When a loved one receives a dementia diagnoses, it devastates not only the person affected, but the whole family. And while there is no known cure yet (or even a proven way to reverse the effects of) dementia, there are many ways you can make your loved one's life more comfortable as they receive the required senior care treatment. First Things First Right off, when you get the diagnosis of dementia, you should sit down and have a serious heart-to-heart with the victim. It absolutely will be painful, but reaching those painful understandings and conclusions early will make things much less painful down the road. Ask these questions (and any more that you think of!): Who will make healthcare decisions for the victim once they've become incapable of doing so themselves?Who will have power of attorney over their finances? Will health care be given at home unless absolutely necessary, or will outside long-term care …show more content…
They give you a chance to get to work and take care of other weekday-daylight activities, while leaving you to care for your loved one during nights and weekends. Respite care is akin to a long-term care facility, but only houses victims for a short time -- no more than a couple of weeks. This gives a family caregiver a chance to take a much-needed break and attend to other important activities for a short time without having to incur the cost of moving their loved one into long-term care full-time. Long-term care facilities essentially take over care of the victim full-time, until such time as they pass away. Most people don't want to believe that they would ever put their loved ones in long-term care, but gradually, the physical and mental taxation of being caregiver to a dementia victim become overwhelming. There will come a point at which you literally cannot leave your loved one alone for fear of them hurting
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.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-paper" is an excellent story on several levels. It works as a suspenseful thriller about the effects of mental illness. It also serves to make several points about feminism and the pervailing attitudes of her time.
Long-term care (LTC) covers a wide range of clinical and social services for those who need assistance due to functional limitations. These limitations usually result from complications associated with age related chronic conditions, from disabilities related to birth defects, brain damage, or mental retardation in children; or from major illnesses or injuries suffered by adults (Shi L. & Singh D.A., 2011). LTC encompasses a variety of services including traditional clinical services, social services and housing. Unlike acute care, long-term care is much more complicated and has objectives that are much harder to measure. Acute care mainly focuses on returning patients to their previous functional level and is primarily provided by specialty providers. However, LTC mainly focuses on preventing the physical and mental deterioration of an individual and promoting social adjustments to suit the different stages of decline. In addition the providers of LTC are more diverse than those in acute care and is offered in both formal and informal settings, which include: hospitals, physicians, home care, adult day care, nursing home care, assisted living and even informal caregivers such as friends and family members. Long-term care services have been dominated by community based services, which include informal care (86%, about 10 to 11 million) and formal institutional care delivered in nursing facilities (14%, 1.6 million) (McCall, 2001). Of more than the 10 million Americans estimated to require LTC services, 58% are elderly and 42% are under the age of 65 (Shi L. & Singh D.A., 2011). The users of LTC are either frail elderly or disabled and because of the specific care needs of this population, the care varies based on an indiv...
Think about it, an average teen in this world has just been diagnosed with a type of incurable dementia which will forever change his or her life. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is one of the less common forms of dementia. It is when the nerve cells in the frontal lobe die and over time the brain tissue shrinks. Frontotemporal dementia is mostly found in people who are in their teens or twenties. It can affect young people in a very negative way. They start to get aggressive and as the disease gets worse they lose friends and have a difficult time in school and understanding things. Frontotemporal dementia is a rare disease that is on the rise and affects the people of the younger generation.
Alzheimer’s has no current cure, but there treatments available for the symptoms. Treatments cannot stop alzheimer’s from developing but they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve their live quality. Medicines like Cholinesterase inhibitors, and Memantine are to help with memory.Drugs don’t consistently help relieve the symptoms, so there are also Non -drug treatments, like managing their environment and establishing a routine to help minimize stress and anxiety. In the first stage of Alzheimer the person phases a lot of emotional stages that are very challenging and distressing. In early stages people experience irritability,Anxiety and depression. “What are the complications?” is a question commonly asked , and they are an infinite number of complications. Let start with depression, most people become depressed when they realize that they are losing their memories and abilities to do the basic things. The second complication i would say is illness or medicine side effects. This disease makes communicating harder for the person, they might be in pain but not been able to tell the nurse. Falling is another one, alzheimer can cause changes in balance and coordination, which might led to broken bones , head trauma or other injuries.Pneumonia and other infections, Alzheimer 's can also cause a loss of body functions , like swallowing or bladder control. This can cause for the person
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
Dementia is a significant health issue in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2012) (AIHW 2012). Whilst Dementia primarily affects older members of the community, it can also affect young people and has a significant influence on overall health and quality of life (AIHW 2012). The type of Dementia is a determinant in the severity and development of symptoms in individuals (Department of Health 2013) (DoH, 2013). The gradual, progressive and irreversible nature of Dementia has a considerable social and physical impact not only on the individual, but also on family and friends.
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading neurodegenerative disease in elderly adults. It affects more than 30 million people in the world (1). There are a few major markers behind Alzheimer’s disease. These include amyloid β plaque, oxidative stress, and inflammation. A potential target for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease are the processes involved in the synthesis, transport, and function of retinoids.
... 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.
Imagine attempting simple everyday tasks and struggling because of confusion or memory loss. Well unfortunately, this is what it is like for many people with dementia. The severity of dementia ranges from person to person, but is there anything that can help? Music therapy, for one, can actually be tremendously helpful for those with dementia in more ways than the average person might think.
A myth about Alzheimer disease says that nothing can be done about the disease. This is not true. Much can be done to assist the person with Alzheimer’s disease to maintain the highest possible level of functioning as long as possible and in providing the highest quality of life.
n.d). Dementia is the main reason most elderly people are put in nursing homes and institutions. Many people with dementia will sooner or later become totally dependent on others for their care. Although people with dementia typically remain fully conscious, the deterioration of their short term and/or long term memory is universal.
The elderly represents a large amount of the population in our society and continues to grow each day. As the population grows, it is important to meet the demands and resolve the challenges that we encounter in regards to the overall quality of health and well-being of the elderly. Mental health of the elderly is a major issue but majority of the time goes unnoticed and untreated by caregivers and loved ones. About 20 percent of adults 55 and older are suffering from some type of mental health disorder, and one in three elderly adults do not receive any type of treatment (The State of Mental Health, 2008). Those suffering from mental illness are hesitant to seek out help or any type of treatment because of the stigma, services and cost for care that then comes with mental health disorders. Mental health issues that affect elderly include dementia, delirium, and psychosis. Some of the most common conditions include anxiety, mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder and cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease. Mental health is essential to the
STEEMAN, E., DE CASTERLÉ, B. D., GODDERIS, J. & GRYPDONCK, M. 2006. Living with early-stage dementia: a review of qualitative studies. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 54, 722-738.
Mykenzie Moyle Ms. Douglass English I, P.4 16 May 2014 Research Paper Alzheimer’s Disease is formed in the brain but, yet, has no known cure or treatment. Alzheimer’s disease has many symptoms. Memory is the biggest symptom along with mood swings and having a hard time keeping up with a conversation. A patient with Alzheimer’s goes through 7 stages; The first stage, which is misplacing things or forgetting what something is used for, second stage, they start losing more of their memory and they begin to forget where they are or what they are doing, the third, fourth and fifth begin to mentally decline and need someone to take care of them and worsen over time.