Varying Aspects of Alzheimer’s Disease and Implementations for Nursing Care

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

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that accounts for sixty to seventy percent of Dementia cases. It is characterized by the development of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the loss of connection between neurons in the brain and the death of nerve cells. There are two types of Alzheimer’s Early on-set Alzheimer’s which occur from the ages of thirty to sixty is very rare and makes up less than five percent of the cases of Alzheimer’s . The second type is Late on-set Alzheimer’s which is the most common type and it is found in those of ages sixty and up. The progression of Alzheimer’s is a lengthy progress from the time of diagnosis the average life expectancy is three to nine years. In the early stages people have difficulty with short term memory loss as the disease progresses symptoms include difficulties with language, disorientation, mood swings, loss of motivation, loss of self-care and behavioral issues. As Alzheimer’s progresses a person slowly withdraws from family life and society due to the jumbled state of their memory. On a physical level the body’s physical function slowly degenerates and eventually leads to death.

This research paper will be about Alzheimer’s disease and how it affects the brain. It will also tell you many other things about Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease is named after the German physician Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who first discovered Alzheimer’s in 1906. It is the most common form of dementia, and it is found in around sixty to eighty percent of all cases of dementia. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disorder (physical ailment whose course in most cases is the worsening, growth, or spread of the disease), and it is characterized by large loss of nerve cells and the connection between them, along with change in personality and behavior. Its course is never ending, but pretty predictable. People who are on the upwards of sixty-five

The primary audience for this article is those affected by Alzheimer’s Syndrome, their family members that are seeking more detailed information, care takers, neurosurgeons, cardiovascular physicians, nursing professionals, nursing students, college professors and educators. The secondary audience would consist of hospital staff that did not attend presentation. According to the National institute of Health, “Age is the primary risk factor for developing dementia. For that reason the number of people living with dementia could double in the next 40 years with an increase in the number of Americans who are age 65 or older- from 40 million today to more than 88 million in 2050. Regardless of the form of dementia, the personal economic and societal demands can be devastating”

Alzheimer's is a very common disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. Working in the Healthcare Profession will allow one to see many different cases of Alzheimer and how it affects everyone differently. Having several family members who have been diagnosed with this disease allowed me to be eager on researching this topic. Alzheimer’s disease usually affects people around the age of 60 and older. It has been said that this disease cannot be cured. Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia are often mistaken as the same, but through my research I found out that they were completely different.

More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s(“What is Alzheimer’s?). Alzheimer’s is a disease that progessively worsens and eventually kills brain cells. The damaged brain cells lead to memory loss and trouble with cognitive thinking. Alzheimer’s deteriorates the brain slowly. Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but there are treatments. The treatmeants can’t reverse the damaged cells, but the process can be slowed. Placing a patient with Alzheimer’s in a long-term care facility is best for the patient’s health and well-being, because Alzheimer’s patients require around the clock care, caregivers will be overworked tending to

Scientists are unable to conclude on what causes Alzheimer’s disease. An early stage of Alzheimer's is usually caused by some form of genetic mutation. Late stages of Alzheimer's occurs due to extended periods of time with brain dysfunctions. The causes probably include a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors (CB). Most cases of Alzheimer’s is found in geriatrics aged 65 or older, however a small amount of cases are found in younger people (CA). Conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure are shown to increase the chances of having Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer's disease typically develops slowly and progressively gets worse over time. It affects the brain area, including one’s memory, thinking, judgment, language, problem-solving, personality and movement (Kurz, 2012). There are five stages associated with Alzheimer's disease which include (a) preclinical Alzheimer's disease, (b) mild cognitive impairment, (c) mild dementia due to Alzheimer's, (d) moderate dementia due to Alzheimer's and (e) severe dementia due to Alzheimer's (Kurz, 2012). Looking at the situation of the 77-years old woman, she is categorized to be in the mild dementia stages where memory loss, changes in personality, wandering, difficulty in expressing thought is occurring. Individuals at this stage are well monitored; they have a hard time remembering recent events or newly learned information while they repeatedly ask the same question over and over. They become socially challenged and isolated with possibility of displaying feelings of anger, guilt and irritability. It is very common for them to get lost in familiar places and can become agitated and hostile

Alzheimer's can occur from a number of things, but the number one cause is genetically based. Alzheimer's is caused by mutations or abnormalities, this permanent change occur in one or more specific genes. Alzheimer’s can be one of several different single gene mutations on chromosomes 21, 14, and 1. These mutations can cause abnormal proteins to form, which then disrupts brain activity. These changes affect how the nerve cells and the brain cells communicate with each other. There are a number of contributing factors such as age, head trauma, lifestyle, environment, and many others. Alzheimer's studies are also beginning to show a link between Alzheimer's and cardiovascular conditions, inflammation, and

For decades society has been dealing with the dreadful effects of Alzheimer’s disease, from the emotional diagnosis, to family member involvement, and the demanding needs, financially. Scientist and researchers, with the monetary contributions from fundraising organizations like, The Alzheimer’s Association, The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, along with many additional establishments work around the clock expectantly to find a cure for this mind altering disease. Now a days, there are many groups available for any person needing information on Alzheimer’s disease. Personal experience gained from caring for the elderly in my lifetime, is the motivation behind my awareness of this dreadful disease. It wasn’t until my job as a supervisor of an Alzheimer’s unit, that my understanding of this ghastly disease, made me grasp just how tough it is for every person involved. This unbearable disease, becomes a family disease, family members are faced with many heart wrenching decisions and robbed of their loved ones. Just envision, if you will, awakening one morning and nothing is familiar, your wife/husband, children, or friends. Imagine, if it’s your mom or dad, either way devastation is what comes to mind. This disease steals your memories, the life you once recognized has vanished. The topics covered in the following text include, an overview of Alzheimer’s disease/dementia, some statistics, emotional effect on those with A.D., family member involvement

However they do not completely understand the overall cause of Alzheimer’s. It is believed that those who are in the early-onset of the disease, are most likely to have contracted it through a genetic mutation. Whereas late-onset Alzheimer’s is assumed to arise as a result of a complicated pattern in brain changes that generally take several decades to occur. After years of study, scientists have so far concluded that the causes probably include combinations of genetic, environmental and lifestyle

The genetic risk factors in AD is about 5% of patients which caused by autosomal dominant mutations in these three genes presenilin 1, presenilin 2 and amyloid precursor protein (APP) which are responsible for developing AD, also the presence of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) apoE4 allele as it identified in the development of both the early- and late-onset forms of AD and contribute to 15-20% of AD (Qiu et al., 2004).

Alzheimer’s Disease is a chronic neurological disease characterized by memory loss, behavioral changes, and a progressive loss of intellectual function. This disease has a wide array of symptoms and effects that vary greatly from person to person throughout the three stages of disease progression. The three stages are classified as mild, moderate, and severe. It is tough to give an accurate prognosis with Alzheimer’s patients seeing as everyone reacts differently to the disease and the medications. According to Gould and Dyer (2011), about 4.5 to 5.4 million Americans experience the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. When a patient is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, it has the potential to turn their loved ones’ worlds upside down. Since there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, loved ones have to constantly monitor and help the person affected. Treatment is a group effort consisting of using doctors and therapists for guidance while family members take care of the person affected.

This assignment critically discusses about dementia, a widespread disability among older adults today. It provides an introduction to dementia and analyses its prevalence in society. The various forms of dementias are elaborated with description about dysfunctions and symptoms. Nursing Assessment and Interventions are provided in the further sections which discusses about actions nurses should take on while evaluating patients and treating them. Finally, communication, an important Activity of Daily Living (ADL) is explored and patient/carer advice is presented so as to maintain good health conditions in the patient.

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