Effects Of Dementia On The Risk Of Dementia

This assignment will explore the effect of the long term condition dementia. It will focus on a service user who has recently been admitted onto an assessment ward and their family. It will explore the nurse’s role and how they will support and manage the patient’s illness. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2015) state that individual’s rights to confidentiality must be respected at all times, therefore all names mentioned in this assignment have been changed to maintain confidentiality.

Dementia is a term used to describe the symptoms of a number of illnesses which effect the function of the brain. It is an umbrella term describing the progressive decline in a person’s cognitive ability. The type and severity of symptoms varies with each type of dementia and is usually has a gradual onset, is progressive and irreversible. (1)

This assignment is going to outline possible effects of dementia on an individual’s health and quality of life. There are many different factors that having dementia will effect. As stated above some will affect the health of the person and others will affect the quality of life that the person will have.

Scientists have actually come up with some preventative measures against Alzheimer’s and the onset of this horrendous disease. Physical activity, brain stimulation (such as puzzles, games, regularly reading, watching television, and any other type of social activity), nutritious diet, and also there is an ongoing search for a vaccine. I saw where in Europe they actually treat their age-related dementia patients with gingko biloba. Gingko biloba is thought

By 2015, it is estimated that there will be a number of 850,000 dementia sufferers in the UK and about 225,000 people develop dementia every year in which it is roughly about one person in every three minutes. It is predicted that the number of people with dementia will exceed 2 million in 2050 if preventative measures are not taken. In brief, dementia can be described as a persistent and progressive loss of mental ability due to brain diseases or injuries in which the symptoms can be recognized by memory disorders, perception and personality changes and also impairments of body functions. Alzheimer is the most common type of dementia which contributes about 62% of the cause of dementia and had become a global prevalence disease. By 2015, it

Lifestyle changes to help prevent AD, according to The Alzheimer’s Prevention Foundation International include ‘four pillars of building a better memory”; diet and vitamins, stress management, exercise and pharmaceutical drugs. Diet and vitamins: the brain requires nutrition, blood flow and energy that comes from a diet that is moderate in calories, high in good fats and clean proteins. Stress management: reducing depression and improving your ability to deal with stressful situations. Exercise: mental and physical exercise is essential for brain health. Effective workouts include brisk walking, swimming, and Tai chi mental exercise such as visiting museums, crossword puzzles, reading, taking educational classes, and socializing with friend’s arte all excellent ways to keep your brain in shape. Pharmaceutical drugs: medications such as Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl, and Namenda, taken with the supervision of a physician, can play an important role in delaying the progression of mild memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease. Natural hormone replacement

Reckless behavior early in life can affect the rest of your life dramatically. Whether it is drinking too much, use of illegal drugs, or even just a simple vehicle accident, it can cause brain damage which can lead to dementia. Dementia isn’t necessarily a disease but rather terminology to describe a set of symptoms. “Severe impairment in intellectual capacity and personality, often due to damage to the brain” (Gazzaniga, Grison, & Heatherton, 2015). In other words, dementia comes with an inability to process surroundings, a difference in character, and, depending in severity, complete memory loss. This loss is because nerve cells in the parts of the brain that are responsible for cognition, like the cerebellum (Molinari, 2002), have been damaged and can no longer function normally. There are many types of dementia, such as, Alzheimer’s, the most common, as well as many others that differ in symptoms. Though many kinds of dementia normally end in pain, suffering and often death, there is no cure. Dementia is a neurocognitive disorder that can affects one’s life drastically, because of memory loss, an inability to preform everyday activities, and personality changes.

Worldwide dementia numbers will grow significantly over the next forty years and create the necessity for improved dementia education. Today it is estimated over 46 million people live with dementia and projected to escalate to 131.5 million by 2050, a new case every 3.2 seconds (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2015). At present 58 percent of people with dementia live in low to middle income countries, this figure is expected to grow to 63 percent by 2030 and to 68 percent by 2050 (WHO, 2015). In table one it displays the chief projection rates will occur in low to middle income countries. However, Langa (2015) identified through education that nine studies over the last ten years have shown a declining risk of dementia incidence in high-income countries. So maybe the estimates in table one in high income country will not be accurate. Additionally, the United Nations predicts by 2050 there will be 83 countries where 20 per cent of their population is over the age of 65 (Rubinstein, Duggan, Landingham,

Some people live to be 100 and are still alert and in control of all their functions!! So to answer the question, is dementia normal? Should we all be afraid that the longer we live, the less capable we will be in living life? The answer is no. “Progressive severe loss of memory-routinely forgetting conversations or that one ate at a particular restaurant-and impaired thinking abilities are not a normal part of aging. Rather, such problems may be signs of a dementia-loss of brain functions due to an organic cause. Dementia is a generic term that includes a host of symptoms related to brain failure. There are several causes of dementia, but Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause.” (Kuhn, 1999. p.11)

When looking into the future and thinking about what your life will be 10, 20, even 30 years down the road I would guess the majority of us picture our lives as carefree and exciting, in perfect health and rich. Maybe you have 5 kids, the perfect job and a cookie-cutter husband. Or maybe you travel the world, have a rockin’ body and work for the CIA. Unfortunately that isn’t the outcome for everyone. There are those who will develop Alzheimer 's dementia.

Alzheimer 's disease is a cognitively degenerative disease with irreversible side effects. The disease was first discovered in 1901 by the late German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer while he was working with a fifty year old patient by the name of Auguste D. Since the disease 's discovery, scientists, psychiatrist, and many other medical professionals have worked diligently to learn more about the disease 's effects and potential treatments to hinder its rapid progression.

Most of the older persons in my family have developed dementia at their old age. “Attempting to avoid dementia development, some risk factors taken into account include ones that are unable to be modified: age with age-influencing early-life deleterious conditions, gender, and genetic influence. Additionally, several inborn physical attributes factor in such as lack of early education, environmental stress, and major unexpected circumstances that include accidents and trauma associated with increased risk for dementia. Physical activity has been suggested to weaken the pathophysiology of dementia through constant blood flow to the brain (sustained cerebral perfusion) due to the established relationship between hypertension and dementia. Some examples of physical activity include: dancing, undergoing either usual care or exercise for 60 minutes twice a week. ‘Physical activity’ refers to ‘usual care plus physical activity.’” Although some studies suggest that nutrition-wise antioxidants, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acid, and other supplements help delay the onset of dementia, there has been no absolute prevention from neither physical activity nor nutrition.”

Despite the number of lives Alzheimer’s disease has affected, it cannot be cured. An estimated five million Americans are affected by this disease (“Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet”); treatment trials are being conducted in addition to extensive research to learn more about lifestyle choices to support brain health. As a result, researchers are beginning to find ways to prevent this disease. Lifestyle choices including physical activity, social engagement, obtaining a healthy diet, and receiving a good night’s sleep may help counteract Alzheimer’s disease and support brain health. Although an innumerable amount of people across the United States are affected by Alzheimer's disease, it can be prevented.

My basic knowledge of Alzheimer’s and dementia comes from my work experience and from my classes. I’ve also attended many educational Alzheimer’s seminars, and I know that maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, avoiding mind-alternating drugs, and sleeping more all help in preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s.

Even though dementia is not always reversible, it can be prevented. There are some cardiovascular factors that can help in prevention and risk reduction. If a blood vessel in your body is damaged, it can damage other blood vessels in your brain. This stops the brain cells of receiving vital food and oxygen. These changes may make impairments more severe. Physical exercise also may lower the risk of getting dementia. Physical exercise may also reduce the risk of getting some types of dementia. It also can benefit brain cells by increasing the flow of oxygen and blood to the