More handpicked essays just for you.
Approaches to caring for someone with dementia
Approaches to caring for someone with dementia
Causes and treatment for Alzheimer's
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Approaches to caring for someone with dementia
How would a person feel if they couldn’t put sentences together? Alice Howland, a fifty-year-old woman, who forgets a word during a speech and becomes lost during a presentation at a college campus, Alice's doctor diagnoses her with early onset Alzheimer's disease. “Along the way, Alice struggles to not only to fight the inner decay, but to make the most of her remaining time to find the love and peace to make simply living worthwhile” (Chisholm). While this is the plot for a popular fictional film, the seriousness of the topic is real to many elders and family members. Alzheimer’s is a common form of dementia, caused by changes in the brain, generally starts in the late adulthood, characterized by confusion, emotional instability, and progressive
Lisa Genova, the author of Still Alice, a heartbreaking book about a 50-year-old woman's sudden diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is a member of the Dementia Advocacy, Support Network International and Dementia USA and is an online columnist for the National Alzheimer's Association. Genova's work with Alzheimer's patients has given her an understanding of the disorder and its affect not only on the patient, but on their friends and family as well (Simon and Schuster, n.d.).
From watching video one “Gladys Wilson and Naomi Feil”, I learned a few things, for example there is more than one way to communicated with and elder who has lost their ability to communicate with words. From the link of “Alzheimer’s Foundation of America” under the category of symptoms Aphasia which is inability to communicated. The older people grow the more health issues they grow as well, which may lead them to feel lonely, and afraid. From video one Naomi Feil taught me to understand that by being with an elder and communicating more often can reduce their fear and depression. Having friends and family or even volunteer’s spend a few minutes or hour of their time can be live changing to an elder.
Hamilton’s psychological perspective of aging seems to be norm for her age. Despite the fact she had two cerebral vascular accidents (strokes), her long-term and short-term memories seemed to be intact. Mrs. Hamilton appropriately answered questions and we reminisced the time when we met for the first time as well as the times we ran into each other at the Arcadia senior center’s educational lectures. Mrs. Hamilton stated she has been experiencing forgetfulness since the strokes and difficulty finding words (aphasia). However, she was able to remember where she wrote my contact number and called me numerous times after our meeting. Mrs. Hamilton was a bookkeeper for her husband’s business and always had outstanding knowledge about investment, finance and businesses aspect of discussion. This is reflective of the Crystallized intelligence which is the information and skills that people have learned through experiences. (Quadagno, 2013, pg.
In this paper I will discuss the issue of stigma regarding Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia in older adults, which was depicted in the movie ‘Still Alice’. This theme became most prominent to me in the scene in which Alice wished that she had cancer instead of AD. Alice compared AD to cancer, expressing that the general public had created awareness to support those living and fighting cancer, while she felt there was little support for individuals with AD. Confronted with her illness and the stigma of AD, Alice demonstrates her struggle to find meaning and hope in her life. This inspired me to focus on the current stigma that exists about dementia and AD, and how it may be mitigated in my practice towards becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) in order to provide quality nursing care.
While the average life expectancy of the world’s population has increased, the number of detected dementia cases has commensurately risen to astonishing levels. Along with improved discovery of this disorder, new causes and treatments have been found, from which many innovative techniques have been developed towards the prevention of future incidences and reduction of the effects of this condition; however, the quest for these solutions have raised more questions than it has answered. Why do some develop this disorder, while others do not? Can early detection be achieved to reverse the processes or limit its effects? Further specifics on these topics have been categorized into three main sections, which include:
performance that involves, but is not limited to, a loss in at least 2 of the
Alzheimer’s disease, named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, is a disease that is on the rise in America and the rest of the world. People should learn as much as they want about this disease, because as you age, your chances of becoming an Alzheimer’s Disease, or AD, patient increases. It is estimated that approximately 3 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have the illness, and more than half of all people over age 85 have the ailment.
Alzheimer’s disease is a complex illness that affects the brain tissue directly and undergoes gradual memory and behavioral changes which makes it difficult to diagnose. It is known to be the most common form of dementia and is irreversible. Over four million older Americans have Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to triple in the next twenty years as more people live into their eighties and nineties. (Johnson, 1989). There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s but throughout the past few years a lot of progress has been made.
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading neurodegenerative disease in elderly adults. It affects more than 30 million people in the world (1). There are a few major markers behind Alzheimer’s disease. These include amyloid β plaque, oxidative stress, and inflammation. A potential target for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease are the processes involved in the synthesis, transport, and function of retinoids.
In this day and age, it seems as though almost everyone has experience a loved one taken away form a very serious disease known as Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is unbelievably devastating for everyone affected by it. This disease is causing major economical problems such as less occupancy in the nursing homes, and hospitals due to the rising population of elderly men and women being diagnosed with it everyday. Because there is not yet a cure for this disease and the percent of the population being diagnosed keeps rapidly rising, more time and money needs to go towards Alzheimer’s research.
Alzheimer's Disease Introduction to Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain. It was first described by the German neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915). in 1905. This disease worsens with advancing age, although there is no evidence. that it is caused by the aging process.
As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, People become less able to carry out usual functions and activities. This is due to the death of large number of brain cells. One of the functions impaired by the disease is communication skill. Since people with AD have trouble remembering things, communication is hard for them. It may be hard for them to find words or forget what they want to say. When talking, the disease also causes people to talk without train of thought. The listening role is also affected by the disease. People can have problems with understanding what words mean, paying attention during long conversations and even find it very hard to block out backgr...
Imagine waking up and not knowing what is going on in the world. That is how people who suffer from dementia live every day of their lives. They forget their basic cognitive skills and functions. According to Joseph Quinn (2013), those diagnosed with dementia have trouble with attentiveness, language, and memory recall. (Quinn, 2013). For example, just speaking to a family member is hard for dementia patients, because they forget how to form
In the final stage of Alzheimer’s disease, the individual makes little or no effect at communication, and their verbal responses are limited, often one word or just a sound. You must continue to be attentive to how your patient communicates their needs and especially careful to communicate care and concern through touch, facial expression and tone of voice.
“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.