The Psychological Effects of Stroke in Older Adults

1718 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: A case of cerebrovascular accident

The Psychological Effects of Stroke in Older Adults

Elderly people are continuously faced with the debilitating effects of the aging process. Age-related diseases are part of the aging process that put the elderly population at risks for physical, mental, and social incapacity in dealing with their everyday functioning. However, more than the external deleterious consequences of these diseases are the psychological ramifications that they have to older adults that are worth investigating. Cerebrovascular accident or stroke is one of the many age-related diseases that affect both the physical and psychological functioning of many older adults. To understand the extent of the effects of stroke to older adults, this research paper will enumerate various physical, mental, and social aftermaths of this disease. Furthermore, it will utilize the most recent studies to explain the consequences of these aftermaths to older adults’ cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. Also, this paper will discuss the psychological effects of caregiver burden that a spouse or immediate family member may experience while caring for a stroke victim. To gain a better understanding of stroke, it is imperative to first get a closer look at the background information and underlying factors that surround this disease.

Stroke is a serious and life-threatening disease that mainly affects the biological functioning of the brain. It is precipitated by an occlusion in the vascular system that supports and nourishes the brain cells with oxygen and other vital minerals (Welch, 2008). With the brain deprived of the necessary nutrients to maintain its fundamental metabolic processes, it is often times altered irreversibly to the point where it affects the...

... middle of paper ...

... J. (2011). Differential aspects of stroke and congestive heart failure in quality of life reduction: A case series with three comparison groups. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 9, 65.

Pohl, P. S., McDowd, J. M., Filion, D., Richards, L. G., Stiers, W., & Kluding, P. (2007). Task Switching After Stroke. Physical Therapy, 87(1), 66-73.

Rogalski, Y., Altmann, L. J. P., Plummer-D’Amato, P., Behrman, A. L., & Marsiske, M. (2010). Discourse coherence and cognition after stroke: A dual task study. Journal of Communication Disorders, 43(3), 212-224.

Thompson, H., & Ryan, A. (2009). The impact of stroke consequences on spousal relationships from the perspective of the person with stroke. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 18(12), 1803-1811.

Welch, R. (2008). Considering the psychological effects of stroke. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 2(7), 335-346.

Show More
Related

  • Case Study Literature Review: Neonatal NEC and SimplyThick

    3287 Words  | 7 Pages

    Suresh, G., Horbar, J., Plsek, P., Gray, J., Edwards, W., Shiono, P., & ... Goldmann, D. (2004).

    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

  • A Discussion of Disco Di

    1727 Words  | 4 Pages

    Tadić, A., Wagner, S., Hoch, J., Başkaya, Ö., von Cube, R., Skaletz, C., ... & Dahmen, N. (2009).

    Read More

  • Hypokinetic Dysarthria

    1501 Words  | 4 Pages

    Van Nuffelen, G., De Bodt, M., Vanderwegen, J., Van de Heyning, P., & Wuyts, F. (2010).

    Read More

  • Gluten-free: The Harm behind the Diet

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...Hallert, C., C. Grant, S. Grehn, C. Grannot, S. Hultent, G. Midhagens M. Strom, H. Svensson,

    Read More

  • Essay On Aphasia

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stroke not only affect the life of the patient but also their significant others, especially the caregiver. Caregiver is identified as the “hidden patient” (Andolstek et al, 1988). Families maintain the primary care responsibility for elderly with chronic illness and disability (Montgomery et al, 1985). The effects of caregiving span across physical health (Grafstrom et al, 1992; Kiecolt-Glasier et al, 1991), mental well-being (Cochrane et al, 1997) and social life (Luterman, D. ,2008; Bakas et al, 2006).

    Read More

  • Alzheimer's Disease Essay

    1938 Words  | 4 Pages

    Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disorder which kills the brain cells, causing memory loss and cognitive decline. This leads to severe psychological impairments which changes how people think, behave and other complications such as paranoia, disorientation and unprovoked aggression. These psychological impairments reduce people’s functional ability and therefore reduce their quality of life.

    Read More

  • Taking Care of a Stroke Victim

    2089 Words  | 5 Pages

    This module has enabled the author to understand the concept of vulnerability, risk and resilience in relation to stroke. Therefore, it will contribute to her professional development and lifelong learning (NES, 2012). Additionally, the author has gained evidence based knowledge of person-centred care, compassion and self-awareness; all of which can be used to inform future practice (Miller, 2008). Consequently, she will be able to provide the appropriate level of care that can make a difference to a person’s recovery.

    Read More

  • Alzheimers and Wellness

    2367 Words  | 5 Pages

    As I sit here writing this research paper on the fourth anniversary of my grandfather’s death to Alzheimer’s, I cannot help but to feel especially connected not only to the physical destructiveness of the disease, but also to the emotional tolls associated with having it affect a family member. When I was in my freshman year of high school, my grandpa (mother’s father) began his steady decline from his diagnosis of this ailment. A man who I knew my whole life to be strong and independent started to become physically fragile and even more mentally so; after some time, he began to show signs of drastic memory loss, constant confusion and a hazardous inability to perform tasks once done with minimal effort. The onset of these debilitations had an immeasurable impact on my family. My grandmother (his wife) possessed the largest burden of the constant care for my grandfather as he slid into a state of powerlessness and incapability for basic self-maintenance. However, since my grandma never learned how to drive, taking full care of my grandpa become a near impossible task. After nearly a year and a half of my family witnessing my grandfather losing himself to Alzheimer’s, my family decided to place him in a hospice care facility that could provide him with the proper care before his inevitable passing to the disease a few months later.

    Read More

  • Chronic Back Pain

    981 Words  | 2 Pages

    http://dx.doi: 10.1093/bjaceaccp/mkl029. Weiner, S.S. & Nordin, M. (2010).

    Read More

  • Stroke Case Study Essay

    1381 Words  | 3 Pages

    The aim of the study was to identify how physically active Stroke patients are during the acute stages following Stroke since, the amount of physical activeness in medically stable Stroke patients was identified as one of the factors crucial for promoting later stage functional recovery. In the Intensive care units and post acute medical wards studied, the amount of physical activity levels demonstrated by Stroke patients were low - provided the medical limitations. They were active only 30% of the time. The remaining 70% was spent inactive in activities like sleeping, lying in bed, chatting, watching tv, being turned, being shifted, being fed and passive exercise of the affected limb.

    Read More

  • Living with Alzheimer's Disease

    2110 Words  | 5 Pages

    Alzheimer’s disease slowly steals a person’s dignity and erases precious memories. The “Alzheimer’s Disease Guide”, found on WebMD explains that tasks become more difficult to do often leading to confusion and behavior changes. The article further explains the progression of the disease also brings hardship to family and friends (1). To best cope with Alzheimer’s we must better understand the disease.

    Read More

  • Stroke Case Study

    1138 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cerebrovascular Accident a) Overview - definition and the effects of the stroke on the body A stroke is a serious, life-threatening medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. (http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Stroke/Pages/Introduction.aspx) This condition is a common cause of death and disability, especially in older people. Some predisposing factors include: • hypertension • atheroma • cigarette smoking • diabetes mellitus It occurs when blood flow to the brain suddenly interrupted, causing hypoxia. The effects include paralysis of a limb or one side of the body and disturbances of speech and vision.

    Read More

  • Violent Video Games and Increased Aggression

    1900 Words  | 4 Pages

    Tamborini, Ron ; Eastin, Matthew S. ; Skalski, Paul ; Lachlan, Kenneth ; Fediuk, Thomas A. ;

    Read More

  • Effective Communication and Police Officers

    1173 Words  | 3 Pages

    Barker, V., Giles, H., Hajek, C., Ota, H., Noels, K., Lim, T-S., & Somera, L. (2008).

    Read More

More about The Psychological Effects of Stroke in Older Adults

Open Document