The human life cycle begins at birth and ends with death. In between these two major life events, there are numerous thoughts, experiences and relationships that shape who a person is and what their identity is. As we progress through the life cycle, our bodies begin to decline physically and cognitively. Throughout all these changes, when does a person become a new person?
One of the most common problems in elders is dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association describes dementia as a range of symptoms rather than just one single specific disease. The symptoms of dementia range from memory loss as well as a decline in thinking skills to severe symptoms that lead to the decline of that person’s ability to perform activities of daily living (What
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The self is fictional and we are only impressions (Hume, 134). When those impressions are removed, the person does not exist anymore. When one object changes over time, if the change is gradual we are inclined to consider that object to be the same even though they are not. If a person begins to gradually forget things and show signs of any type of dementia, would we consider that person to be the same person? Or if suddenly that person begins to show symptoms such as forgetting to do every day activities, would we consider them to be the same person? Patients with Alzheimer’s would probably still have impressions of what is happening around them because they are experiencing different events or things. It’s hard to know what a person with Alzheimer’s is thinking, especially since at times they can’t articulate or express themselves. We don’t really know what a person with Alzheimer’s is thinking and if what they are thinking has remained constant overtime or not. Either way it would not matter because identity is fiction and according to Hume’s bundle …show more content…
As human beings grow from being a baby into an adult, we don’t see them as a different person. We see them as a person who is just growing up, but not becoming a completely different person. “ People throughout their lives change their tastes, their skills, their moral qualities, the things they can remember or tend to forget, and on, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse” (Hughes, Stephen, & Steve, 58). We have all heard the expressions toward someone who has had a radical change, “ He is a new person” or “ She is a not the same person she used to be” but this cannot be taken literally, “ psychological changes caused by dementia, it might be said, become sometimes, as time goes on, particular extensive and particularly distressing; but in no way do they affect a person’s identity in the philosophical sense, though they do, of course, alter their psychological identity” (Hughes, Stephen, & Steve,58). This would be the case for someone who is the early stages of dementia because someone with severe that it threatens the loss of their whole identity. In the case of a person with dementia, it is easy to say that they have become a different person. All the changes they go through; change in personality, loss of self-control, and a huge gap in memory that leads them to forget loved ones. Our identity is linked to past and present as well as to
Dementia – is the chain of signs and symptoms which effect the human brain. As a result of this changes in the brain occur which are irreversible. These changes lead to memory loss, difficulty in planning and learning, confusion and changes in behaviour.
Dementia is common among a large population of elderly people. The disease affects not only the individual diagnosed, but also the caregivers that work towards making their life comfortable in the end. Understanding and learning about the disease is crucial in helping those that experience or live with someone who has dementia. The services and support that are currently in affect for elderly people with dementia and the caregivers is poor, and ineffective because of the lack of research and information on the topic.
Cognitive decline is how you you called the process getting worse over time. At the last stage the person is no longer able to communicate and they depend entirely on others. What causes alzheimer’s disease is not really known but it appears that it
People with dementia may have problems with short-term memory, keeping track of their belongings, keeping up with plans, remembering appointments or travel dates. Many dementias are progressive. This means that symptoms start out slowly and gradually get worse with time. Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are diagnosed based on careful medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests, and the characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function and behavior related to each
I don 't know if you have ever been close to an Alzheimer 's patient but it 's confusing. It 's scary. It 's sad. It 's a slow, painful way to leave for everyone involved. You say goodbye long before the body leaves and your new normal becomes seeing someone you love look at your face with a certain empty look that 's hard to explain. There 's no longer the fire and life in their eyes that you once used to see. There is however, moments of clarity. In the midst of the confusion, you see a small light in their eyes for a few minutes. They remember you. They love you. You get them back for that few minutes. It all too soon silently slips away and the light disappears followed by the question "Who are you?". You smile back and explain and every time its a little bit harder. When their physical being is gone you tend to think back to one of two things. One, you remember the days
... Furthermore, the patients with Alzheimer's have trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room with them. They often have trouble recognize their own reflection. (Alzheimer's Association) (Mayo Clinic)
“…a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function. Dementia symptoms may include asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; getting disoriented about time, people, and places; and neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition. People with dementia lose their abilities at different rates.”
A person with dementia can have changes in their behaviour and this could make other people feel angry or upset or could treat them unfairly and not accept it. This can make a service user distressed, upset, frustrated with themselves because it is the dementia that has changed them not the person. For example is a service user wanted to tell you something but forgot or could not get it out into words they might think that you think they are stupid so they get upset and angry with themselves for not been able to
Delirium, Depression, and Dementia are some of the most common psychological diagnoses in the elderly today. The three D’s are difficult to differentiate between in older adults because they overlap with each other and can all exist in the same patient at once. Delirium, Dementia, and Depression all affect the elderly’s quality of life and often increase the risks for one another (Downing, Caprio & Lyness, 2013). For the purpose of this paper I will be focusing primarily on the diagnosis of Dementia, the prevention, and nursing measures associated with it, but first I would like to differentiate between Delirium and Depression because Dementia is often associated with the two in the older adult population.
Throughout this line of study, Alzheimer’s disease is a specific form of dementia. According to Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability that is severe enough to hinder daily life. Memory loss is a symptom of dementia and the most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s. One of the most common and severe symptom of Alzheimer’s is difficulty remembering newly learned information. The changes of Alzheimer’s normally begin in the part of the brain that affects learning (Overview Alzheimer's Association). Some other symptoms of Alzheimer’s include gradual memory loss, the decline in capability to carry out everyday tasks and the loss of their language skills. According to Bialystok the rate of decline in cognitive functioning was significant in the Alzheimer’s disease group compared to Mild Cognitive Impairment during the study of bilingualism and how it is associated with a substantial delay in the onset of (AD) and (MCI) (Bialystok, 2014). Disorientation, mood and behavior changes, some confusion about past events are some severe symptoms. As Alzheimer’s worsens over time, the ability to get dressed or turn off the stove, are some examples of possible decline in ability to perform everyday tasks. Those who suffer with Alzheimer’s disease, could be forgetting to do things that they were supposed to do such as babysitting the children or how to get back home (V. Hill, Personal Communication, March 2014). Disorientation is another one of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, which is having difficulty knowing the date, or what year they are in, or the location they are at. Alzheimer’s has no current cure, and it is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years...
Alzheimer's affects a person individually by affecting their memory and their relationships with other people. The cognitive symptoms of alzheimer's are mental decline, difficulty
Many ordinary people have the wrong idea about a condition seen in elderly individuals. To many people, dementia is thought to be a disease that affects the memory of elderly people. They think it is irreversible and inevitable, that it is something the majority of people will face as they get older. Many people also confuse delirium with dementia. Delirium can be caused by illness, malnutrition, or medication, as can dementia, however, delirium describes a person who is less alert, drowsy, and restless, while dementia talks about someone who is fully awake, but still having problems with cognitive functioning.
“Difficult, depressing, and tragic” are a few of the descriptions generally associated with illness. Those who suffer from dementia, especially, undergo a realm of these characterizations. With this adversity in mind, most people generate a basic understanding based on education rather than personal experience. It is this preconception that can prevent us from gaining a true insight of one’s reality.
Introduction This assignment critically discusses dementia, a widespread disability among older adults today. It provides an introduction to dementia and analyses its prevalence in society. The various forms of dementia are elaborated with descriptions of dysfunctions and symptoms. Nursing Assessment and Interventions are provided in the further sections which discuss actions nurses should take while evaluating patients and treating them.
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...