Expert Caregivers in Dementia Care
By Ryan J Lewis | Submitted On May 27, 2013
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It is disheartening for family members to be informed of their loved one suffering from dementia. Another term for this dilapidating illness is Alzheimer's disease. It is actually a deteriorating medical illness or condition rather than a disease in strict medical terms.
When one receives news of a family member diagnosed as having dementia, it is
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An expert caregiver in dementia care is trained to be able to identify the progressive deterioration symptoms of the patient to take the next best course of action without springing sudden surprises that may be discouraging to the family members. These professional dementia caregivers are able to inform the family members of the progressive health of the patient gently to help members accept the condition of the patient.
There may be some sense of grief and disappointment but emotional support is garnered to strengthen the members from the family by the caregiver. The patient needs to be kept in a general well being condition regardless of the pace this illness is taking. The best of care services are extended to the patient at all stages of this illness regardless of its pace of deterioration. The dementia care rendered includes a normal life schedule as much as possible for the patient and the rest of the
The term dementia describes a set of symptoms which include loss of memory, mood changes and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when the brain is damaged by numerous certain diseases. Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. How fast dementia progresses will depend on the individual person and what type of dementia they have. Each person is unique and will experience dementia in their own way.
In dementia care is a key aspect of best practice. It is a way of caring for a person with dementia as an individual with unique qualities. It means looking at the world from the person’s point of view ‘standing in their place’ as it were and appreciating how they may be feeling.
Dementia is a term used to describe a collection of signs and symptoms that happen to the brain when it is affected by the progression of certain diseases such as vascular dementia (when brain cells die due to lack of oxygen) and Alzheimer’s disease (a specific brain disease). Some of the affects these diseases have are on a person’s memory, language and communication abilities, behaviour and ability to make rational judgements.
Early diagnosis helps a person and their family prepare, they may want to learn about what they about to face increase awareness of dementia, its implications and Integrated Care Pathway. They would be able to look at benefit and legal implication such any benefits entitlements and power of attorney. The person and their family would
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
The term ‘dementia’ is used to describe a syndrome associated with an ongoing decline of the brain and its abilities. This includes problems with memory loss, thinking speed, mental agility, language, understanding, and judgment. People with dementia can become apathetic or uninterested in their usual activities, and have problems controlling their emotion. They also fine social situation challenging, lose interest in socialising and aspect of their personality may change. The majority of people who are diagnosed with dementia have either Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia, or a combination of the two. (Source 1) As the disease progresses, the person experiencing dementia becomes more vulnerable and their needs often complex; which requires appropriate care and management (Kitwood, 1997).this leads me to the next distinctive feature of patients with dementia.
Focusing on dementia, it is not constantly possible to involve the dementia sufferers in the decision making course of their care without encouragement and assistance by
The main motives include providing more knowledge and understanding of dementia and also its effect on behaviour as well as it progression rate. Provide carers with an impressive understanding of available local support services and how they can be accessed. It also aims at assisting in surpassing the shock relating to an initial diagnosis of dementia as well as ways to maximize life and well-being.
“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
In the pamphlet Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease, the Alzheimer’s Association adds late onset, traditionally known simply as Alzheimer’s, targets primarily people 65 and older. The disease follows a series of steps from mild decline with little noticed changes to very severe cognitive decline where the final stage of the disease is in progress (Basic 19-21). Throughout the stages, independence becomes lost and family members will become care takers and in the later stages nursing homes or hospice may be needed. One book encourages the care giver to communicate through body language, tone, and written instructions to help alleviate as much stress as possible for those living with Alzheimer’s (Living 47). The book further adds when caring for a person with Alzheimer’s remember to maintain patience and to show respect .
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Abstract—Alzheimer’s disease is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. As medicine continues to advance, people are living longer. This means that there are more and more elderly people that need caregivers. Also, alzheimer’s disease is showing up in people at younger ages now, meaning that there are more middle-aged adults who need caregivers. Caregivers are a very important aspect of an alzheimer’s patient’s life, however many times they are not thought of when looking at the disease. However, the caregivers need support when they are taking care of the patient and if the time comes that they decide end-of-life care is need. There has been plenty of research on the decision-making of end-of-life care, however there hasn’t
The 1996 National Caregiver Surveyed researched over 1,500 family caregivers and the study has proved that dementia care is different from any other types of family care giving. Providing care to patients with dementia often comes with psychological and physical effects as well as financial effects on the caregiver of a patient with dementia; utilizing natural remedies will help replenish the brain and ease tension and anxiety. There are many different natural remedies that can help cure numerous health issue. Caring for someone with dementia often requires a great deal of time and patience, and it can cause great stress to the caregiver. This illnesses lead to symptoms of serious changes in memory, personality and behavior. For some, it often ends up with the afflicted needing total care, 24 hours per day. This can be emotionally and physically demanding for a family caregiver, a grown child taking care of her/his parent, or a spouse caring for his/her lifelong partner.
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I have maintained Academic Integrity in my work by adhering to the values of honesty and integrity. I declare that this work respects APA requirements as well as policies within the School of Health Sciences.