Dementi A Progressive Mental Disorder

Nearly 135 million people worldwide will be impacted by dementia by 2050 (Robinson, Tang, Taylor,. 2015). Dementia is not a disease, it is an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with the decline in memory and thinking skills. Dementia is a progressive illness that results in the loss of one’s sense of self (Burns, Byrne, Ballard, Holmes, 2002). The two most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease and Vascular dementia. Dementia is progressive and people with dementia experience complications with short-term memory, keeping track of personal items, paying bills, taking care of themselves and daily tasks (Haigh, Mytton, 2016). Due to the rising number of individuals developing dementia, it is causing major challenges in the healthcare systems and society (Angermeter, Luck, Then, Riedel-Heller, 2016). Utilizing psychotropic medications are often ineffective or harmful to the individual, therefore, many patients decide to utilize sensory therapy as a form of treatment instead (Livingston, Kelly olmes, et al., 2014). Caregivers of individuals with dementia can also experience health consequences related to caregiving at the end of life. Spousal caregivers are 40.5% higher odds of experiencing frailty as a result of caregiving (Carr, Dassel, 2017). Dementia does not only affect the individual, it affects those around them, society, and the healthcare system.

According to the Healthy People 2020 objectives, dementia can negatively impact a person's ability to perform their daily tasks without the help and supervision of a qualified caregiver. Based on these objectives, the health program proposal includes:

Everyday more and more people are effected by dementia. This disease is taking over the lives of innocent people around the world. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources have designed The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’ Disease. This plan focuses on many important areas greatly affected by this irreversible disease and concentrates on the struggles one faces during its presence. I found three areas to be very important to the future of Alzheimer’s and other dementias; Expand research aimed to identify and treat Alzheimer’s, Educate and support people with Alzheimer’s and their families upon diagnosis, and Enable family caregivers to continue to provide care while maintaining their own health and well-being.

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

In the U.S., there is an essential population of informal caregivers that devote a significant amount of time and resources to caring for older adults with impairments. However, due to the informal nature of these caregiver relationships, there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of this population. In “A National Profile of Family and Unpaid Caregivers Who Assist Older Adults with Health Care Activities (2016)”, Wolff and colleagues highlight the importance of understanding the responsibilities of caregivers and how this may affect their own health, as well as the need to identify the basic characteristics of informal caregivers. Therefore, the primary objective of this study by Wolff and colleagues (2016) was to characterize the common responsibilities of caregivers, their utilization of supportive services, as well as to identify the effects of caregiver-related responsibilities on their health. Ultimately, this information may inform future public health services and health care systems to provide much needed support and resources to these caregivers.

Providing care for a family member can cause a tremendous strain for the primary caregiver in many areas of his/her life including financial, physical, and psychological which often results in both increased emotional needs and physical complications for the caregiver (Eun-Jeong Lee, DeDios, Fong, Simonette & Lee, 2013). As disabled older adults live longer lives, there is now an increasing need to rely on others to assist them with their day-to-day activities and activities of daily living (ADL), and that role often falls upon the spouses of the impaired or close family members (Barbosa, Figueirdo, Sousa & Demain, 2010). Research data provided by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) estimated that there were approximately 44 million caregivers age 18 and over, with one third of those caregivers being male, whom were providing care to adults age 50 and above (National Alliance for Caregiving, 2015). These

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with relentlessly progressive losses in cognition, memory, and language. According to research by Herbert, Weuve, Sherr, and Evans (2013), 5.3 million people are affected by AD, and that number is expected to almost triple by the middle of the century. As cognitive decline progresses, independence and the ability to perform self-care is lost as caregivers must assume this considerable burden. Given the prevalence of AD, its devastating pathology, and its impact on loved ones and caregivers, the social impact of this disease cannot be overstated.

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

The authors opines that due to the advances in medicine our life expectancy is likely to extend and many of us will be called upon to be caregivers for someone in our family who requires special care. This book guides and educates readers on what can be done from a caregiver's standpoint to be better equipped to nurture people living with Alzheimer's disease. This book is authoritative as it packed with tips and techniques from five authorities in the field, and provides insights such as: What caregiving style will suit me best? What skills are likely to remain as Alzheimer's disease progresses? How do I balance my needs with the needs of the person I'm caring for? And much more! The most important tenet of this book is that we can better care

Dementia becomes very severe so that it impairs a person’s ability to work and perform common tasks in the home. The current solution is to have a caretaker, a caretaker is the family member or friend who gives the most help like personal care, instrumental daily activities, or health-related decisions. Caretakers find assisting with certain activities to be mainly disappointing and uncomfortable as it necessitates invasion of privacy and role reversal. Caretaker is also responsible for

According to Alzheimer’s Association (2010) seventy percent of total number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease are not institutionalized which means that they are provided with care of caregivers. Montgomery and Kosloski (2009, 47-48) claimed that caregivers must be provided with aid in order not to stop looking after people living with Alzheimer’s disease. It is apparent that caring necessitate much time, which can have effect on a caregiver’s personal life (job, relationship with friends and etc.). Providing caregivers with help required much effort and it is not an easy task. Many interventions have not taken into account that every caregiver is unique. Different services such as ‘educational programs, counseling, support groups, and respite services’ have been used (ibid,47). However, many caregivers refuse the supports, but the amount which was achieved in supporting services is considered to be useful for caregivers. Many support providers complain that caregivers do not use the services very much, because they think that they are not beneficial. This can apply

One of the most impacting communication strategies that have influenced and supported change would be the necessity of relationship in care. From a personal perspective I always struggled with the omission of comprehensive family and friend involvement in the ongoing care of the person with dementia (PWD). For example ( Morhardt & Spira, 2013) discuss the relevance of inclusion for family members to be heard and respected as valuable members of the care team. The people who are often the holder of the clues to help with

“Dementia results in a progressive decline in multiple areas of functioning, including memory, reasoning, communication skills and the skills to carry out daily activities. Alongside this decline, individuals may develop behavioural and psychological symptoms such as depression, psychosis, aggression and wandering, which complicate care and can occur at any stage of the illness. Family carers of people with dementia are often old and frail themselves with high levels of depression and physical illness” (DOH 2009)

The social impact first begins with the difficulty in diagnosis of the disease (Popescu et al., 2014). For individuals and families, coping with AD will vary depending on their attitudes, beliefs or cultural affiliations, and support network (Menchola & Weiss, 2015). Moreover, for 55%-91% of patients, a woman is the informal caregiver. Also, in 41%, spouses are the main caregiver (Wimo et al., 2013). The social “impact of the caregiving process has been identified as caregiver burden” (Wimo et al.,). Caregivers provide a range of necessary activities from supervising medications, dressing, shopping, managing medical appointments, incontinence care, and dealing with aggressive behaviors. Consequently, studies have shown that caregiver’s are at increased risk of depression, frustration, decreased interest in activities, chronic fatigue change in sleep patterns, and decreased social interactions. These risk leads to “increased risk of psychological, behavioral, or cognitive disorders”, especially for those living with an AD patient (Popescu et al.). In contrast, those with a support system have shown greater resilience in suffering negative effects from caregiving. On the contrary, caregivers can learn about themselves in the process, tap into unknown strengths, develop feelings of achievement, and gain greater connections between caregiver and