Individuals With Dementia

Patient living in the nursing homes with diagnosis of dementia experience Disruptive behavior. According to Burton et al. (2015) more than 44 million people have dementia. Dementia affects memory, thinking and social abilities. These symptoms severely interfere with daily functioning of the patient. Approximately 90% of dementia patients demonstrate psychological and behavioral symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, depression, hallucination, delusion, and aggression (Chen et al., 2014). Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are a varied group of non-cognitive symptoms affecting demented patients. These symptoms are delusion, hallucination, agitation, anxiety, euphoria, disinhibition, night-time behavioral disturbances

and risk. People with dementia can have mood swings and there personality can even change altogether. As carers we need to set boundaries to keep a person safe without infringing on a there rights, which can be difficult, especially in the advanced stages of dementia but there are some effective techniques to aid.

People who have dementia are not aware of requirements for living. They can forget to do the essential things that are vital. Taking medicines, hygiene and even eating are often forgotten. They can get lost or hurt and not understand what is necessary to correct a situation. Turning on the cooker or water and forgetting to turn it off again, locking doors, crossing streets etc can all be dangerous even deadly. In the same way as you would not think an infant capable of self care, a person with dementia cannot be either. Considering the facts that they cannot act in the manner of a

If an individual with dementia is doing an activity, which is familiar to them or part of, their routine that they have developed then the individual may be comfortable and do the activity with ease. On the other hand, if you take the individual out of their routine or familiar surroundings their confusion will grow.

and risk. People with dementia can have mood swings and there personality can even change altogether. As carers we need to set boundaries to keep a person safe without infringing on a there rights, which can be difficult, especially in the advanced stages of dementia but there are some effective techniques to aid.

• Every individual, including individuals with dementia, has their unique life history, lifestyle, culture and preferences, including their likes, dislikes, hobbies and interests, which makes an individualised approach in care necessary.

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.

Living with dementia can be overwhelming, stressful and emotional. There is a lot to take in, appointments and assessments to attend, sorting out what support you are entitled to, care preparation, wishes and preferences.

1.4 The impact the behaviours of carers and others may have on an individual with dementia include becoming more confused and frustrated as they do not understand what you are telling, are using body language that suggests something different to what you are saying. They may feel you are telling them off or

Buijssen 2005 suggests that depression is a main factor with dementia due to lots of feelings of helplessness and anxiety which can cause the service user to have challenging out bursts. To enable a person to remain in their home safely and independently other people will be involved. This depends on how advanced the dementia is, otherwise the service

The term dementia is used to describe an illness that affects the memory. Patients can suffer from forgetfulness, loss of memory and the inability to remember new information. As well as being unable to speak and be understood by others and be unable to carry out general tasks. Patients can also suffer from mood changes and all reasoning. This all has an effect on daily routines and people become unable to look after themselves properly and manage their own personal care.

Dementia is an extremely common disease among the elderly, with 4 million Americans currently suffering from the Alzheimer’s type alone. Figures show that 3% of people between the ages of 65-74 suffer from the disease, rapidly increasing to 19% for the 75-84 age bracket, and as high as 47% for the over 85s. Therefore, it is easy to see why Dementia is such a large part of many people’s lives, whether they are suffering from the condition themselves, or have an elderly relative who requires full time care just to undertake simple day to day tasks. The disease can be extremely traumatic for the patient and their families, as the person, who may have been extremely lively and bright throughout their

Dementia effects your memory and a person’s ability to achieve a normal everyday task and activities.

I’ve always felt most at home in a local nursing home. It became a place of solace, I felt that I could make a difference there more than I felt I could at my own school.I know it sounds a bit odd, but caring for others has always given me a sense of satisfaction. At first my visits were mundane, I was mostly concerned with racking up community service hours. I had been apathetic for some time until the coordinator told me that I would have the opportunity to actually interact with the elderly who suffer with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of Dementia.

Dementia robs a person of their ability to plan or complete activities. It can make the world a very scary place. Familiarity is comforting and reassuring.