Dementia: How to Help a Loved One

814 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Introduction on dementia

Dementia has caused challenges and heartache for many families I have met. A loved one who no longer recognizes you could be difficult to cope with. I have had clients who do not know their own children and are unaware of their surroundings. Even though they have lived in the same home for over 30 years; it is now a strange new place to explore. Closets, bedrooms, and garages that were once frequented are now entered with caution and wonder. Everyday items are puzzles just waiting to be solved. As the disease progresses the harder it is to grasp the present. The past, like an old friend, beckons and comes to life bringing former friends and relatives of long ago, to the surface. Stories of days gone by are repeated and relived over and over. Constantly searching while longing to understand what is happening. Not being able to piece together the answers is frustrating. With frustration comes irritability and sleeplessness turning days into nights and nights into days. Everyday tasks became impossible, confusing, and troublesome. Dementia sometimes goes for years undetected; it is one of the most difficult diseases to diagnose. Because Dementia is an incurable disease that progresses with time we need to be diligent in finding a cure to prevent more victims.
History
In the 17th and the 19th century dementia was synonymous with insanity. Still many knew that people with this disease suffered from permanent damage that was irreversible unlike mental disorders where the brain remains intact (2006). Dementia was often known as senile which is common with old age. Studies through the years have shown that it is much more serious and causes damage to areas of the brain. Alois Alzheimer in 1910 noticed tangles, plaques, and arterio...

... middle of paper ...

...ses with time we need to be diligent in finding a cure to prevent more victims. More Research is the key to find the answers to help our loved ones overcome this terrible mind altering disorder. Studies and trials are important to safeguard our future and future generations to come.

Works Cited

Alzheimer’s And Dementia. (2013). Signs and Symptoms Retrieved from https://alz.org
CHARACTERISTICS AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DEMENTIA. (2002). In Encyclopedia of the Human Brain. Retrieved from https://hodges.idm.oclc.org/login?
DEFINING AND DIAGNOSING DEMENTIA. (2005). In The Cambridge Handbook of Age and Ageing. Retrieved from https://hodges.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://www.credoreference.com.hodges.
Dementia. (2006). In The Encyclopedia of Aging. Retrieved from https://hodges.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://www.credoreference.com.hodges.idm.oclc.org/entry/spencage/dementia

Show More
Related

  • Caring for a Person with Alzheimer's Disease

    2109 Words  | 5 Pages

    The sixth leading cause of death in the United States, Alzheimer’s disease afflicts approximately 5.2 million persons age 65 and over (Alzheimer's Association, 2012). Rapid growth of the older population as the Baby Boomer generation ages will cause unprecedented increases in the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that by 2025 the number of Wisconsin residents with Alzheimer’s age 65 and older will increase by 30% to a projected total of 127,000 (Alzheimer's Association, 2012).

    Read More

  • Dementia Effects the Elderly and Their Caregivers

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dementia is common among a large population of elderly people. The disease affects not only the individual diagnosed, but also the caregivers that work towards making their life comfortable in the end. Understanding and learning about the disease is crucial in helping those that experience or live with someone who has dementia. The services and support that are currently in affect for elderly people with dementia and the caregivers is poor, and ineffective because of the lack of research and information on the topic.

    Read More

  • Social Work with Dementia Patients

    1782 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nerney, C. (2014, April). Dementia. Lecture conducted from Massachusetts’s College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA.

    Read More

  • Dementia Case Study

    1245 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dementia is a term that covers more than 100 diseases that have similar effects on the person (The Department of Health 2014). The symptoms shown are known to affect the proper functioning of the brain, thought, behaviour, bodily actions that are required for daily tasks and one’s normal social and working life (Fight Dementia 2012). Dementia is becoming more prevalent in Australia and globally. With factors such as increased life expectancy having an effect on the brain and nervous system that is still not something that modern medicine can control the degradation of. “While not a consequence of ageing, the prevalence of dementia is increasing as people live longer and the proportion of older people in the population rises” (Hartwell 2014, p. 134). There have been many people researching different factors in one’s lifestyle that can help decrease the chance of developing a form of dementia at or even postpone it until a later age. Even if someone is genetically prone to getting dementia, or is a part of an ethnic group with a high prevalence with dementia, for example Australian Aboriginals, factors such as nutrition, diet, exercise and new medical treatments may help them.

    Read More

  • Essay On Dementia

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Alzheimer's Disease Essay

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Dementia In Everyday Life

    1614 Words  | 4 Pages

    One of the most common problems in elders is dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association describes dementia as a range of symptoms rather than just one single specific disease. The symptoms of dementia range from memory loss as well as a decline in thinking skills to severe symptoms that lead to the decline of that person’s ability to perform activities of daily living (What

    Read More

  • Alzheimers Disease

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is inevitable that eventually each of us will grow old and begin to face more and more health problems as our age rises. Elderly people are challenged by many illnesses and diseases that unfortunately, are incurable. One disease that becomes more common as people age is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s a common cause and a form of dementia and can severely damage a patient’s cognitive functions and can ultimately cause death. Living with Alzheimer’s disease can be saddening for both the sufferer and the family. Family and friends will find it very hard to cope when a loved one begins slipping away and losing memory of who they are.

    Read More

  • Analysis and Description of Dementia

    1744 Words  | 4 Pages

    Dementia involves a gradual deterioration of most cognitive functions such as memory. As the syndrome and thus the side effects progress dementia patients are plagued by poor judgment, trouble speaking, delusions, inability to recognize their loved ones, and the loss of being able to function in society. The combination of these symptoms eventually leads to a need for help with their daily lives. As the syndrome worsens the person can end up in a coma or vegetative state. This causes other problems such as cardiac breathing problems and often results with death (“What is Dementia?”, 2012).

    Read More

  • Dementia Case Study

    1352 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dementia is a term that defines a wide range of symptoms correlated with the decline of intellectual abilities, it is a very serious condition to the extent that it can interfere and reduce a person’s ability to perform daily, social and occupational activities. Another conditions that are associated with dementia are changes in the patient’s behaviour and personality. It is known that currently there is no effective treatment and cure available to prevent and delay the growth of dementia. According to Julie G.’s (2016) research, she found out that “globally, the incidence of dementia among adults aged 60-64 was an estimated 3.9 per 1000 person years, doubling with every 6.3 years of age”. Notably in the United States, Hebert (2013) with his

    Read More

  • Alzheimer's Caregiving Essay

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    Caring for someone with Alzheimer can be an arduous task. It can be overwhelming especially if you have minimal knowledge about the disease. Alzheimer is the most common form of dementia and it has been accounted for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Although this is not a normal part of aging, it commonly affects those who are 65 years of age and older. In some cases, it can have an early onset for as early as 40 to 50 years old. Alzheimer symptoms differ depending on its stages, which can worsen over time. This includes, absent-mindedness, confusion in situations outside the norm, speech impairment, difficulty in retaining information, loss of self-awareness, and debilitating cognitive deficit. Alzheimer has no known cure and treatments are primarily focused on slowing its progression. Providing care for a person with Alzheimer’s requires patience, understanding, and continuous effort. Consider these practical tips that can help in providing the utmost care for people suffering with Alzheimer.

    Read More

  • Caring for a Patient with Alzheimer's Disease

    3140 Words  | 7 Pages

    The word Dementia is adapted from combination of two Latin terms: “mens”-translating as mind, and “de”-translating as away from. According to R. Halgin and S. K. Whitebourne (2009), dementia is a form of cognitive deficiency, which involves progressive, generalized memory and learning deficits, which affects ability to communicate, to judge, and motor coordination. Dementia affects following brain functio...

    Read More

  • Alzheimer's Disease in the Elderly

    1602 Words  | 4 Pages

    International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. London: SAGE-Hindawi Access to Research, 2009. Web. 30 Mar. 2015

    Read More

  • Alzheimer's Disease

    2100 Words  | 5 Pages

    Medina, John, Ph. D. What You Need To Know About Alzheimer’s. USA: Publisher’s Group West. 1999.

    Read More

  • Brain Disease

    2269 Words  | 5 Pages

    “About Alzheimer’s Disease.” National Institutes of Health. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2012.

    Read More

More about Dementia: How to Help a Loved One

Open Document