The Ethical Dilemma Of Dementia With My Dad

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

Key legislation that relates to the fulfilment of rights and choices and also minimises the risk of harm to an individual with dementia is:

Memory problems are usually the most obvious symptom in people with dementia. For example, a person with early stages of dementia might go to the shops and then cannot remember what they wanted. It is also common to misplace objects. As dementia progresses, sometimes memory loss for recent events is severe and the person may appear to be living in the past. They may think of themselves as young and not recognise their true age.

Dementia is a terminal illness; and patients with advanced dementia suffer from distressing symptoms, just like people with other terminal decease, such as cancer.

In this article we discuss the types of behavioural and psychological symptoms that are appropriate for intervention, and then examine the current use of non-pharmacological interventions. The article is intended to apply to all common late-onset dementias and to no subtype in particular.

Dementia describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language. These changes are often small to start with, but for someone with dementia they have become severe enough to affect daily life.

Working in a hospital setting predominantly with older people, I have encountered many who have been diagnosed with dementia. Dementia is a term used to describe the symptoms caused by certain diseases or conditions of the brain of which there are two main types; Alzheimer’s disease and Multi Infarct dementia more commonly known as Vascular dementia. Dementia is caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain which cannot be replaced which means that dementia is a progressive condition that gets worse over time and cannot be reversed. It is also a long term condition because it takes months or even years to progress and there is no actual cure. (Alzheimer’s Society 2014) This degenerative condition is more common in older people, however,

I don’t remember a time when my grandpa knew who I was. He had a disease that affected me and my family personally. In fact, I’m guessing that many of you sitting in the audience have also been affected by this horrible disease. The disease I am talking about is Alzheimer’s. Did you know that 1 in every 9 people age 65 or older have it? And even worse 1 in every 3 people age 85 or older are affected by it. Many of you may already know something about Alzheimer’s, but let me give you a brief run down. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s include memory loss, difficulty completing simple tasks, confusion with time or place, problems with speaking or writing, changes in mood or personality, and increased anxiety. Now I know you may be thinking, he is just describing the freshmen sitting in the back. But don’t be fooled, all they suffer from is a lack of sleep and rampant immaturity, but for older people these are symptoms of a disease that wreaks havoc on families throughout the world.

According to the Alzheimer's Society diagnostic rates on average in the England are just under 48%, which despite being a two percent increase from 2012, means there are still around 416,000 people in England who are living with dementia but who are not diagnosed (Alzheimer's Society, 2014). In an effort to tackle dementia diagnosis the government in 2014 announced a £90 million package to improve services, which has lead to an increase in the number of referrals from primary care to memory assessment clinics (DoH, 2014). To meet the new demands on services it has becoming increasingly incumbent that psychologists and specialist nurses take on a new and active role in giving a diagnosis to their patients (Murphy & Gair, 2013; Page et al. 2008, & Griffths et al.

The article “Roles and Coping Strategies of Sons Caring for a Parent With Dementia” addresses the specific demographic of sons caring for a parent (or parent-in-law) with dementia and explores the roles and coping strategies of these individuals as well as the emotional impact that care giving has on them. The participants were recruited through information about the study that was provided to group participants and health care providers as well as paper and online flyers. The data was gathered using a semi-structured interview either over the phone or in person and these interviews were conducted over a two year span (from 2011-2013).

Before this class, I did not know that there are so many disorders and diseases that mimic dementia. Depression, thyroid disorders, and medication

Memory is a precious commodity, an incredible, internal gift. As I watch the effects of dementia slowing chipping away at my father?s body and mind, I realize that if there are any good aspects to be found in this condition, to me, is it the fact the oldest memories hold on longer while the recent slip away sooner. My father can still tell the same stories I grew up hearing; he can recall with pride his family?s history. While these old recollections are not as strong as they once were, and maybe not as accurate, at least they are still present in some form; they are still available. I do prefer my father have these memories than the ones of his daily decline. Of course, he knows he is not who he once was, but the knowledge does not fill his every waking hour; it is not something he is focused on throughout his days because that is a more recent development and thus something he doesn?t remember as easily. Now, of course, dementia effects more than just memory, but I am grateful that he still has the past to help get him through the difficult present.

When taking care of an elderly parent, it’s natural to observe their behaviors. In most cases, caretakers are looking for early signs of any of the myriad conditions that afflict seniors, like Alzheimer's. However, it’s important to understand the difference between a memory lapse and Alzheimer's, especially if the senior is living in one of Richmond VA retirement communities. At a retirement community, Alzheimer's residents would receive different treatment plans.

Dementia is a disease where mainly elderly people start losing their memory. I saw people spilling their cereal, dribbling, wandering aimlessly and cleaning their teeth with a spoon. It would have been so easy to look ahead and walk quickly out of their area, dismissing them as people without feelings and knowledge behind their appearance. One old man with a blank stare staggered around seemingly oblivious to our family. Then he stopped and glared at me.

In February of 2000, I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer's disease. She was diagnosed with the disease just less than two years prior to her death. Throughout that time, I watched changes in my grandmother that made her seem like an entirely different woman to me. She gradually began losing her short-term memory and we began to see signs of her long-term memory degrading too. It began to get harder and harder to take her out into public without being afraid of what would happen next. Her emotions would fluctuate with the changing of each minute it seemed. Physically she became weaker and weaker and would often scare us with falling while she would be walking. Eventually she had to be moved into the