Introduction
Dementia illness is the most feared and distressing disorder of later life. This essay will address the overview of dementia followed by the most common types of dementia. The essay will cover the nursing assessment and the interventions. One issue relating to activity of living will be indentified and it will also explore the care required in relation to this activity for an older patient / client suffering from dementia, as well as patient, carer advice.
Analysis of Dementia
Overview
The term dementia refers to a serious loss in memory and other intellectual abilities in a formerly unimpaired person, further than what might be expected from normal aging (Dhanani & Wilkins, 2008). The origin of the word dementia is from a latin word “demens” meaning insane or being out of one’s mind (Banerjee, 2011, p.2). According to Miller (2009, p. 263), dementia is a syndrome not a disease, that means it is a pattern of symptoms that can be caused by many different illnesses. There are approximately twenty four million people with dementia in the world, with an additional four and a half million newly identified every year (Ferri, Prince, Brayne, Brodaty, Fratiglioni, 2005, p. 2113).
Types of Dementia
The most common types of dementia are the primary dementias; which occur as a result of pathological conditions of the brain. Primary dementias include Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementias, vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies (Saxon, Etten & Perkins, 2010, p. 92).
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the diseases with the longest history of recognition. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are often used interchangeably (Miller, 2009, p. 263). Saxon, Etten & Perkins (2010, p. 93), claim that, “Alzheimer’s dis...
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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 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)
WIMO, A., WINBLAD, B., AGUERO-TORRES, H. & VON STRAUSS, E. 2003. The magnitude of dementia occurrence in the world. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord, 17, 63-7.
“Dementia is the progressive deterioration in cognitive function - the ability to process thought” (Nordqvist, 2009, para. 1) and can be separated into two main categories: cortical and subcortical, physically speaking; for example, Alzheimer’s disease is a type of cordical dimentia, while Parkinson’s disease is classified as subcortical in nature. Many of the people suffering from these afflictions, which are usually middle-aged and older, appear to lose the ability to recall particular events, time of day, or in more advanced stages, the identity of their friends and family. Other symptoms of this condition have been reported as difficulty with speech, depression, balance issues and general disorientation.
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.
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.
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...
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 disease is rising at a very high rate. “The number of new cases per year is estimated at 360,000 equating to 980 new cases per day or 40 new cases every hour” (Cummings and Cole 1) This evidence shows that an increasing number of people will discover the effects of a cognitive impairment that will most likely be due to Alzheimer’s disease. As people age, their risk of being diagnosed with this disease increases ...
While there is little difference between dementia and Alzheimer it is important to distinguish the two. Dementia is, “ a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life” (Alzheimer Association, 2014). While Alzheimer is, “is a ...
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).
There are four main types of dementia with AD being the most widespread form. It ac...
The study of mental illness had been a popular subject in the past century and this was considered and used as an example in mainstream sociological theorizing on deviance and social control. During this period, the reputation of sociological work was to analyse those countercultural. This was driven by radical critiques from some mental health professionals. In recent centuries, Sociologists were interested in health and illness which turned out to become more exciting about mainstream topics of physical and chronic illness. In this case, there were numerous contradictions that existed between mental health and service practices. This was due to the fact that society was interested in mental health and in the analysis of Sociologists which was to understand theories in social relationships. These issues that surround mental illness rematerialized for Sociologists and this led consumerism with the National Health Service (NHS) and wider society to find a particularly strong voice within mental health campaigns (Pilgrim. D & Rogers. A 1999 p. xiv).
Dementia is an acquired clinical disorder that affects loss of brain cells, causing a gradual onset and the continued decline of higher cognitive functioning. This damage interferes with how parts of the brain cells communicate with one another. It affects memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior. Dementia is classified in two categories: reversible and irreversible. Reversible dementia can be the result of a medication reaction, metabolic disturbances, emotional distress, infections, and nutritional deficiencies. These, however, are treatable and should be identified early if suspected to avoid lasting side effects. Unlike degenerative (irreversible) dementia, it is common to any age group. Irreversible dementia is the broadened classification for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. These tend to only affect the older population, people over sixty-five. As the disease worsens, people have problems with short-term memory loss, like forgetting things they have said or done, even though they can often recall events that happen...
Dementia is an organic brain syndrome which results in global cognitive impairments. Dementia can occur as a result of a variety of neurological diseases. Some of the more well known dementing diseases include Alzheimer's disease (AD), multi-infarct dementia (MID), and Huntington's disease (HD). Throughout this essay the emphasis will be placed on AD (also known as dementia of the Alzheimer's type, and primary degenerative dementia), because statistically it is the most significant dementing disease occurring in over 50% of demented patients (see epidemiology).