Care Services and Memory Loss
As we age, moments of forgetfulness are sure to become more common. The good news is that this is common and nothing to be worried about. Forgetfulness is not memory loss.
There does come a time, however, when the number of things that are forgotten or the length of time it takes to recall information becomes a concern. In today's world, many people jump right to the "D-word" and assume the memory loss is related to dementia.
Long and short-term memory loss can be associated with many different ailments or lifestyle choices. The problem is not always dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or some other chronic condition. In fact, one of the most common causes of senior memory loss is a mix of prescription and over-the-counter
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Memory loss is one of them. Alcohol actually kills off brain cells and smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that is able to be transferred to the brain. Studies repeatedly show that seniors who have a history of smoking and/or regular alcohol consumption have greater percentages of memory problems than seniors that do not drink or smoke. Senor care services can help your loved one find a smoking or alcohol cessation program that is right for them. They can also be there for them emotionally and socially as they make the tough transition away from these lifestyle choices. By cutting out smoking and regular alcohol consumption, it is not just your loved one's memory that will benefit.
WebMD notes that "Both quantity and quality of sleep are important to memory." If your senior loved one is not getting a full night of sound rest, care services personnel can help them arrange a sleep study or assist with a home sleep kit to determine if they have sleep apnea or some other sleep disorder. Care services can also help them ,eep a sleep journal and design and stick to a proper sleep routine.
In short, memory loss is one of the scariest parts of aging. Not every occurrence of forgetfulness is something to be alarmed about, though. And, even if the memory loss seems to be more than the occasional senior moment, there are many factors other than dementia that could be at play. Regardless of the cause
One of the fears people with dementia has is memory loss, often people think often is that they will be vulnerable to abuse either from their families or carers. maltreatment of people with dementia can have a lasting effect on them.
A topic I learned more of this semester in regards to the older population was dementia. Some loss in memory function is an inevitable consequence of aging, and as one ages, it takes more time to process information and retrieve memories. However, "Dementia is a general term that refers to progressive, degenerative brain dysfunction, including deterioration in memory, concentration, language skills, visuospatial skills, and reasoning, that interferes with a person's daily functioning" (Mauk, 2014, p. 377). This loss of mental skills affects the ability to function over time, causing problems with memory and how one thinks, impacting these individual's overall quality of life.
Forgetting loved ones, favorite foods, and even how to put on clothes in the morning. All are signs of people who go through some sort of dementia. These people will never fully regain the memory that once use to be so cherished and held onto. Dementia can happen fast and even without warning. One week a person could be mowing the lawn and having normal conversations, then have a stroke and forget his grandson’s name. Stroke and dementia result in both long and short term disability and worldwide both are major health and social care issues (Greenwood 2016). Dementia has a huge impact on people’s lives and even can cause people to do harm to one another. Not knowing is the scariest thing a human can feel.
The aging brain doesn’t grow old; the brain can outlive 120 years. Staying active really reproduce neurons in the brain. When people start to loose their memory they are really just loosing memory receptors which makes it harder to recall memories. The amazing thing about your brain is you can retrain it. If you suffer from a stroke and lose the function of your left arm, with lots of practice and persistence you can retrain your brain and make that arm function again.
One of the myths are that memory loss is a regular part of aging. As people age they lose some of their memories. This has been shot down because Alzheimer’s is just not memory loss but the loss of brain cells and dead brain cells. The other myth is that the disease is not fatal. It strips away the person’s identity and body functions. They are not able to think, eat, talk, and walk but never to the extent of death. And the last myth would be that Alzheimer’s only occur with older people, which have also been shot down because more and more the year progresses we have found more younger people being diagnosed with the
When you get older one part of your brain grows with you and deteriorates as you get older. This part of your brain is called “hippocampus”. That is the reason that when you go shopping with your nanny she forgets half of the list and she also forgot to write it down. The elderly also don’t have cognitive memory because you can ask them their original cheesecake recipe and they have it written down because they can’t remember. I would advise that the elderly play regularly memory games so they can’t forget. The elderly can play luminosity which is a website that challenges your brain. It also includes memory games which are a big help for the elderly. According to an ABC news article younger people tend to remember specific details in their
Almost everyone has experienced the situation where he sees someone familiar, but cannot think of that person’s name, or he has shopped in a mall and cannot remember where the car is parked. Anyone over the age of sixty-five would probably panic, fearing that he has Alzheimer’s disease, since age is a huge risk factor related to memory loss. He may ask himself, “Is something wrong with me, or am I just getting old?” Much of our population is terrified of developing Alzheimer’s disease or of watching a loved one slowly and gradually fade away. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is when the brain loses the ability to function mostly in keeping short-term memories, progressing to lack of cognitive function, and eventually causing death (Atkins, 2008, pp. 3).
Dr. Alzheimer discovered that it’s in fact more than just an abnormality of the brain but cerebrovascular risk factors that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease (Chinthapalli, 2014). While older age is one of the causing factors of dementia, gradual cognitive decline in those in their 60s rather their 90s is when Alzheimer’s is viewed as the cause of memory decline.
However, an increased loss of memory, which impacts the personality by which the person becomes irritable, depressed, anxious, angry, delusional, paranoid, and has problems with speech, orientation, planning, and has an inability to carry out the normal activities of daily life must not be conceived of as a normal part of the aging process. Profound memory loss is an indication of Alzheimer disease, and it is not a manifestation of old age.
Alzheimer’s disease causes the brain cells to degenerate and die, this causes a decline in memory and function. (“7 stages of Alzheimer’s Disease,” WebMD)
These days it is typical to see an elderly person forgetting something. Memory loss may need to be taken more seriously now. If the elderly person is experiencing memory loss, it may be time to have them see a doctor. It can be hard to diagnose the symptoms at first due to the fact that the symptoms can seem subtle. This disease, however can be serious and needs to be treated as soon as there is a problem. If it stays untreated the disease can leave the person unable to take care of themselves at all or even worse deceased. Alzheimer's Disease is a serious disease that can be mistaken for a healthy lifestyle, but there are several ways to prevent it, or lower the risks.
Have your grandparents ever forgotten your name and got you mixed up with your siblings? Sounds harmless right? What if they forgot to take their medicine? Sounds a little more intense. Now what if they forgot to stop at a stop sign and drove right through it? This brings me to my second main point, memory loss. While forgetfulness can be a normal part of aging, it can also be a sign of more serious memory problems, such as dementia, cognitive impairment, or even Alzheimer's disease. Oxforddictionaries.com states that Alzheimer's is a progressive mental deterioration that can occur during middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. It is the most common cause of premature senility. An examination of dementia or Alzheimer's
There are many other factors that can cause changes to an individual’s condition with the same type of symptoms as dementia. Common causes of change I say could be as simple as change in diet, medication or the environment the individual is in. loss or reduction in memory does not mean or indicate the individual Is suffering with a form of dementia. There are many conditions that can affect the health of an individual whether its depression, a confusional state or dementia. Changes to our sensors either through age or through damage can affect the parts of the brain that can then affect memory. Certain injury to the brain by external trauma like a blow to the head or internal factors like a stroke aneurysm and brain tumors can cause problems
There are many different causes for Short Term Memory Loss. One cause for it is Ischemic Stroke. “A stroke is a sudden interruption in the blood supply of the brain, usually caused by an abrupt blockage of arteries leading to the brain. Ischemic stroke is by far the most common type of stroke, and it affects more woman than men.” (Memory Health Check, 1) This stroke is seen more in older people due to the fact that
"I lost my keys again," my mother exclaimed at dinner a few nights ago, "I really am getting old." This use of old age as a justification for memory deficits is extremely common. Many people relate old age with loss of memory and other neurobiological functions. Why is it that aging seems to go hand in hand with losing and forgetting things? Is there a neurobiological explanation for this phenomenon?