Dementia is a disease effecting nearly thirty-six million people worldwide (Whiteman, 2014). Even with so many elderly suffering from the disease, there are many people who don’t know what dementia truly is. People often jump too quickly to the conclusion that dementia is a disease that only effects the memory. They may believe that dementia is inevitable and cannot be cured in any case. They may also believe that dementia is something the majority of elderly will experience when they get older. People who have acquired misconceptions about dementia would be surprised to learn that it is not a specific disease. Rather, dementia describes a group of diseases that effect the brain, usually in later life. The word dementia comes from two …show more content…
Individuals who suffer from dementia become more dependent on other people. Eventually, they will be unable to carry out simple activities, otherwise known as activities of daily living or ADLs. Activities of daily living include things such as proper hygiene, paying bills, or preparing food. The patient will often experience personality changes. Someone who was once kind may become defensive and angry. Patients may display inappropriate behavior and experience paranoia and hallucinations. The affected individual may have to adjust to many different things throughout the course of the disease such as losing the ability to drive, carry out everyday tasks, and in some cases, move to a care facility. Dementia brings an increased risk of neglect and abuse, especially to the patients who are being cared for by a family member at home. Neglect is known as the failure to provide proper attention or care such as food, medication, and clothing. Causing physical, financial, or emotional harm to a person with dementia is also considered …show more content…
The trio may come in the form of physical or verbal actions and may be triggered by pain, hunger, fatigue, or confusion. In order to reduce anxiety, agitation, and aggression a caregiver should check for pain, limit distractions, and find a relaxing activity. When dealing with a agitated or aggressive patient, it is important for the caregiver to keep himself or herself safe from potential harm. Hallucinations and paranoia are often caused by impairments of hearing or vision, malnutrition, memory loss, physical illness, or unfamiliar environments. In most dementia cases, hallucinations and paranoia are harmless, but cases that are dangerous do occur. Caregivers can help prevent hallucinations and paranoia by increasing lighting, distracting the patient with music, games, or pictures, and following a daily routine. Dementia is classified in three stages. In each stage there are various things caregivers and family members can do to improve the life of their demented loved one. Throughout all three stages of dementia it is important for family members to keep in touch with their loved one. This will make the demented patient feel a sense of belonging and importance. Patients may also benefit from stories, pictures, trinkets, and documents that remind them of the
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.
Nerney, C. (2014, April). Dementia. Lecture conducted from Massachusetts’s College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA.
... and duration varies from person to person. It depends on multiple factors, including the age of diagnosis and other medical conditions. The signs and symptoms start with cognitive disturbance as all other forms of dementia begin. We should refrain from being prejudiced and judgmental because of not taking the time to truly understand this disorder and how it may affect one’s life. Education and patience are the best ways to tackle this issue. In this paper, relevant topics involving dementia were discussed. Part one covered the pathology and staging of dementia. Part two explained the most common types of dementia that many people are diagnosed with. Part three summarized the treatment methods used to manage the disorder. We should apply a professional, respectful, and empathic approach while maintaining specific culture traditions to achieve a successful outcome.
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
Everyday a new disease or treatment is being discovered. There are always many questions left unanswered and many answers that are still trying to be figured out. Doctors, along with medical treatment centers and every day people are trying to figure out what Alzheimer’s disease really is or what it is about. Alzheimer’s disease has many common symptoms and effects in both men and women. The common, but confused name for Alzheimer’s disease is Dementia. People commonly confuse these two names because of the effects or symptoms that relate back to the name. Not many people know exactly what Alzheimer’s disease is or what causes it. But there are significant warning signs that lead people to conclude that is it a sad uncontrollable disease.
Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, is a disease that afflicts more than 4 million older citizens in the US. Alzheimer's is a degenerative neurological disorder that leads to impairments in memory, thinking and reasoning. AD is the most common cause of dementia in older people, and mainly affects people 65 and over. Within the last few years, there have been drugs that can temporarily treat the patients, but it remains a form of dementia that is irreversible. The disease is very hard on both the person who receives the diagnosis and on his or her family and friends. Aside from medical help, those affected by the diagnosis may want to consider counseling and support groups to help them cope.
Dementia is a long-term condition that normally affects people aged 65 and over, younger people can be affected. Having dementia can cause loss of key functions to the brain, such as; loss of memory; confusion; speech and language problems; loss of ability to make judgements; loss of concentration; difficulty in processing information; changes in behaviour and personality. These all lead to a person not been able to function properly. The person’s ability to function deteriorates over a period of time and is usually at least 6 months before positive diagnosis of dementia can be made. Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases such as Alzheimer’s which is the most common of dementia, vascular which is a series of mini strokes,
Dementia is a term to describe a variety of symptoms of a large group of illnesses or neurodegenerative diseases that cause a progressive decline in a person’s mental functioning. Dementia can cause a serious loss of mental capacity, including memory loss, a decline in intellectual ability, poor judgement, poor social skills and abnormal emotional reactions. Although it may be more common with older people this is not a normal part of the ageing process and many people do not develop this disease (Australian institute of health and well-being, 2013).
After reading these articles, I feel a lot more confident with my understanding of Dementia and how it can affect a person’s life physically, mentally, and emotionally. I know more about normal aging memory loss versus symptoms of Dementia, how families cope with a loved one suffering from Dementia, and the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is a very serious brain disorder that drastically changes the life of the person diagnosed along with their family. I hope that in the near future there will be a cure for not only Dementia, but for Alzheimer’s disease too so that someday no one will have to suffer from these debilitating diseases.
Caring for a person suffering dementia often comes with a myriad of deleterious effects on mental health including, but not limited to stress and depression at higher levels than non-carers, decreased social activity, disruption of sleep, poor physical health, decreased social activities and feelings of guilt, sadness, stigma, frustration, anger, anxiety, helplessness and isolation (------). Furthermore, these challenges are compounded with with the grief that accompanies watching a loved one progress into cognitive decline leaving them distant and estranged, and eventually dying
Caring for an individual with Alzheimer’s is a hard task which brings stress to people who are providing care out of their own generosity. This aid is beneficial to the patient, but can wear out the providers mentally and physically. As caregivers, they may spend more time caring for loved ones then themselves which could lead to a variety of health problems including: vulnerability to illnesses, loss or gain of weight, or chronic pain (“Medletter” 55). This ailment can take away the precious time of caregivers leaving them stressed from the constant care they provide. Although stress is an affliction to caregivers, frustration can also impact them.
In the United States approximately 5.1 million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a condition where the person who is affected suffers from deterioration of the brain, which causes memory loss. People living with Alzheimer’s do not remember or recall any memories from their past, and as the disease progresses they will not know how to walk, talk, or eat. By knowing what Alzheimer is, one can understand how to stall further development of the disease.
As our aging population increases, so will the number of people who develop dementia. This condition is distressing for everyone involved, including the patient, family, and caregiver. As research continues, there is hope for a better quality of life for those affected. It is important to increase awareness, encourage prevention, and to be aware of the early signs and symptoms. Each case of dementia presents itself differently, so it is important to know there are different types of dementia along with slightly different signs and symptoms. The sooner dementia can be recognized and intervened, the greater the outcome for the patient.
Dementia seems to strike almost every elderly person, it could range from a mild to severe form. Dementia is the “irreversible loss of intellectual functioning caused by organic brain damage or disease. Dementia becomes more common with age, but it is abnormal and even pathological even in the very old,” (Berger 2011, page 678). There are many factors that can cause for a person to have dementia. Although dementia occurs in many people, there are steps people can take to help treat their dementia symptoms. Dementia is not 100 percent preventable, but if a person takes care of their body they may be able to reduce their possibilities of getting it.
What if one day you were unable to recall what you had previously experienced? Surrounded by people who refer to you by a name that has no meaning to you, confused by the gibberish spoken by others. How would you cope with not knowing what this so called “family” of yours is? [1] According to the World Health Organization this is a reality to roughly 47 million people. [1] Dementia is a grouping of disease in which there is a deterioration in memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities. Symptoms range from memory loss, word finding difficulties and impaired judgement. Dementia doesn’t only affect the person diagnosed with it negatively, but caregivers as well. It is a disease which needs proper funds and research to help improve the life of those diagnosed with it.