Alzheimer's Disease: A Case Study

“Alzheimer`s disease is called a family disease” (ALZlive), because it impacts every family member who is slowly watching a loved one decline. Alzheimer’s disease has an impact on caretakers because caregivers can lead to a variety of emotions, from guilt to anger. When dealing with a client who has Alzheimer; caretakers have a huge responsibility, which can cause stress or depression. If the caretaking is a family member it might lead to finical problems, which can lead to the hard and controversial decision of putting someone in a nursing home, that is better equipped. Guilt is the main emotion that a caretaker can express “I have never spoken to my mother`s doctor, it occurs to me that other children of

Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in America. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Alzheimer’s accounts for 70-80% of dementia cases. By the age of 65, 1 in 9 people are diagnosed and by the age of 85, 1 in 3 people will have the disease. According to the Alzheimer Association, 5 million people in American have Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s starts to form 20 years prior to being diagnosed. Learning about Alzheimer’s can help families understand how Alzheimer’s is more than just memory loss, it is an incurable mental disease.

By the numbers, Alzheimer’s disease looks even worse than it may be. The cost of Alzheimer’s overwhelms the caregiver and everyone involved with the patient. The price businesses pay for Alzheimer’s it detrimental to their industry, show by “A 2002 study showed that United States businesses lost $36.5 billion that year because employees missed work or quit and had to be replaced so that they could care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease” (Adams 24). The caregivers play vital roles in the lives of the sufferer, but the business take an even heavier loss. Heath care is necessary for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, however it can get expensive “The costs of

A major devastating and debilitating disease, Alzheimer 's is a public health issue that affects not only the United States but also countries all around the world. In 2010, there were 35.6 million people living with Alzheimer’s. Researchers and medical personnel expect this number to triple by the year 2050. The disease is costing America an exorbitant amount of money and has become a burden on families, caregivers, medical personnel, the healthcare system, and the nation’s economy. If attention is not focused on this major problem, “nursing homes will be overloaded, caregivers will be burned out, healthcare system will be overwhelmed, and federal and state budgets will be overtaxed” (Alzheimer’s Association, 2011).

Alzheimer is a disease that has and continues to affect the elderly cognitively and as a result decline in their daily functioning. This slow moving death causes the elderly to go through a transition that sometimes can lead to unintentional self injuries. Not only has this disease affected the the individual, but has extended to their family members who has to learn new methods of assisting their loved ones as well as how to cope as a caretaker. On a personal level, I have friends whom grandparents suffer from AD and I’ve noticed that it changes the dynamic of the family and the individual learning new ways to function. It was interesting to learn that in the 80’s, AD was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, but this gave

Dementia is an extremely common disease among the elderly, with 4 million Americans currently suffering from the Alzheimer’s type alone. Figures show that 3% of people between the ages of 65-74 suffer from the disease, rapidly increasing to 19% for the 75-84 age bracket, and as high as 47% for the over 85s. Therefore, it is easy to see why Dementia is such a large part of many people’s lives, whether they are suffering from the condition themselves, or have an elderly relative who requires full time care just to undertake simple day to day tasks. The disease can be extremely traumatic for the patient and their families, as the person, who may have been extremely lively and bright throughout their

This stems from frustration, misunderstanding, and often times an actual inability for those afflicted to express themselves. Lives are forgotten, simple daily tasks become insurmountable feats, and those suffering can even have a distaste for the ones they love the most. The impact can be equally devastating for their family members and caregivers. A New York Times article even equated the emotional and physical toll of caregiving as similar to the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Graham). Over time, this disease becomes exponentially more domineering and destructive. Until we can better understand the functionally of Alzheimer's, people associated with the disease can seek counseling, support groups, and information on more efficient ways to cope. There is even a great outlook for these services to increase as The U.S. DHHS also included a goal to “Expand Supports for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Their Families” in the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. As part of this goal, nationwide strategies include providing the resources to help family caregivers continue to provide care while maintaining their own health and well-being; assisting families in planning for future care needs; and helping to maintain the dignity, safety, and rights of people with Alzheimer’s (National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease). As a result, quality of emotional

Alzheimer’s and dementia are often thought of as an old age disease. Although the most commons risk factor is age but it is not the only one. Most majority of individuals do develop symptoms as elderly, but individuals that develop onset symptoms at a younger age, below 65 are said to develop early onset dementia (Lambert, M. A., Bickel, H., Prince, M., Fratiglioni, L., Von Strauss, E., Frydecka, D., & ... Reynish, E. L., 2014). Many researchers have conducted studies on the impact of cognitive disorders, such as dementia along with Alzhiemer’s, on the affects of the nonprofessional caregiver. Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t just affect the person but the affected person’s family and friends are affected as well.

Many organizations and funding helps support cancer and other diseases because the survivors are able to share their stories, which creates emotion for the listener. Since no one with Alzheimer’s is able to share a story about the hardships of the disease, family members and caregivers should have the responsibility to advocate a change in the amount of funding Alzheimer’s research receives. Also, Jessica Gwinn, expert who writes about clients in the medical, biotech, fiber optics and software fields, concludes “as caregivers, we can begin by advocating for our loved ones and giving them a voice that they cannot give themselves. People can share their stories and speak out to help ease and, ultimately, eliminate the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s. And we can support one another with a strong and unified goal of finding a cure through greater awareness about the devastating effects of this disease.” This solution is as simple as telling others about how many people Alzheimer's kills each year, yet it still has no cure. Sharing simple information may help other people realize Alzheimer’s is a serious disease and should be

Another reason why long-term care is more beneficial for an Alzheimer’s patient’s health is because cargivers tend to become overworked. A person with any form of Dementia needs their caregiver to be alert and organized everyday of every hour; if the caregiver is overworked and frustrated the patients care could be compromised unintentionally. Caregivers must watch over every single move of their loved ones if they stay at home. Taking care of a person with Alzheimer’s is like taking care of a giant infant. In most cases Alzheimer’s patients require constant supervision to ensure they do not wander about and forget where they are going. Safety is one of the greatest concerns in careing for an Alzheimer’s patient. Most Alzheimer’s patients have confusion often and could potentially get lost if they are not in their normal surroundings. Caregiving is both mentally and physically exhausting. As Alzheimer’s progresses, the physical and mental demands on a caregiver can gradually become overwheling (Segal). The number one concern for caregivers should

Alzheimer’s is a worldwide disease that many people over the age of 65 years old are diagnosed. Alzheimer’s disease is a current situation in my household the past three years. It is one of the many health issues that do not yet have a known cause or cure. In this investigative report I researched how Alzheimer’s patients affect their family caregivers. All my information was cited from the West Warwick High School research tool as well as google to find articles related to my claim. Many families around the world are going through the same struggles as my own and are seeking advice from others on how to carry on with this daily hassle. My family as well as other families are not alone. There are different ways to cope with our issues depending

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.

After Alzheimer's is diagnosed in a parent, or other elderly family member, the caregiver has the task of deciding what the best form of care for the patient is. In order to do this they have to fully understand what the disease is, and

Alzheimer is a degenerative disease that I lived closely with my great grandmother and it was difficult and sad how she kept deteriorating and see the woman that raised me had lost all of her abilities an independant woman, dominant that ran her home was depending on others to meet her basic needs, until the unwanted moment happened where she didn’t recognize me anymore it was awful and knowing that one of the most important persons in my world that I love and that she loved me so much was never going to know who I was anymore. “Family caregivers must be supported in dealing with their guilt at “failing” the person with AD” (Tablosky, 2014, p.631). This disease affects the patient but also the whole family and we have to do all the necessary

The primary caregiver for the Alzheimer patient is often the spouse or the adult offspring. The spouse who is also facing developmental tasks of ego integrity versus despair, can easily become depressed and disheartened by the loss of an intact partner. The spouse may also have to cope with his/her own medical needs and feel caught up in a never-ending spiral to the grave. Support groups such as the Alzheimer 's Association focus a great deal of attention on the caregiver for just these reasons. Talking about one 's circumstances and meeting others with similar concerns is very helpful in maintaining a positive perspective.