Definition of the Problem The sixth leading cause of death in the United States, Alzheimer’s disease afflicts approximately 5.2 million persons age 65 and over (Alzheimer's Association, 2012). Rapid growth of the older population as the Baby Boomer generation ages will cause unprecedented increases in the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that by 2025 the number of Wisconsin residents with Alzheimer’s age 65 and older will increase by 30% to a projected total of 127,000 (Alzheimer's Association, 2012). Informal supports, such as aid for housekeeping and running errands, are crucial to maintaining the lifestyle of individuals with Alzheimer’s in the community; however, the disease’s erosion of physical, cognitive, and communicative abilities often creates tremendous strain for family caregivers. Individuals and family caregivers dealing with Alzheimer’s often experience increasing social isolation as the disease’s progression undermines both mobility and the capacity for meaningful and appropriate engagement with the community (Banerjee et al., 2003). A number of studies have documented the physical and mental health costs borne by unsupported caregivers, and the link between caregiver stress and the institutionalization of their ill family members (Andren & Elmstahl, 2005; Banerjee et al., 2003). Taken together, the stress and isolation of dealing with Alzheimer’s disease undermine the health and quality of life of everyone involved, eventually precipitating institutionalization. Alzheimer’s disease affects populations in both cities and rural areas. Although only 19% of older adults live in rural areas, up to one-third of rural populations are comprised of older adults (Sun, Kosberg, Kaufman, & Leeper, 2010). In addition to limited access to and suspicion of healthcare and social services for older adults and their caregivers, social isolation plays a great role in rural areas, where opportunities for engagement and interaction may be unavailable or inaccessible (Sun et al., 2010). Healthcare workforce shortages, while present far and wide, are intensified in rural areas and can severely limit a family’s choices when caregivers struggle to meet the needs of individuals with Alzheimer’s (Sun et al., 2010). Research suggests a high level of depression in both persons with dementia and spousal caregivers in rural populations (Haley et al., 2008). Research also suggests the loss of language capacity among individuals with Alzheimer’s limits the individual’s independence. Furthermore, a loss of language impacts individuals from different races. Wisconsin’s largest minority population is African Americans, making up 6% of the state’s total population (U.S. Department of Commerce, U.
However, this type of care brings a lot of unconditioned difficulties due to the constant care they have to provide the elderly people with dementia. In a recent study it was discovered that caregivers experience stress differently given the circumstance this was shown by analysis of 234 people with dementia (Robertson, Zarit, Duncan, Rovine, & Femia, 2007). The findings were that caregivers in intense and distressed groups experienced higher behaviora...
Jeon Y.H. et al.(2012) told that There is an increase demand for care and help
The human brain is extraordinary organ. It stores our memories, vision, hearing, speech, and capable of executing executive higher reasoning and functions setting us apart from animals. Today we know more about the human brain because of medical advances and the development of technology. These brain disorders have been studied for years and many others would classify dementia as a mental illness because it causes cognitive impairments. The following paragraphs will discuss what dementia is, what the types of dementia are, perspectives of patients with dementia as well as the perspective of a caregiver to a dementia patient.
Deciding to place a family member with Alzheimer's disease or Dementia in a medical facility is a very difficult decision to face. Alzheimer’s disease is a cognitive disease. As the disease progresses, it affects physical capabilities, as well. When a family member has been the sole caregiver of the patient, feelings of guilt, despair, and failure can surround the decision. Nonetheless, there are numerous reasons to move a family member into a nursing home. The Alzheimer patient would benefit from being moved to a medical facility because they will have trained medical staff, twenty-four hour care, and a safe, structured environment.
According to an article from a magazine, Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library it explains that between 2.4 million and 4.5 million people in the United States in 2009 have been diagnosed with a disease that destroys the memory of elders. This brain disease continues to worsen as it goes on. Alzheimer’s Disease is one of the many diseases that slowly deteriorates ones memory. It is a terrible progressive disease that affects elders everywhere. A solution would be to find a cure by research and testing. Alzheimer’s Disease does not only affect the elder, it also affects the people around him/her as well.
Nowadays, over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2013). This statistic is staggering, and unless a prevention or cure is found, it’s predicted that 16 million of Americans will have Alzheimer’s disease by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2007). Alzheimer’s disease can be either sporadic or familial. Sporadic Alzheimer’s disease can affect adults at any age, but usually after age 65. Familial Alzheimer’s disease is a rare genetic condition where one of several genes is mutated and finally lead to Alzheimer’s disease, usually in their 40’s or 50’s. (Fight Alzheimer’s Save Australia, 2010) Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, (Sam Fazio, 2008), degenerative brain disease that slowly destroys brain cells, resulting in impairment of cognitive function and eventually even the ability to perform the simplest tasks of daily life.( Alzheimer’s Association, 2014) Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s disease has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. For instance, Rivastigmine is a parasympathomimetic or cholinergic agent for the treatment of mild to moderate dementia of Alzheimer’s disease. The drug can be administered orally or via a transdermal patch and is normally sold under the trade name Exelon. (Wikipedia, 2014) ; (AMH,2013)
In 2014, my grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. At the time, I didn’t realize how much of an impact that diagnosis would have on me. Shortly after I graduated from college, my family moved him to the United States to live with us, and I became his caregiver. It was difficult to watch a man who was once so active, frustrated to have his body and mind betray him. Without the help of temporary relief from respite services and family support, I would have likely given into the “caregiver burden”. While navigating the healthcare system, I had unknowing become his voice because he could not speak for himself. It was this experience helped me to see caregivers an access to care intervention, and led to my interest in aging-related policy. Through the experiences that followed, I began to see caregivers as stakeholders in the healthcare, which led to my
Race, culture, religion and ethnicity all play a part in how we care for our elderly. Each family makes decisions based on background, experience, expectations, knowledge base, and economics. Most people would like to be able to care for their aging parent or spouse with as little disruption to lifestyle as possible. Alzheimer's Disease, however, is a full time commitment, not just eight hours a day, but "24/7", as the current idiom implies, the patient needs continuous care. Sleep habits are disturbed, wandering is common, medications must be carefully controlled, safety is always important. Home care soon becomes frustrating and exhausting if left to one or two caregivers. When the primary caregiver has his/her own medical needs to see to, is also aged, or is the parent of young children as well, the burden can become overwhelming. In-home care is a possibility as is placement in a live-in facility, but both are expensive alternatives.
Alzheimer’s disease is a disease which hits close to home for many families including my own. My grandmother was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 64. After battling with Alzheimer’s for over 15 years and watching her mind and body deteriorate, she finally succumbed to the effects of it in 2015. This journey is never an easy one for any family to go through. The caregivers and family members all undergo this massive lifestyle changes. Physical, psychological, emotional, social, and economic changes occur in the life of the caregiver and patient. Along this journey, many disciplines will be researched. Becoming more knowledgeable of the cost and effect this
The elderly represents a large amount of the population in our society and continues to grow each day. As the population grows, it is important to meet the demands and resolve the challenges that we encounter in regards to the overall quality of health and well-being of the elderly. Mental health of the elderly is a major issue but majority of the time goes unnoticed and untreated by caregivers and loved ones. About 20 percent of adults 55 and older are suffering from some type of mental health disorder, and one in three elderly adults do not receive any type of treatment (The State of Mental Health, 2008). Those suffering from mental illness are hesitant to seek out help or any type of treatment because of the stigma, services and cost for care that then comes with mental health disorders. Mental health issues that affect elderly include dementia, delirium, and psychosis. Some of the most common conditions include anxiety, mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder and cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease. Mental health is essential to the
According to Brodaty and Donkin (2009) It is estimated that there are over 30 million people living with dementia worldwide and it is believed that this figure will double every 20 years. Without a personal caregiver like a spouse, child, or spouses of their children, these people would have a poor quality of life and would most likely be institutionalized much earlier. They state that people with dementia are cared for more often by females in developing countries, like India, than in the USA. In the USA the percentage of men caring for family members was 40% in 2008, which was a 21% incr...
Leggett, A., Zarit, S., Taylor, A., & Galvin, J. (2010). Stress and burden among caregivers of patients with lewy body dementia. The Gerontologist, 51(1), 76-85.
Dementia is a major neurocognitive disorder that interferes with the independence of the elderly by inhibiting memory and thinking skills. Fifty to eighty percent of dementia cases constitute of Alzheimer’s diagnoses; consequently Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and currently affects 5.2 million Americans. Most of these cases are patients above the age of 65 and by 2050; 13.8 million Americans in total will suffer Alzheimer’s due to aging of the general population, specifically the baby boomers. Total cost to society ranges from $157- $215 billion (Associated Press). Some would assume the cost of Alzheimer’s to be incurred by pharmaceuticals or medical costs, however RAND Corp suggests dementia cost to society is from care rather than treatment. Therefore, assistance provided by informal providers and directs caregivers incur a majority of the financial and social cost. Currently, the workforce does not have the capacity or training to care for these unique patients; the delivery system needs to address Alzheimer’s as the population ages and more and more fam...
Alzheimer’s disease is a major one. Currently there is no cure; medical treatments are limited but evolving with research. These remedies slow the worsening of the symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States (http://www.alz.org, n.d., para. 3). Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be a journey that is long, stressful, emotional and isolating. About 15 million people in the United States are caring for a person with this disease (http://www.helpguide.org, n.d.). Many people face challenges and fears similar to the documentary video, The Alzheimer’s Project: Caregivers. It can be very straining on the lives of the caretaker’s family. Marriages and relationships take a toll. The burden of caregiving increases the risk for significant health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes and a compromised immune system. Sadness, anxiety, loneliness and exhaustion are often experienced by the caregiver. I have not undergone the role of caretaker for an Alzheimer’s person. My occurrence was visiting a family member that had a progressive but relatively short bout with this disease. Due to an injury sustained during a fall from a wandering episode, my mother-in-law was put into a facility to manage her care. My father-in-law was unable to care for her and the rest of the family had professional lives and chose not to be the primary caretaker. Although, I noticed the family still endured the same emotional impacts of a caregiver but they did not the encounter any of the significant health
Just as the baby boomers exploded the population of children and teens in the 1950’s and 1960’s, this same cohort is now aging and retiring thus creating a completely new set of social issues. Whereas there have been leaps and bounds in medical knowledge and technology in recent times, that has not stopped the ever-growing crisis in the prevalence of chronic diseases in people as they age. In addition, there can be no denying that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other dementia diseases will proceed the forefront of topics concerning the growing number of older people. Aging Baby Boomers, chronic disease, and Alzheimer’s disease are the utmost pressing issues in gerontology