Adult Development

In times past many people thought that memory loss was a normal occurrence for elderly people. This thinking was major reason for why Alzheimer’s disease was not caught until very later in the stages. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. After heart disease, cancer, and strokes, Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of death in adults in the Western world. “It is estimated that 4.5 million Americans over the age of 65 are affected with this condition. After the age of 65, the incidence of the disease doubles every five years and, by age 85, it will affect nearly half of the population” (Robinson).

Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory and it is not a normal part of aging, “Although the greatest risk factor is increasing age” (Alzheimer’s Association). Even though our memory begins to deteriorate when we are growing older we don’t necessarily forget we get the “tip of the tongue” effect where we are ale to recollect our memories unlike those with Alzheimer’s.

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

Elderly people physically slow down and have lower energy levels. There are changes in the body systems and organs that can usually result in all types of

If you are the caregiver of a senior who is experiencing signs of any memory problems, it's a smart idea to mention it to their doctor, so they can give other tests to determine if they are experiencing any kind of cognitive

Quadagno (2014) discusses ways cognitive abilities differ from young-adults, middle-old adults and oldest old adults. Cognitive decline can also be affected by conditions such as stroke, depression, diabetes, auditory, and vision problems. Older adults may also encounter age related cognitive decline in their daily lives. Cognitive abilities such as processing speed, episodic memory, working memory and dual task processing are abilities that researchers are aiming to improve in older adults (Basak, et al, 2008; Quadagno, 2014).

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.

Age related memory impairment: Age related memory loss, is an inevitable part of getting older, the brain slows down as does the processing of information mild cognitive impairment. Signs that an individual has age related impairment are forgetfulness, losing things, names of people they know, roads they know, easily distracted, slower at accessing information as quick as they used to. This is all normal and to be expected as we get older, and is not considered serious as long as the individual, is able to live independently, common sense, achieve tasks as they have always done and are able to hold a conversation, occassionaly forgetting the odd word, be able to recall information forgotten earlier. Severe memory loss is cause for concern and could be a sign Dementia, signs that differ from aged related are that dementia affects an individual’s ability to function, it disables them, disrupting their work, social activities, and family relationships. Individuals with dementia will have difficulty performing their usual day to day tasks like paying bills, washing up, changing clothes, forgetting how to do things they have done many times before. They often don’t remember times when they have had memory loss even when it is recalled to them. Get lost and disorientated easily even when in familiar surroundings, repetitive phrases and stories often in the same conversation.

Memory is a precious commodity, an incredible, internal gift. As I watch the effects of dementia slowing chipping away at my father?s body and mind, I realize that if there are any good aspects to be found in this condition, to me, is it the fact the oldest memories hold on longer while the recent slip away sooner. My father can still tell the same stories I grew up hearing; he can recall with pride his family?s history. While these old recollections are not as strong as they once were, and maybe not as accurate, at least they are still present in some form; they are still available. I do prefer my father have these memories than the ones of his daily decline. Of course, he knows he is not who he once was, but the knowledge does not fill his every waking hour; it is not something he is focused on throughout his days because that is a more recent development and thus something he doesn?t remember as easily. Now, of course, dementia effects more than just memory, but I am grateful that he still has the past to help get him through the difficult present.

When you get older one part of your brain grows with you and deteriorates as you get older. This part of your brain is called “hippocampus”. That is the reason that when you go shopping with your nanny she forgets half of the list and she also forgot to write it down. The elderly also don’t have cognitive memory because you can ask them their original cheesecake recipe and they have it written down because they can’t remember. I would advise that the elderly play regularly memory games so they can’t forget. The elderly can play luminosity which is a website that challenges your brain. It also includes memory games which are a big help for the elderly. According to an ABC news article younger people tend to remember specific details in their

First let’s explore the challenges a person suffering from dementia might possibly face. Since dementia is a disease of the mind one of the first thing that get effected is memory. Once the memory is effected they do not not have the capacity to complete certain tasks that rely on memory. For instance, getting lost while driving because the person cannot remember the direction which mean that person must rely on somebody for transportation.

Almost everyone has experienced the situation where he sees someone familiar, but cannot think of that person’s name, or he has shopped in a mall and cannot remember where the car is parked. Anyone over the age of sixty-five would probably panic, fearing that he has Alzheimer’s disease, since age is a huge risk factor related to memory loss. He may ask himself, “Is something wrong with me, or am I just getting old?” Much of our population is terrified of developing Alzheimer’s disease or of watching a loved one slowly and gradually fade away. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is when the brain loses the ability to function mostly in keeping short-term memories, progressing to lack of cognitive function, and eventually causing death (Atkins, 2008, pp. 3).

Most elders experience cognitive decline along with the difficulty to complete simple everyday tasks. However, those who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (who had showed symptoms before sixty-five) experienced a faster rate of decline. Forgetting familiar words or where the location of everyday objects has been located in the house are common, yet undetectable events that start becoming more frequent over time. Most people that tend to help with those whom are diagnosed at this stage are family or friends that spend a reasonable amount of time with the person that can recognize this memory

Most people in today’s society, to some degree, are familiar with the crippling illness known as Alzheimer’s disease. Whether you’ve learned about it through television or the internet, or maybe you have a personal experience working with or having a loved one who suffers from this disorder. Alzheimer’s literally is an illness that causes one to forget. No information preserved in the brain is safe from the disease’s effects. Although short term memory seems to be the most commonly destroyed, it is not impossible for long term memory to be affected as well. Ultimately, you will watch a sufferer of Alzheimer’s progressively forget things in their day to day lives and finally succumb to the disease once it deteriorates their brains to the point

Advancing age is commonly associated with loss of memory. The inability to maintain both short term and long term memory is serious. Learning new things or remembering familiar words and names can be quite daunting.