Deciding to place a family member with Alzheimer's disease or Dementia in a medical facility is a very difficult decision to face. Alzheimer’s disease is a cognitive disease. As the disease progresses, it affects physical capabilities, as well. When a family member has been the sole caregiver of the patient, feelings of guilt, despair, and failure can surround the decision. Nonetheless, there are numerous reasons to move a family member into a nursing home. The Alzheimer patient would benefit from being moved to a medical facility because they will have trained medical staff, twenty-four hour care, and a safe, structured environment.
An Alzheimer Patient needs proper medical care. A common concern of the family caregiver is about the longevity of the patient dwindling. Peterson, Fillenbaum, Pieper, and Heyman, in their study, concluded there are many factors as to why an Alzheimer’s patient should be placed in a nursing home; however, longevity should not be a factor since there is no change in the patient’s life span (2008). In the facility, the patient would have trained medical s...
Informal supports, such as aid for housekeeping and running errands, are crucial to maintaining the lifestyle of individuals with Alzheimer’s in the community; however, the disease’s erosion of physical, cognitive, and communicative abilities often creates tremendous strain for family caregivers. Individuals and family caregivers dealing with Alzheimer’s often experience increasing social isolation as the disease’s progression undermines both mobility and the capacity for meaningful and appropriate engagement with the community (Banerjee et al., 2003). A number of studies have documented the physical and mental health costs borne by unsupported caregivers, and the link between caregiver stress and the institutionalization of their ill family members (Andren & Elmstahl, 2005; Banerjee et al., 2003). Taken together, the stress and isolation of dealing with Alzheimer’s disease undermine the health and quality of life of everyone involved, eventually precipitating institutionalization.
Pah-Lavan, Z. (2006). Alzheimer's disease: the road to oblivion. Journal of Community Nursing, 20(5), 4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Sometimes, the caregiver won’t allow quality sleep. Over 66 percent of home caregivers suffer from some form of psychological or physical illness. The most common illness that results from giving care to Alzheimer’s disease is depression. The caregiver needs to monitor their emotional well-being as well as the well-being of the person that they are giving care to. Usually, giving care to those with dementia is actually more stressful than giving care to those with cancer.
A care relationship is special and requires skill, trust and understanding. This essay will elaborate how the quality of that relationship affects the quality of the care given and the experiences felt in receiving care. These different relationships will depend on the type of care given, who the care is given by and what sort of previous existing relationship there was to begin with. For a good care relationship to work it needs to follow the 5 K101 principles of care practice which are 'support people in maximising their potential','support people in having a voice and being heard','respect people's beliefs and preferences','support people's rights to appropriate services' and 'respect people's privacy and right to confidentiality'.(K101,Unit 4,p.183). If all of these needs are met a far exceptional quality of relationship between the carer and care receiver will be achieved.
Healthcare providers must make their treatment decisions based on many determining factors, one of which is insurance reimbursement. Providers always consider whether or not the organization will be paid by the patients and/or insurance companies when providing care. Another important factor which affects the healthcare provider’s ability to provide the appropriate care is whether or not the patient has been truthful, if they have had access to health, and are willing to take the necessary steps to maintain their health.
A person with dementia or any type of mental illness is required to have some type of care around the clock for their safety, without this care they could put their life in danger or the people around them (Baillie, Lesley,2015). In the essay Wolff gives us how he cares for his mother, “She is attended 24/7 by two daily shifts of devoted caregivers. It is peaceful and serene” (Wolff, M pg. 210). Caring for a person with dementia is a process, especially when you still have other responsibilities to take care of. In the essay Wolff also expresses the amount of thought and love he put into getting the right place for his mother so she gets the best care possible for this weak and vulnerable time in her life “A national chain of residency for the elderly, the Arteria is more a real-estate business than a health-care enterprise, proving, at the hefty cost—the apartments are in the $8,000 -a-month range—quite a pleasant one-bedroom apartment in a prewar building, full of amenities (terraces and hairdressers) and graduations of assistance. But it is important to understand—” (Wolff, M pg.212). The cost of a nursing home is very expensive if you want the right one that applies the right care, love and patience that you would give your loved one if they were in your care. Web MD an
Alzheimer’s disease is a serious disease which causes people to behave in a challenging way for their family and caregivers to manage. These behaviours are caused by damage to the brain that leads to psychological and functional impairment. Due to this impairment the people with AD are often neglected and labelled by the society. Family caregivers play a massive role in the care of their loved ones with AD. Patients and family caregivers often experience stress in dealing with all the obstacles that Alzheimer’s disease put them through.
This paper is on dementia, a late-life disorder, as it pertains to the geriatric population. “It is estimated that 24.3 million people around the world have dementia and that, with an estimated 4.6 million new cases every year, we can expect about 43 million people and their families to have to handle the challenge of dementia by 2020.” (McNamera, 2011) I will cover three relevant points concerning this disorder that cause changes in the brain.
Alzheimer’s Disease is a major problem in the United States at this time. One problem is the stress that gets put on family members of the patient. According to the “Alzheimer’s Disease” article, back in 2006 the average cost of care for a patient who just recently got diagnosed is $18,500 per year. Care for elders who are in the later stages of the disease average at about $36,000 per year. This puts a big burden on the families who have to come up with the money to support their loved one(s). Another problem associated with Alzheimer’s Disease is the emotional distress it puts on families. All the emotional and physical stress comes from many different reasons. According to the National Institution of Health “The demands of day-to-day care, changing family roles, and difficult decisions about placement in a care facility can be hard to handle.” Having to take care of someone who can not even recognize you, let alone themselves, is a very stressful situation. Although this disease is an extremely big problem in the US today it is still preventable.
Twenty-eight individuals agreed to participate in this longitudinal clinical pathological study of gaining in Alzheimer’s disease. They agreed to annual clinical evaluations as well as to donate their brain to the research once they had died. The average age of the participants was 85 and the range was from 66 to 103. The annual clinical evaluation was to assess what group the participant belonged to. Obviously there was a specific criterion to check for if a person fell under the early Alzheimer’s category. There was no official criterion for those with mild cognitive impairment so those who fell under that category w...
...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.
Maurer, K., and Maurer, U. “Alzheimer: The Life of a Physician and the Career of a Disease.” Journal of the American Medical Association. February 2005: 293-6. Health Source. EBSCOhost. Utica College Lib. 15 Apr 2005. .
Alzheimer’s is a disease that many people have heard of, but few really know much about. Imagine not being able to remember your loved ones and friends or even how to do simple tasks like dressing yourself and brushing your hair. Now imagine having to dress your mother, who rarely remembers you anymore. This is the reality of life for millions of older people afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and the families that care for them. Alzheimer’s causes cognitive function to decrease gradually overtime. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia - affecting around 5 million Americans (alz.org). It is the most fatal disease affecting older people and needs to be taken seriously.
Decision-making is the process requiring critical thinking and forecasting ability to assist a person in selecting a logical choice from the available number of options. (Tiffen, Corbridge & Slimmer, 2014). Studies show that nurses make a health care decision every 30 seconds so it becomes an involuntary process for nurses to make clinical decisions. From admission itself, the plan regarding the patient’s bed occupancy, care and treatment will be decided. In geriatric nursing along with many other clinical care decisions nurse need to make decisions on long term care plan like selection of end of life care (EOL) and discharge planning.
Why some people send their aging parents to a nursing home? The answer is that some people do not want to take care of their elderly parents and some people think nursing home care gives the elderly a better care. Most people believe that taking care of aging parents is their children’s responsibility. In different countries of the world, people live according to their own cultural values. They have the right to express their own opinion .Some people believe that children should take care of their aging parents; others think children should not take care of their aging parents. I strongly agree that children should take care of their aging parents for some reasons.