In a persons typical aging process, they will encounter many different changes in their lives. Some changes might result to be better than others, however not everyone will have the same effects. Authors of Gerontology: for the healthcare professional, Robnett and Chop state, “We need to consider whether the negative physical and cognitive changes that occur in older people result from the aging process or from the accumulation of poor lifestyle choices”. (Robnett & Chop, 104). For some, the aging process involves cognitive changes in which disorders such as Dementia and Alzheimer’s can present themselves early on. The proposal for this essay is to look at those two diseases, but to first understand what cognition is and what it means in reference
One example can be as a little as, “recalling a familiar person’s name or a particular word during conversation it commonly becomes harder for adults after age 70”. (Howieson, Ph.D., 2016). A popular misconception is that aging will decline the aging’s cognitive abilities in every aspect, from being able to memorize things and all the way down to one’s ability to reason and solve problems. However, that is not always the case as of now there is no clear evidence by researchers that aging causes someone’s cognitive skills to decline. Although, there are different disorders and or diseases that can develop, but to also keep in mind that not every single aging adult will encounter them. One disease that can appear might be Dementia.
Dementia
Dementia is categorized as being a disorder and or disease, that can turn into Alzheimer’s Disease. Although, according to the Alzheimer’s Association it is “a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life”. (Alzheimer's Association, 2016). They also mention that it is caused by damage to the brain cells, which then in turn essentially affects how these cells communicate with one another. More women than men are at risk of acquiring Dementia and or Alzheimer’s. Some symptoms may include: (Robnett & Chop, 119)
• Difficulties with understanding or communicating through
Emory’s University Research Center offers some tips for aging adults that may help, some of which include: Reducing Stress, Maintaining Good Health, Keeping Mentally Stimulated, and Using Active Strategies that can be helpful to facilitate memory like following a routine, using external techniques and taking more time to actively process new information. (Emory University, 2016). The goal is to advance in studies of these diseases or disorders so that everyone can lead out long and happy
Dementia is a disease which causes mental debility and affects one’s way of intelligent, attentiveness, recollection and problem-solving (NHS, 2013). As a result of dysfunction of brain cells in some parts of the brain it affects the thinking process then dementia occurs and it usually comes with age (Ibid). It is estimated that 560 000 people suffer from dementia in England and as a result the NHS and Social Care spend about 3.3billion (National Audit Offices)
The researchers of this paper will be researching the effects of Alzheimer’s on society as well as the individual. Alzheimer’s disease is a disease that causes mental deterioration. The researchers will discuss the effects of Alzheimer’s disease on the individual, the effects of Alzheimer’s on the caregivers, and the effects of Alzheimer’s on society. Alzheimer’s disease is like many other diseases; early detection is best because deterioration of the brain cells can be delayed. Greutzner, H. Alzheimer’s disease has a tremendous effect on the lives of those who live with the disease.
Memory plays a significant role in the everyday lives of people of all ages. It allows them to recall information and remember skills that were learned in the past. Memory also organizes past information to help people make current and future decisions. However, imagine forgetting the names of close family members or not having the ability to find your keys every time you want to leave the house. These are some of the struggles that people with Alzheimer’s disease face daily. Alzheimer’s disease was first identified by German neurologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, and was discovered to have an overpowering effect on explicit memory loss (Gruetzner, 1988). There are two types of Alzheimer’s disease – early onset and late onset. Early onset occurs in patients who are diagnosed before the age of 65 whereas late onset occurs in patients who are diagnosed after the age of 65. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, short-term memory is often lost. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, problems with long-term memory begin to develop, in addition to short-term memory impairments. Although a lot is known about the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, the cause has not been conclusively identified. However, as research continues, new theories about the cause of Alzheimer’s disease are being proposed. This has led to a controversy over whether Alzheimer’s disease is caused by genetics or environmental influences (Gruetzner, 1988).
Contrary to common belief, Dementia is not a disease, it is a term that encompasses a collection of symptoms. These symptoms are associated with numerous diseases that involve the impairment of cognitive functions (DoH, 2013).
With healthcare in the United States advancing so rapidly, there are new ways to treat just about any kind of illness every day. With being able to treat illnesses in new ways, and also the advancement of medical equipment, comes the possibility of a lot more people living up into their 90’s, and maybe even getting to reach 100. The aging population, which keeps growing every so rapidly, will be using up a lot more sources as the years go by. This means, that we need to educate more doctors and nurses, etc., and also make more living facilities for older adults. The question that comes up in my mind, is when is “old” actually”. Most people stereotypically consider ages 75 and older old, but that doesn’t mean they are actually “old”, does it?
Alzheimer’s is a result from a combination of factors that cause progressive brain deterioration that affects the memory and behavior of an individual. There are two known risk factors. The first risk factor is age. Alzheimer’s usually affects people older than 60, and rarely affects those younger than 40. The average age
Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time. It can become severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Allie Hamilton is suffering from dementia.
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.
Some of the many common mistaken views of aging would involve our society seeing aging as something that will be a big problem for us and bring about burden. Other issues to consider are that aging is for everyone, not just the elderly. In many people’s minds, you say “aging” and the first thing that comes to mind is an elderly lady or man, retired, grey hair, and no longer full of life. However, children, young adults, and older adults are aging every day. As mentioned in Aging Concepts and Controversies page 91, “…half a million people over age 60 are studying on college campuses.” It also mentions how military officials are retiring in between 40 and 50, and grandmothers are appearing as early as their 30’s. For myself, I noticed that this discrimination was
The elderly population is growing rapidly and now makes up greater than 13% of the United States population (U.S. census, 2010). With such a record growth, there are different aspects to aging that are still being analyzed. Many may think of reaching late life as a rite of passage, but many face this time with a different view. Through the movie "UP', we are granted an opportunity into view the struggles of an elderly widowed man by the name of Mr. Fredrickson and the challenges in which he faces in his later life. The movie, takes one on a journey through his sorrows and his triumphs until he realizes what the true meaning of happiness is.
Growing older is a natural process of life, yet many seniors experience burdensome health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a progressive condition degeneration of the brain tissues, eventually interfering with normal brain functions. Today, there is more awareness of the effects aging has on memory, and the challenge of living with cognitive disorders pertaining to thinking, remembering and reasoning functions as part of the aging process.
Aging brings on the experience of senescence a process of aging. This is a time where the body begins to become a bit weaker and less efficient. (Berger, 2014, p.576) Interestingly enough the physiological factors of aging actually protects adults. The heart and lung begin to lose the reserve capacity each part of the body begins to accommodate the changes that are happening in the other parts of the body. Whether or not a person is old or young the lungs still maintain the oxygen capacity. The brain does however slow down with age and even shrink a bit, but most of the time this goes unnoticed. If there are any severe losses before the age of 65 most often it is attributed to one of these four factors; drug abuse, poor circulation, viruses and genes. The outward appearance also changes skin becomes more wrinkled (unless of course you try Botox regularly) and hair gets grayer and thinner along with may other things. (p.579) The body senses begin to compensate for each other the sight with the hearing and the taste with the smelling. After age 50, it is almost impossible to be able to reproduce without extra hormones. Besides sexual arousal usually begins to slow down or even stop at or after age 60. (p.580-581)
After my phone conversation, I was able to meet with her in person. It was a really fruitful and a pleasant experience just as I expected. She was very friendly and open to discuss some more details I was looking for related to my project. For this interview, I decided to switch gears and ask her about her views on some big topics such as cultural diversity and how she was able to fit in as well as her adjustment towards aging. Since I already have most of the details about her first experiences moving to America and finding a profession of her choice, I decided to dive even further into that to keep the conversation going. Some of the questions that I asked her were about how much diversity she witnessed in her work environment as well as if diversity helped shape her social style in any way and what she would do to help create a more inclusive and diverse environment. She told me that it is very important to work with people who are different and that it is not just about culture and religion, but also about working with people who come from different education backgrounds and experiences.
Fluid intelligence declines with age (performance in timed task, reasoning) but crystallized intelligence (Knowledge and skills) is equally well or better in older counterparts. Although older adults perform well in complex tasks, there is a decline seen in information processing
By improving these habits and changing lifestyle we can slow the aging process upto some extent.