Elderly People With Dementia Research Paper

Dementia is caused by loss of brain cells, and shrinkage of brain tissue. This damage leads to increased challenges the brain cells now have to overcome. Neural pathways are the ways our brain cells communicates with one another, so dementia interrupts and negatively affects this process.

Reflective Writing: Critical Incident: caring for a patient who was suffering from dementia in a nursing home

Improving Memory: While it's common for those with dementia to have difficulty recalling everything from events to basic functions, caregivers can implement cognitive exercises to preserve memory recall. This could take the form of cards with pictures of everyday objects, or even the

However, take the person out of their familiar surroundings and out of their routine, and their confusion will grow, causing their symptoms to be more obvious. Stress has been identified to have an effect on our memory. In the early stages of dementia, the person may be fully aware that they have forgotten where they have put things. This can cause their stress levels to rise, resulting in added memory difficulties, frustration and confusion. In these earlier stages it is important for you as a care worker to give the person emotional support. Do not be tempted to take over what they are having difficulty with. Help them to calm down and think about what they are doing. The more the person becomes agitated, the greater their difficulties will become. As the condition progresses, the more support the person will require. This will include support with day-to-day activities. You can give support through reminding the person what they need to do. Do not overload them as this will increase their stress and therefore their symptoms. If the person asks you a question and repeats it several times within a short space of time, answer it as though it is the first time you have heard the

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At first, someone with dementia may appear to be easily irritated or moody. More challenging behaviour may develop in some people over time. For example, in some cases, a person with dementia may become quite

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Caregivers play a crucial role in the care of dementia patients. Providing care for dementia patients results in stress related health impacts to the caregiver. The caregivers go through a journey with the dementia patient and need a strong support system. The best approach to dementia care is for health care providers to provide information to and monitor the caregiver, in addition to the dementia patient, encourage the caregiver to take care of themselves, to seek support, and to work as a team to provide the best care for the dementia patient.

Dementia is a syndrome, which is usually of a chronic or progressive nature, which causes deterioration in cognitive function. It goes beyond what is expected from normal aging. It causes changes in what you remember, like appointments, or phone numbers. It may cause you to get lost in a familiar setting like driving to the grocery store. You may not be able to balance your checkbook or add up your points in a card game. Communication becomes difficult; as you cannot find the words you want to say. Your personality may change, you may become paranoid, be crabby or short tempered, and you may say or do inappropriate things or laugh when nothing is funny. Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people

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

It can be very difficult caring for a patient with dementia. Most caregivers are unaware

Care givers should use clear questions when speaking to someone with dementia as it may take them a little longer to process what is being asked.

There are many different types of roles and responsibilities that come with being a care worker for somebody with dementia. The care worker has to promote dignity for the service user. Respect them and give them independence, their rights and privacy. Again giving them privacy could just be by closing their toilet door so nobody can see them when on the toilet. Focusing on strengths and the things they have the ability to do. For example when lied in bed if they can’t sit up to help themselves out of bed, rather than saying ‘you know you can’t do that on your own, you don’t need any help’ ask them ‘do you want some help? I’ll help you up, you swing your legs out of bed then you can get up’. By focusing on the things they can do you’ll be helping to promote their independence to do something else. Involving their friends

With this being the case it is recommended that caregivers to the elderly make themselves aware of the common signs of Alzheimer’s. Things such as forgetting a name important dates, appointments or difficulty following a familiar recipe but remembering them later, trouble finding their words when talking, rapid mood swings, separation from friends and family to being confused about a time or place, all of these are signs to watch for and look

A major issue for caregivers is that neither the patient nor the caregiver can pinpoint the exact symptoms of the disease. For instance, the patient will experience common lapses in memory and thus will not be able to carry out the everyday tasks like he used to. As stated earlier, many caregivers overlook these mild signs and do not realize that the disease is present until it gets worse.It should also be noted that many people fear the fact that they might have dementia. The people who have remarkable social skills therefore are very well at hiding their memory loss. (Powers, 2003) Being fearful about one's situation can cause restlessness and feeling of despair. If the caregivers are too blunt about the disease, the patient can even go on to commit suicide because of his condition.