Dementia: Genuine and Nominal
As of 2012, 35.6 million people have been diagnosed with dementia, a large portion being the elderly (“Dementia”, n.d.). This population has subsequently been scapegoated, and labeled by society as “crazy”. However, the terms “dementia” and “madness” are typically misused by the human population’s majority. Few have a thorough understanding of their clinical definitions and the symptoms they present. Dementia victims are afflicted with ailments that prevent their brains from functioning properly, a condition which most persons have a shallow understanding of.
As previously stated, not many people truly understand dementia’s nature. People typically apply the term to describe those who come up with ideas that are not within the societal norm. But, on the contrary, it is officially used to describe a number of ailments which are associated with a decline in memory or prevent a person from completing everyday tasks, such as communicating, thinking rationally, focusing, and seeing. At least two of the aforementioned abilities must be heavily impaired before a person can be diagnosed with dementia (“What Is Dementia?”, n.d.).
Dementia is caused when a person’s brain cells are damaged. Several regions exist within the brain, each controlling different functions including those previously mentioned. When cells in a region are damaged, that part of the brain is unable to function properly. For example, when cells in the region tasked with movement are damaged, paralysis may occur. Most changes in the brain that result in dementia are permanent; however some symptoms like irrational thinking and memory loss may be improved once issues such as depression and excessive use of alcohol are addressed ...
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Works Cited
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What Is Dementia?. (n.d.). Dementia – Signs, Symptoms, Causes, Tests, Treatment, Care. Retrieved November 12, 2013, from http://www.alz.org/what-is-dementia.asp
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 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)
Nordqvist, C. (2009, March 19). What is Dementia? What Causes Dementia? Symptoms of Dementia. Medical News Today. Retrieved June 16, 2010, from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142214.php
The human brain is extraordinary organ. It stores our memories, vision, hearing, speech, and capable of executing executive higher reasoning and functions setting us apart from animals. Today we know more about the human brain because of medical advances and the development of technology. These brain disorders have been studied for years and many others would classify dementia as a mental illness because it causes cognitive impairments. The following paragraphs will discuss what dementia is, what the types of dementia are, perspectives of patients with dementia as well as the perspective of a caregiver to a dementia patient.
Dementia is a collection of symptoms caused by disorders affecting the brain which impact on a person’s functioning, ranging from thinking to behaviour and the ability to perform ordinary task and there are different type of dementia with the most common types being Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and Parkinson’s disease (Keast, 2015). In 2009, nearly two-thirds (62%) of people identified as having dementia or Alzheimer 's disease were living in a health establishment such as a nursing home, an aged care hostel, or the cared component of a retirement village (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012). People with dementia experience problems with communicative, cognitive and emotive tasks.
... 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.
“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.
“…a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function. Dementia symptoms may include asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; getting disoriented about time, people, and places; and neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition. People with dementia lose their abilities at different rates.”
Dementia worldwide is a common cause of death for the elderly. Dementia is a syndrome – usually of a chronic or progressive nature – in which there is deterioration in cognitive function beyond what might be expected from normal ageing. (WHO). Dementia can affect many things from memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, and calculation, learning capacity, language and even judgment. ““Dementia” is an umbrella term describing a variety of diseases and conditions that develop when nerve cells in the brain die or no longer function normally. The death or malfunction of these nerve cells, called neurons, causes changes in one’s memory, behavior and ability to think clearly” (Alz.org). To me, nothing seems worse than losing your mind at
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, terminal, degenerative brain disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death in adults and currently affects over four million people in the United States. This number is expected to increase over the next several years as the baby boomers age, until it reaches fourteen million by the year 2025.
Many ordinary people have the wrong idea about a condition seen in elderly individuals. To many people, dementia is thought to be a disease that affects the memory of elderly people. They think it is irreversible and inevitable, that it is something the majority of people will face as they get older. Many people also confuse delirium with dementia. Delirium can be caused by illness, malnutrition, or medication, as can dementia, however, delirium describes a person who is less alert, drowsy, and restless, while dementia talks about someone who is fully awake, but still having problems with cognitive functioning.
“Difficult, depressing, and tragic” are a few of the descriptions generally associated with illness. Those who suffer from dementia, especially, undergo a realm of these characterizations. With this adversity in mind, most people generate a basic understanding based on education rather than personal experience. It is this preconception that can prevent us from gaining a true insight of one’s reality.
The functions of the human brain are extremely fascinating. Each brain structure is responsible for different functions. When these structures are damaged or tampered with, the ability of those functions decline. For example, the cerebellum is responsible for a person’s balance. This is how people are able to walk correctly and maintain proper balance. When a person drinks alcohol, the cerebellum is affected and is not able to function properly. This why people have horrible balance when they are intoxicated. As a person ages, different brain functions can decline. When an elderly person experiences a progressive decline in cognition from a brain disease, they are suffering from dementia. Dementia is commonly referred to incorrectly as a disease. Dementia is a syndrome because it is intertwined with other diseases that cause the decline in cognition. For example, the main cause for dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. This progressive and irreversible syndrome will cause impairments to a person’s personal and social life by impairing orientation, comprehension, calculating ability, and learning capacity. It will also impair language, judgment, reasoning, and information processing. (Ferrara 494) Dementia is a syndrome and not a disease because of the three main causes, the progressive stages, and the acceptable treatments available.
The clinical picture in dementia is very similar to delirium, except for the course. Delirium is an acute transitory disorder. By contrast Dementia is a long term progressive disorder (with the exception of the reversible dementias). The course of AD can range anywhere from 1.5 to 15 years with an average of about 8.1 years (Terry , 1988). AD is usually divided into three stages mild, moderate, and severe. Throughout these stages a specific sequence of cognitive deterioration is observed (Lezak, 1993). The mild stage begins with memory, attention, speed dependent activities, and abstract reasoning dysfunction. Also mild language impairments begin to surface. In the moderate stage, language deficits such as aphasia and apraxia become prominent. Dysfluency, paraphasias, and bizzare word combinations are common midstage speech defects. In the severe stage the patient is gradually reduced to a vegetative state. Speech becomes nonfluent, repetitive, and largely non-communicative. Auditory comprehension is exceedingly limited, with many patients displaying partial or complete mutism. Late in the course of the disease many neuropsychological functions can no longer be measured. Also primitive reflexes such as grasp and suck emerge. Death usually results from a disease such as pneumonia which overwhelms the limited vegetative functions of the patient.
Introduction This assignment critically discusses dementia, a widespread disability among older adults today. It provides an introduction to dementia and analyses its prevalence in society. The various forms of dementia are elaborated with descriptions of dysfunctions and symptoms. Nursing Assessment and Interventions are provided in the further sections which discuss actions nurses should take while evaluating patients and treating them.