Why is it that some seventy year olds cannot recall memories from their twenties or find it hard to follow along with a conversation? As people age they tend to change, physically and mentally. Just like our bodies, our brains change as we age. Our thinking becomes slower and we cannot remember certain things. However, memory loss, confusion and other major changes in the way our brains work may be signs of cognitive changes. This essay showcases a clinical case study on Mild Cognitive Impairment. It describes the process of cognitive development according to theorist Jean Piaget. It overviews the three basic cognitive function of the brain. It explains several cognitive impairments related to the elderly. Last, it details cognitive assessment used to detection and measurement of cognitive impairments in the elderly.
Case Study
A 78-year-old woman presented to her primary care physician for a routine examination, the results of which indicated that her previously diagnosed chronic disease conditions-smoking-related emphysema and high blood pressure-were being effectively managed. After scheduling an upcoming appointment, the patient pulled aside the office 's physician assistant.
"I didn 't want to bring this up with the doctor because I don 't know whether it 's anything to be concerned about or not," she confided. "But I 'm worried about my memory. I seem to be forgetting where I 've been putting things lately-my keys and important paperwork, like my bank
* Forgetfulness, maybe forgetting names of people that you have been in contact with every day, or forgetting what you did just hours or days ago.
c) Age-related cognitive impairment (or mild cognitive impairment MCI) – is when an elderly person’s memory starts to wane and they have problems recalling their short term memories, they have difficulty learning new things, their thinking process starts to become reduced and have difficulty concentrating. It is thought that MCI can develop due to alcohol abuse and cognitive decline (poor diet, chronic inflammation, vascular disease and
As people get old a few of them will experience changes in cognition with age related capacity rather than intellectual capacity. There are some people who get both disparities of mentally and physically impaired that will led into depression due to aging process of their body. Even though, the forgetfulness is a common among older adults, we as healthcare providers must evaluate altered mental status of the patients. “The evaluation and management of altered mental status are broad and require careful history and physical examination to eliminate life-threatening situations”(Patti & Dulebohn, 2017). Therefore, it is very important to recognize the importance of difference between normal age-related symptoms and developing new health problems that can arise in this specific population. As elders get older their memory lapses it frustrating to them leading them to be more worried about changes in their memory. Nurses have a unique capability to promote a cognitive health and determine the possibilities of potential cases of the impairment in elders. The movie “On Golden Pond” Mr. Norman was a perfect example and showed that his symptoms were interfering with his everyday live when he almost burns down the house with fire, calling Bill by his daughter’s name Chelsea and getting lost in on the lake. Even though, Mr. Norman had heart and dementia problems his wife never discouraged him to do what he liked such as
From birth, the body and mind go through physical and cognitive changes that human beings will have to adapt to throughout life. Some individuals lose mental and physical abilities age they age that allow them to live a normal lifestyle. The most common age-related physical changes include hearing impairment, weakening vision, and the increasing probability of multiple chronic conditions such as arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis (Abeles, 1998). The most common cognitive changes associated with normal aging are short-term, or primary, memory loss, long-term, or secondary, memory loss, and the overall levels of performance in sustained attention. Other issues relative to aging and cognitive memory impairments are anxiety disorder, panic disorder, chronic pain, and mood disorders. This issue may cause several social, medical and family problems as individual
Throughout history there have been reports of decreased memory and mental deterioration that accompanied old age. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who described the symptoms in a woman in Germany in the 1907 but it was not until the 1970’s that AD was considered to be a major disorder and AD continues to be a major health concern worldwide (Reger, 2002).
Alzheimer 's disease is a condition that affects the cognitive status of many people around the world regardless of wealth, ethnicity, intelligence or any other factor. A specific case study that demonstrates the destructive nature of the disease can be seen in the case of Akram. Akram was an 80-year-old woman with a past medical history of hypertension, diverticulitis, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and diabetes. Her history did include a serious head injury at the age of 45 from an automobile accident, but she recovered well after some time in the hospital. As she aged, she could remember childhood friends and family from 20+ years ago quite well. What tripped her up were simple daily processes of life. She might put food in the oven to cook, but fail to turn it on after doing all the prep work. Also, she began to frequently misplace her keys and have trouble remembering where she put household items. She had been a very intelligent person with a lot of energy and had previously been involved in a lot of volunteer projects she helped run. Upon talking to her husband, it was learned that she had been having similar difficulties over the past two years. Driving was a big issue as well; she felt she could recall how, but still had trouble operating her vehicle. She also frequently got lost on routine trips, like to the grocery store. Additionally, she would forget whether she had eaten and had several extra meals in a day unless a helper or a family member was keeping
Dr. Hart allowed me to accompany on a home visit to one of her oldest patients. The patient is not able to move easily and lives outside of the city limits. This was the first and only home visit I have ever shadowed as a student. I know that it very rare for physicians to make home visits, so it was a great opportunity for me to experience this. The visit was a routine checkup where Dr. Hart checked the patient’s vitals and refilled medications. Since she was away form her office and regular tools, she used a portable pulse oximeter, stethoscope, and blood pressure cuff. The patient was very thankful that Dr. Hart took the time to see him and went out of her way to treat
A topic I learned more of this semester in regards to the older population was dementia. Some loss in memory function is an inevitable consequence of aging, and as one ages, it takes more time to process information and retrieve memories. However, "Dementia is a general term that refers to progressive, degenerative brain dysfunction, including deterioration in memory, concentration, language skills, visuospatial skills, and reasoning, that interferes with a person's daily functioning" (Mauk, 2014, p. 377). This loss of mental skills affects the ability to function over time, causing problems with memory and how one thinks, impacting these individual's overall quality of life.
The human brain is the most complex organ in the body, the seat of who human beings are, and what they are. In the early 1800s, German physician Franz Joseph Gall suggested that different parts of the brain control specific aspects of behavior. Functions such as movement, memory, speech, and the overall behavior are controlled by localized parts of the brain. Unfortunately, recent research indicates that as people age, various mental skills decline at different rates. Furthermore, one of the mental diseases that affect mostly older people is dementia. Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of the brain and its abilities (1). It describes a set of symptoms that result in different types and treatments.
This film highlights the importance of distinguishing among the various dementias that can occur with aging. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious decline of dementia. It can involve problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment that are greater than normal age-related changes. If you have mild cognitive impairment, you may be aware that your memory or mental function has "slipped." Your family and close friends also may notice a change. But generally these changes aren't severe enough to interfere with your day-to-day life and usual activities. some people with mild cognitive impairment never get worse, and a few eventually get better. According to a mayo clinic studies show that approximately 15% of individuals aged 70-90 have mild cognitive impairment. They really try to remember something but they really can’t. You lose your train of thought when in a conversation it happens over the time of aging. Most of these patients have sleeping problems, memory loss. This mild cognitive impairment goes into Alzheimer’s. They came to the conclusion that they can treat these people with medication which would help a little but the medication doesn’t kill the disease it doesn’t stop the production. But scientist is testing new ways of treating Alzheimer’s which they
After reading the case study about John and Lydia, it appears that the individual’s heath is declining. Lydia and John home seems to be showing early signs of dementia, due to their memory declining. According to Broderick and Blewitt (2015) said that “Dementia is a syndrome that affects multiple functional domains due to chronic and progressive disease processes in the brain. Cognitive and emotional progressively diminished” (p. 561). It is important that the couple seek medical attention to determine what the memory is. An overall physical needs to be conducted by their primary care physician. In addition, their living conditions is a hazard to their well- being. John had fall and was hospitalized, due to him not sleeping on a bed that best fits his needs. On the other hand, the son has issues of their own, however is unable to tend to his parent on a daily bases. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (English Standard Version). On the other hand, the son has interfered with his parents receiving assistance. Even during hard times, it is important that family stick together and help one another. On the other hand, if they are unable to help, help in assisting providing for their needs. At this
Increasing in forgetfulness and confusion are the most common to see in a person who may be developing Alzheimer’s disease. People
There are also cognitive changes during middle adulthood. There is a mixed pattern of positive and negative changes in cognitive abilities. Processing speed starts to decrease during this time period however crystallized thought does not decline until older age (pg. 456). Working memory begins to decline however semantic memory continues to increase as we learning throughout our older years (ph 456). Usually most memory decline is during older age and can be attributed to Alzheimer’s disease of dementia.
Cognitive aging is commonly labeled strictly as memory and only found in “some people”. However, this is not true. The knowledge of cognitive aging has grown immensely, but there is still much to be learned. The surface has only been scratched with many more questions to be answered. Cognitive aging is worthy of study and effects everyone, but there is also much more is still to be learned.
Mr. Thompson, who is 74 years old, was evaluated by his daughter’s family doctor for possible cognitive impairment. After reviewing Mr. Thompson’s medical history, performing cognition tests, a physical exam and also speaking with Mr. Thompson and his daughter, the diagnosis was most likely Alzheimer’s Disease in the latter of the second stage.