Essay On Alzheimer's Care

Alzheimer’s disease can have a big effect on family members around the person with the disease; it would be upsetting seeing a loved one got through such a major change in their behaviour and their mental capability. If you live with someone with Alzheimer’s and they are wondering in the middle of the night and have sleep difficulties and this can disturb the family in the house. Also if they are wondering around in the middle of the night around the community the police may pick them up, meaning they are again disturbed as the police will need to contact someone to make sure that the person is ok. There are also worries about financial problems that the Alzheimer’s sufferer may have, if they cannot manage

Allow the person with dementia and their family plan and make arrangements for the future

Alzheimer’s disease in many ways is not yet defined. It is a progressive disease afflicting between 5 and 15 percent of people over 65. Additionally, it is not restricted to the elderly, reportedly having

In advanced stages, loss of speech entirely can occur, though emotional signals can still be cognitive and recognizable. At this point, pertinent exhaustion and apathy are presented as the patient loses the ability to perform the most simplest of tasks. Because the patient becomes bedridden at this point, they are completely dependent on the caregivers. Death usually occurs at this point, not directly due to the disease, but from outside sources such as pneumonia.

Illnesses like Alzheimer's disease make it difficult for those who want to provide supportive care at the end of life to know what is needed. Because people with advanced dementia can no longer communicate, they cannot share their concerns. Is Uncle Bert refusing food because he is not hungry or because he's confused? Why does Grandma Ruth seem agitated, is she in pain and needs medication to relieve it, but can't tell you. As these conditions progress, they also obstruct efforts to provide emotional or spiritual comfort. How can you let Grandpa know how much his life has meant to you? How do you make peace with your mother if she no longer knows who you are? Someone who

In the United States there are approximately 5.4 million people living with Alzheimer’s. Every sixty-nine seconds a person is diagnosed. This is an ongoing issue, and unless something is done, sixteen million people will be affected by 2050 (Latest).

To help prolong Tim?s life I?d use these strategies: Ensure that Tim?s needs are balanced with Ralph and Pat and try to eliminate individual isolation and ensure that the needs of all the parties involved are known, understood and well-managed. Communication channels need to be open about issues of end-of-life to know the time to execute advance care preparation and proper referrals (A Guide to ALS Patient Care for Primary Care

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).

     Those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease usually end up in nursing homes or hospice care centers, because, as the disease evolves to its later stages, the patient typically becomes unable to care for themselves and is required to have around-the-clock care. Nursing care is very expensive and can be estimated to cost “…approximately $47,000 per patient per year” (Cummings and Cole 1). Patients are plagued with not only memory loss, but also abnormalities of the motor system, problems assessing new information, trouble speaking and disorientation. “Patients with AD usually survive 7-10

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes”(AFA 1). Millions of adults of the age 65 and older have been diagnosed with this serve diseases . Based on their condition they should be placed in a nursing home , because they're going to get the treatment they need . It also prevents the patients from hurting themselves and other members of the family. Nursing homes can benefit the patients in many ways and help, them accept their condition. Patients are able to interact with people with their same condition or have a different illness. They also provide counseling for the family members of the alzheimer's patients where they give them the support they need , and they’re able to learn more about the illness of their loved ones .

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 .

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be a devastating disease for patient and families, the patient would need 24-hour care and they would become dependent on their families. I used to take care off a lady with AD at a facility. The facility had several room, one for people with early signs of AD where the patients were still doing ADL’s on their own and another where patients needed total care. My client

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

Declining health and depression are two of the largest reasons families look into assisted living homes for aging loved ones. Making sure that the healthcare needs of the elderly are met becomes a priority for every family as the roles begin to reverse from the parent being the primary caregiver of their children to the children being responsible for meeting the needs of aging parents. Diseases such Alzheimer’s and dementia are very difficult for not only the

Alzheimer’s disease affects 1 out of every 8 people in the United States. It is a long and debilitating disease that affects every aspect of a person’s life from the way they preform daily tasks, to the physical and mental abilities that are diminishing. Along with the lifestyle changes that Alzheimer’s disease presents, it also affects one’s psychological perspective as well their view on what they can offer their family and society. There are some ways to maintain a level of independence with a disease of this magnitude but there are also factors in lifestyle choices that can make it worse. Alzheimer cannot be cured, it cannot be slowed, but there are ways to keep the effected person at a certain level of comfort, independence and safety