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. There are both genetic and environmental factors that play a part in dementia. One genetic factor …show more content…
Someone with dementia may experience deliriums which are “a temporary loss of memory, often accompanied by hallucinations, terror, grandiosity, and irrational behavior,” (Berger 2011, page 678. “While symptoms of dementia can vary greatly, at least two of the following core mental functions must be significantly impaired to be considered dementia: memory, communication and language, ability to focus and pay attention, reasoning and judgment, or visual perception,” (Alzheimer’s Association). Most people with dementia start off with few symptoms and then they get worse. It is important for a person to see a doctor if they are experiencing symptoms of dementia so they can receive the necessary help as soon as possible so they can slow down the symptoms. Just because a person has memory loss does not mean they have dementia or Alzheimer’s and therefore they should be evaluated by a professional before receiving any treatments. There are preventions for dementia, as well as treatments, but no cure. Two preventions for dementia are having a healthy diet and exercising regularly. “In the case of most progressive dementias, including Alzheimer's disease, there is no cure and no treatment that slows or stops its progression,” (Alzheimer’s Association). There are treatments to temporarily cure the symptoms, these include: medication or non-drug therapies. “But drug and non-drug treatments may help with both cognitive and behavioral
Berger, K. (2011). The developing person through the life span. (8th ed., pp. 39-42). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
performance that involves, but is not limited to, a loss in at least 2 of the
Harris, Sara, and Laura E. Berk. Instructor's Resource Manual for Berk Exploring Lifespan Development, Second Edition. 2nd ed. Illinois: Allyn & Bacon, 2011. Print.
Dementia is the progressive deterioration and impairment of memory, reasoning, and other cognitive functions occurring as the result of a disease or condition. Dementia can affect the person’s ability to carry out daily activities. For example, the person may forget where they live or they might think they have already done their activities but never did. Dementia can also cause the elderly to become incontinent and can’t control their urinary system. Many people get confused that dementia is a disease. Dementia is not a disease. However, it can lead to a disease or condition. Dementia is more common in the elderly population. It’s normal for people to forget things, but to a certain extent it becomes a critical issue. Depression also plays a role in the affects of dementia. Studies have been made to believe that the biological mechanisms for depression relating to dementia is, “interactions with vascular diseases, changes in glucocorticoid steroid levels that can result in hippocampal atrophy, accumulation of amyloid-[beta] plaques, inflammatory processes, and lack of nerve growth factors” (Heser et al., 2013). Dementia is caused because of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. This can also be known as Alzheimer’s Disease. Dementia is the leading cause for Alzheimer’s Disease in the elderly. For all dementia cases, 60 to 80 percent of people with dementia will have Alzheimer’s Disease. The disease has 3 different stages, the early stage, the middle stage, and the late stage. Each of those stages has a variety of symptoms that affects the memory impairment of the person (Wieregna, Bondi, 2011). Also relating to dementia is Parkinson’s Disease and Huntington Disease. These diseases can result in impairment, which can cause challeng...
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.
“Loss” is the main thing many people think about when they think of dementia. Dementia is a term used to describe a disease that infects the mind of elderly people making them forget their memories and everyday activities. There are varying levels and extremes of dementia, meaning the disease affects people differently depending on how severe their specific case of dementia is. Fortunately, the disease does not happen immediately, it is a gradual process. The more time that passes, the more matured the disease gets. Also, dementia contributes to the loss of cognitive, psychological, and health related functions.
Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed before age 65, although rare, and is caused by a mutation in 3 known genes. About 5 percent of those who are under 65 and possess the ailment have AD in their family history. Given that the symptoms of AD are caused by plaque in the brain, causing loss of nerve cells that help the body communicate with the brain, mutations to these genes; amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1, and presenilin 2 cause a excessive production of certain proteins (primarily a B-42 form of amyloid protein), and therefore spark an excessive growth of plaque cells which are toxic to the neurons of the brain. For those cases of Alzheimer’s that occur after age 65, a genetic mutation has yet to be proven, although some may be linked, to the fact that a difference may cause an increased chance of developing the ailment. Whatever the case may be for patients over 65 years old, the disease and its symptoms are caused by neurofibrillary tangles of almyloid plaques. It is impossible for someone to test positive for Alzheimer’s Disease, because the only way to determine an affirmative case i...
In Conclusion, Dementia is the progressive loss of cognitive function. People who suffer from this group of symptoms deal with memory loss, disorientation, and fluctuating feelings. The brain of a person who suffers from Dementia is different in many ways from a healthy brain. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease take a toll on the brain causing shrinkage and tissue loss that accounts for the loss of brain function in some parts. Dementia has been separated into 5 stages from No Impairment to Severe Impairment as Dementia progresses the affected person become very dependent on someone’s help. As of now there is no known treatment for Dementia but there are research studies being preformed to help find one. Dementia is not just forgetting something sometimes; it is a lot more serious and dangerous and should be taken seriously if ever around it.
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.
According to an article from a magazine, Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library it explains that between 2.4 million and 4.5 million people in the United States in 2009 have been diagnosed with a disease that destroys the memory of elders. This brain disease continues to worsen as it goes on. Alzheimer’s Disease is one of the many diseases that slowly deteriorates ones memory. It is a terrible progressive disease that affects elders everywhere. A solution would be to find a cure by research and testing. Alzheimer’s Disease does not only affect the elder, it also affects the people around him/her as well.
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Mar 25 2014, 11:03 http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/authoritative-parenting-9698.html/>. Berk, Laura E. Exploring Lifespan Development. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2010. Print. The.