert support, delivered across our specialist sites throughout the UK.

Our approaches for patients who are experiencing a PNC are based on a model of person-centred care and are aimed at minimising the impact of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Our treatment approaches encompass all aspects of neurological support, including:

• Physical
• Behavioural
• Cognitive
• Emotional
• Communication
• Social

Treatment is delivered within a broad variety of environments, ranging from hospital settings to transitional living homes. We can care for patients at all stages of their condition right through to delivering bespoke end of life care support, based on individual needs and preferences. The breadth of the service allows our network to offer comprehensive care pathways, ensuring that all services have consistency in their approach and adhere to national guidelines. 

Priory is experienced in providing a range of specialist complex care services for people with vascular dementia. We are dedicated to supporting both the patient and family, with the intention of maximising quality of life and maintaining functional independence for as long as possible