Prevalence of Dementia in Australia

Certain qualities are consistently observed in the Alzheimer’s victim. These dysfunction’s, though, are not exclusive to Alzheimer’s disease. Consequently, declaring Alzheimer’s by these parameters is a matter of degree rather than an absolute. Characteristic dysfunction’s have been noted in Alzheimer’s victims, but the degree and severity of these varies from patient to patient. Thus, evaluation of the patient’s mental status must be made based on the sum, rather than a single characteristic. Memory is one of the first noticed deficiencies, beginning typically with the recent and short term memory, and progressing from there as the disease grows more severe. In addition, deterioration in language skills, attention span, praxis (performance of an action), and visuospatial skills are commonly seen. Also observed are changes in the actions and personality of the Alzheimer’s victim. These include changes in mood, motor activities, activities of daily living, socialization skills, psychotic disturbances, vegetative symptomology, and rise in anxiety levels. Again, the

The term ‘dementia’ describes a set of symptoms which can include loss of memory, mood changes and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when the brain is damaged by certain conditions and diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. 
Age is the greatest risk factor for dementia. Dementia affects one in 14 people over the age of 65 and one in six over the age of 80. However, dementia is not restricted to older people: in the UK, there are over 17,000 people under the age of 65 with dementia, although this figure is likely to be an underestimate.

Research conducted by the Australian government in 2011, estimated that 298,000 Australians have been diagnosed with dementia and based on current projections, this number will exceed 400,000 by 2020. (1) Although forecast methods vary, the number of people with dementia is expected to triple between 2011 and 2050 and is estimated to reach approximately 900,000 by 2050. (1)

Dementia can be defined as a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life (alz.org). More than often, individuals affected by dementia are over the age of 65. In the United States, there are more than three million cases of dementia each year. According to World Health Organization, the number of people living with dementia is currently estimated at 47.5 million worldwide and is expected to increase to 75.6 million by 2030 (World Health Organization 2015). Dementia is caused by physical modifications in the brain and is known for loss of memory and mental abilities. It’s a progressive disease which means it gets worse over time. If diagnosed early on, the quality of life for people with dementia as well as their family members can be significantly improved. There are many different types of dementias although some are far more reciprocal than others. One of the most common types of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Other few types of dementias are “Vascular dementia, Mixed dementia, Parkinson 's disease and Frontotemporal dementia (Krishnan, D. S)”. All of the various forms of dementia tend to have similar symptoms which consequently makes it hard to determine the type of dementia a patient may be suffering from.

Dementia which was views as a disease is now viewed as a disability. It allows us to view people with dementia as individuals coping with their own impairment and entitled to an adequate quality of life and comfort. To do this it is necessary for us to shift our way of thinking from focusing on dementia as a disease that degenerative without a cure, to focusing on the whole person and seeing dementia as a disability of certain parts of the persons

The most common symptoms of dementia are the following, memory loss, impaired judgement, inappropriate behavior, and loss of communication skills. There a many things that you

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

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.

More than 5 million Americans currently have dementia in the United States and this number is projected to rise to between 8 and 13 million by 2050 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Dementia is known to become more prevalent with age, increasing from 5 to 10 percent in people over 65 years of age to almost one half of people over the age of 85 (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015). Although family members provide the majority of care for people with dementia, increasing needs over time often lead to placement in a long-term care setting. Dementia is the most common reason for entry into long-term care facilities (Zimmerman, 2013) and nearly 90% of persons with dementia will have at least one stay at a nursing home in their lifetime (Grunier, 2007).

Its estimated that approximately one in 14 people, in the United States, are currently living with dementia ("Understanding Dementia", 2014) with women being disproportionally affected over their male counter parts. Dementia, is a general term used to describe symptoms of Alzheimer 's, which manifest in deficits in cognitive functioning, reasoning abilities and causes disruptions in daily life

The impact of dementia is a mounting global health problem and through worldwide education the incidence and prevalence can be diminished. Global education is critical with the projected dementia incidence, the lack awareness and understanding of dementia, no dementia cure and the associated stigma. These factors combined have a major impact on the person with dementia and society. No solo country, sector or organisation can encounter this global health problem by themselves.

[109, 110] In Australia, there is a recognition to deliver culturally appropriate services and supports for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with dementia from diagnosis to end-of-life care, including use of an appropriate cognitive assessment tool such as the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA). [113, 114] A Chinese study on exposure to dementia scenarios and information showed a reduction in stigma, thus highlighting the role of public education. [115]

Dementia is a cognitive disorder that is not commonly vocalized to the public and generally does not have much awareness surrounding it. Considering the fact that if all of the people in the world diagnosed with dementia lived in one place, the population would be greater than the population of Canada. Like it was stated in the video Dementia, The Unspooling Mind, this disorder is sought to be an epidemic because it comes on with no warning and no treatment. Loved ones and family members will be diagnosed without and warning signs or reasons why. After the loved one is diagnosed, that is when life will turn upside down for both the patient and the family. Many people choose to not talk or deal with this topic as well because when it is done so, there is more times than not, a negative stigma that is surrounded by this disease.

In the United States by 2012 there has been approximately 5.5 million people diagnosed with dementia (“What is Dementia?”, 2012). Dementia symptoms can begin as early as age 45 and the risk of getting doubles every 5 years. More women have been diagnosed with dementia than men but no reasons have been found as to why (“What is Dementia?”, 2012).

Dementia is the loss of mental functions such as thinking, memory, and reasoning that is severe enough to interfere with a person's daily functioning. Dementia is not a disease itself, but rather a group of symptoms that are caused by various diseases or conditions. Symptoms can also include changes in personality, mood, and behavior. In some cases, the dementia can be treated and cured because the cause is treatable. Examples of this include dementia caused by substance abuse (illicit drugs and alcohol), combinations of prescription medications, and hormone or vitamin imbalances. In some cases, although the person may appear to have dementia, a severe depression can be causing the symptoms. This is known as pseudo-dementia (false dementia) and is highly treatable. In most cases, however, true dementia cannot be cured.