More handpicked essays just for you.
Social care for clients with dementia
Different approaches to caring for dementia
Different approaches to caring for someone with dementia
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Alzheimer’s disease defined: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, terminal, degenerative brain disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death in adults and currently affects over four million people in the United States. This number is expected to increase over the next several years as the baby boomers age, until it reaches fourteen million by the year 2025. Alzheimer disease generally occurs in people over seventy five years of age; however it does strike people in their forties, fifties, and sixties, but this is rare. When Alzheimer’s disease occurs prior to the age of sixty five, it is referred to as early onset Alzheimer’s. The major symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are: Forgetfulness Confusion Dementia in the later stages of the disease Scientists know that Alzheimer disease is characterized by a gradual spread of sticky plaques and clumps of tangled fibers that disrupt the organization of nerve cells in the brain. However , a definite cause, prevention, or cause has not been found. A myth about Alzheimer disease says that nothing can be done about the disease. This is not true. Much can be done to assist the person with Alzheimer’s disease to maintain the highest possible level of functioning as long as possible and in providing the highest quality of life. Available medications: Several medications are available that may, in some individuals, improve symptoms or temporarily slow the disease progress, including: Cognex, Aricept, Exelon, and Reminyl. Other drugs are now being tested and could be marketed in the near future. Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease : There is no quick and easy way to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. In fact a diagnosis can only be conclusively arrived at following autopsy of the ... ... middle of paper ... ...using words your patient is used to and will understand. Clarify your message with body language, tone of voice, facial expression touch and gestures. 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. Communication plays a major role in preventing and resolving behavior problems and enhancing your patient’s quality of life by allowing them to feel, even when they no longer know or recognize those around them that they are in the midst of people who care about them and are concerned about their physical and emotional well being.
Alzheimer’s disease was first defined in 1906 by a German psychiatrist, Alois Alzheimer. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive brain disorder in which the nerve cells in the brain gradually die off. It is estimated that 26 million people world-wide are afflicted by Alzheimer’s and of those, approximately 4.5 million live in the United States. It is said to be the seventh leading cause of death in the USA and the fifth leading cause of death for those over age 65. Seventeen percent of women and ten percent of men age 55 and older can expect to develop Alzheimer’s (apa.org, 2009). Researchers report that this disease is more prevalent in African Americans and Hispanics than in whites (Crandell, Crandell, and Zanden, 2009, p. 578).
Stem cells are a type of unspecialized cells that can revive themselves through the process of cell division (Abdel-Salam and Oma, 2011). They have a phenomenal potential to differentiate into other specific cell types in a living organism. These cells can also be activated to turn into organ-specific cells or tissues with defined activity but only under specific experimental set-up. Stem cells have the ability to remain as they are or divide further to renew deteriorated and damaged tissue cells. Recently it has been discovered that stem cells can be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease but still a lot of clinical trials are being conducted to find a specific government approved treatment. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. The very first stages of Alzheimer’ include symptoms like confusion and using the right words while talking. As it gets on to later stages symptoms like loss of memory and mood swings start to appear (Begley et al., 2001). Any sort of stem cell treatment is not available to Alzheimer’s patients yet as researchers are still conducting new experiments. There are multiple neurons that get damaged by Alzheimer’s which makes the problem even more complex and different approach needs to be followed every time a clinical trial is conducted.
performance that involves, but is not limited to, a loss in at least 2 of the
...hed and streamlined to allow for earlier diagnosis. In the case of tertiary prevention, the pharmaceutical companies have a huge financial incentive to create a cure for Alzheimer’s but that is not enough. More government funded research should be dedicated towards finding methods to delay or cure Alzheimer’s disease. The baby boomer generation has already entered their 60’s. As people live longer, as a result of new treatments for common killers such as heart disease and cancer, the chances that they will succumb to Alzheimer’s increases. Failing to find preventative or curative measures will be costly. On a personal level, Alzheimer’s disease slowly attacks cognitive function-the higher thought processes; individuals degenerate into infantile dependents. The cost of caring for increasing numbers of such dependents will be a burden on both family and society.
Alzheimer’s disease got its name from the German doctor, Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, he noticed that there were abnormal clumps and bundles of fibers i...
I have been able to observe the consequences and problems having Alzheimer’s disease may cause for a family through my grandfather. My grandfather did not seem to be sick, but it was slowly evident that he was forgetting some aspects of his life. When my mother and I visited him, he would occasionally forget who we were. It was truly heart-breaking to watch someone you knew your entire life somehow become a new person. Unfortunately, he passed away from complications a few years after his diagnosis. The moral is Alzheimer’s changes how you think, feel, and act, but it is not a complete game changer. People should seek aid from professionals and create an adjusted environment for themselves. People should surround themselves with support and love. After all, Alzheimer’s affects the brain, not the heart.
... for home repairs or products they don’t need. 6.Problems with abstract thinking, balancing a checkbook may be hard when the task is more complicated than usual. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease could forget completely what the numbers are and what needs to be done with them. 7.Misplacing things, anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or key. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places: an iron in the freezer, a wristwatch in the sugar bowl, or a sandwich under the sofa. 8.Changes in mood or behavior, everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease can show rapid mood swings-from calm to tears to anger-for no apparent reason. 9.Changes in personality, people’s personalities ordinarily change somewhat with age. But a person with Alzheimer’s disease can change a lot, becoming extremely confused, suspicious, fearful, or dependent on a family member. 10.Loss of initiative, it’s normal to tire of housework, business activities, or social obligations at times. The person with Alzheimer’s disease may be very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or not wanting to do usual activities.
Alzheimer's disease is the source of the destruction or decline of brain cells or nerve cells. As a result of damaged nerve cells, the brain may have fewer bonds as compared to healthy brain cells. Amyloid plaques are outside the cell and are clusters of protein, Neurofibrillary tangles are proteins too, but they are inside the cell. It has not been confirmed on whether or not these protein clumps have any effect on Alzheimer’s or not, but they are ...
However, for over 5,000,000 million people, that was not the case (Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia | Alzheimer's Association.) Once diagnosed, people have several options and risk to consider concerning their own physical, mental, and emotional health. At the present time, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are various treatments and clinical trials in which people can become involved. In most cases, non-drug treatments are utilized following diagnoses. Non-drug treatments vary from environmental changes, to monitoring comfort levels, to ensuring a person has adequate rest on a regular basis. The purpose of non-drug treatments is to develop habits while dealing with the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease so one will be better prepared when symptoms intensify as the connections within the brain begin to deteriorate. The deterioration of connections in the brain often leave a person with behavioral problems as well. Behavioral problems range from sleep-disturbances, to aggression, and to emotional distress on a regular basis, and even hallucinations and delusions. In order to handle behavioral changes effectively, it is important for a person with Alzheimer's disease to have a support network, such as family, that can help with coping and adjustments as needed. The next step to consider after diagnoses and non-drug treatments
Alzheimer’s disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. It affects many people of different age groups, usually older people though. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time, and can lead to long-term care if symptoms are bad enough. People suffering from Alzheimer’s are directly affected in their memories and thought processes, due to the damage in their brain.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease which slowly destroys thinking and memory skills. These changes are severe enough to interfere with day to day life. This irreversible disease is the most common cause of dementia amongst the elderly, with an appearance of first symptoms after age 60.
Alzheimer’s is present in over 40 million individuals worldwide, with over 5 million being in the United States. Various organizations and institutions, such as the G8, have begun referring to Alzheimer’s as an epidemic, and one who experts fear could affect over 100 million people by the 2020’s. As of today, Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and will only continue killing as the lifespan of U.S. citizens continues to rise. While many hopeful researchers are aiming to have a sound cure and or treatment for Alzheimer’s soon, the grim truth of the matter is that as of today millions are being plagued by this disease with no true curative treatments available.
Alzheimer’s disease was first to discover in 1906. Throughout the years, advancements and technology have helped majorly, but there is still no
Alzheimer’s Disease is named after a German doctor, who specializes in the brain and nervous system, named Alois Alzheimer. This Disease forms in the brain. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of Dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to enter. The Tau protein ensures the tubes in your brain stay straight allowing molecules to pass through freely. In Alzheimer’s Disease the protein collapses into strands or tangles, making the tubes disintegrate. There is visible differences of brain tissue in the from misfolded proteins called plaques and tangles. Beta-Amyloid clumps block signals and communication between cells in the brain. Researchers agree that Alzheimer’s Disease is m...
The history behind Alzheimer’s was an example of never ending investigating. Alzheimer’s disease is named after German neurologist Alois Alzheimer, who was the first researcher to describe it. He studied a 51-year-old woman whose personality and mental abilities were deteriorating.The woman was forgetful, became paranoid, and acted strangely. After the woman’s death, Alzheimer examined her brain during an autopsy. He noticed an unusual thickening and tangling of the brain’s nerve fibers (Alzheimer’s Disease”-1). Specifically, he found development of clumps. The clumps are known as amyloid plaques, and the tangled regions are called neurofibrillary tangles. Both are huge parts of Alzheimer’s disease (“Alzheimer’s disease”-2). He also found that the cell bodies and nuclei of nerve cells had disappeared. Alzheimer also noted that these changes indicated some new, unidentified illness. More than seven decades would pass before