The human life cycle begins at birth and ends with death. In between these two major life events, there are numerous thoughts, experiences and relationships that shape who a person is and what their identity is. As we progress through the life cycle, our bodies begin to decline physically and cognitively. Throughout all these changes, when does a person become a new person? 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 …show more content…
The self is fictional and we are only impressions (Hume, 134). When those impressions are removed, the person does not exist anymore. When one object changes over time, if the change is gradual we are inclined to consider that object to be the same even though they are not. If a person begins to gradually forget things and show signs of any type of dementia, would we consider that person to be the same person? Or if suddenly that person begins to show symptoms such as forgetting to do every day activities, would we consider them to be the same person? Patients with Alzheimer’s would probably still have impressions of what is happening around them because they are experiencing different events or things. It’s hard to know what a person with Alzheimer’s is thinking, especially since at times they can’t articulate or express themselves. We don’t really know what a person with Alzheimer’s is thinking and if what they are thinking has remained constant overtime or not. Either way it would not matter because identity is fiction and according to Hume’s bundle …show more content…
As human beings grow from being a baby into an adult, we don’t see them as a different person. We see them as a person who is just growing up, but not becoming a completely different person. “ People throughout their lives change their tastes, their skills, their moral qualities, the things they can remember or tend to forget, and on, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse” (Hughes, Stephen, & Steve, 58). We have all heard the expressions toward someone who has had a radical change, “ He is a new person” or “ She is a not the same person she used to be” but this cannot be taken literally, “ psychological changes caused by dementia, it might be said, become sometimes, as time goes on, particular extensive and particularly distressing; but in no way do they affect a person’s identity in the philosophical sense, though they do, of course, alter their psychological identity” (Hughes, Stephen, & Steve,58). This would be the case for someone who is the early stages of dementia because someone with severe that it threatens the loss of their whole identity. In the case of a person with dementia, it is easy to say that they have become a different person. All the changes they go through; change in personality, loss of self-control, and a huge gap in memory that leads them to forget loved ones. Our identity is linked to past and present as well as to
A person with dementia can have changes in their behaviour and this could make other people feel angry or upset or could treat them unfairly and not accept it. This can make a service user distressed, upset, frustrated with themselves because it is the dementia that has changed them not the person. For example is a service user wanted to tell you something but forgot or could not get it out into words they might think that you think they are stupid so they get upset and angry with themselves for not been able to
Cognitive decline is how you you called the process getting worse over time. At the last stage the person is no longer able to communicate and they depend entirely on others. What causes alzheimer’s disease is not really known but it appears that it
“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.
Throughout this line of study, Alzheimer’s disease is a specific form of dementia. According to Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability that is severe enough to hinder daily life. Memory loss is a symptom of dementia and the most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s. One of the most common and severe symptom of Alzheimer’s is difficulty remembering newly learned information. The changes of Alzheimer’s normally begin in the part of the brain that affects learning (Overview Alzheimer's Association). Some other symptoms of Alzheimer’s include gradual memory loss, the decline in capability to carry out everyday tasks and the loss of their language skills. According to Bialystok the rate of decline in cognitive functioning was significant in the Alzheimer’s disease group compared to Mild Cognitive Impairment during the study of bilingualism and how it is associated with a substantial delay in the onset of (AD) and (MCI) (Bialystok, 2014). Disorientation, mood and behavior changes, some confusion about past events are some severe symptoms. As Alzheimer’s worsens over time, the ability to get dressed or turn off the stove, are some examples of possible decline in ability to perform everyday tasks. Those who suffer with Alzheimer’s disease, could be forgetting to do things that they were supposed to do such as babysitting the children or how to get back home (V. Hill, Personal Communication, March 2014). Disorientation is another one of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, which is having difficulty knowing the date, or what year they are in, or the location they are at. Alzheimer’s has no current cure, and it is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years...
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.
Alzheimer's affects people in different ways, each person will experience symptoms or progress through Alzheimer's stages differently.
Dementia is a disease effecting nearly thirty-six million people worldwide (Whiteman, 2014). Even with so many elderly suffering from the disease, there are many people who don’t know what dementia truly is. People often jump too quickly to the conclusion that dementia is a disease that only effects the memory. They may believe that dementia is inevitable and cannot be cured in any case. They may also believe that dementia is something the majority of elderly will experience when they get older.
There are four main types of dementia with AD being the most widespread form. It ac...
Alzheimer is a progressive disease of the brain that causes memory and cognitive function loss. Alzheimer symptoms are apathy, difficulty remembering recent events, depression, disorientation, behavioral changes, and difficulty speaking, swallowing
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia, “a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities (Shenk 14)”. Alzheimer’s is a progressive and irreversible brain disorder that slowly destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, make judgments, communicate, and accomplish daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or aggravation, as well as illusions or hallucinations.
Alzheimer's affects a person individually by affecting their memory and their relationships with other people. The cognitive symptoms of alzheimer's are mental decline, difficulty
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.
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.