In Canada, there are approximately 120,000 people that have been diagnosed with dementia or a related condition. Dementia is a progressive mental disorder characterized as the deterioration of intelligence and personality (Myers, 2009). By 2031 the number of people living with dementia will drastically increase to 750,000 due to the aging baby boomers population (Statistics Canada, 2013; Black, et al., 2010). People living with dementia require assistance with activities of daily living (ADL); this assistance is often performed by a family member acting as a caregiver (Black, et al., 2010). A caregiver is a person who contributes to another person 's social, medical, environmental and economic resources (Myers, 2009). Although family …show more content…
As the number of people with dementia grows, so will the number of caregivers, this will lead to a major impact on the labor force, health insurance, pension plans and will increase the demand for health care services. In order to offer support to caregivers of dementia patients, it is essential to understand their perspectives. Different cultures and ethnicities have different values and beliefs surrounding how to care for family members. For instance, Chinese culture has a word "xiao" that is translated into responsibility and affection. Chinese culture sees a type of obligation towards family and caring relationships (Chan & O’Connor, 2014; Lai, 2010). Traditional Chinese families form strong commitments and ties to each member. These bonds play a vital role if a family member requires a caregiver, conversely, they may become a barrier because families might be discouraged from receiving external support, especially if they are new immigrants or unfamiliar with the environmental surroundings (Chan & O’Connor, 2014).
Literature Review There are many articles regarding caregiver depression, stress and burnout. According to Black et al. (2010), the surveys performed in their study show caregivers of people with dementia have increased reports of fatigue, helplessness, stress and onset of depression symptoms. This study sheds light on the financial burden placed upon caregivers; they can spend as much as one thousand dollars a month for prescriptions
Being diagnosed with dementia will affect people in different ways. The service user could become withdrawn and depressed, this will affect their well-being and how they look after and treat them self’s. They can start to self-harm or neglect them self’s through personal hygiene or through there eating, eating too much or too little. They may even become so depressed and down in mood
Nearly 135 million people worldwide will be impacted by dementia by 2050 (Robinson, Tang, Taylor,. 2015). Dementia is not a disease, it is an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with the decline in memory and thinking skills. Dementia is a progressive illness that results in the loss of one’s sense of self (Burns, Byrne, Ballard, Holmes, 2002). The two most common forms of dementia are Alzheimer’s disease and Vascular dementia. Dementia is progressive and people with dementia experience complications with short-term memory, keeping track of personal items, paying bills, taking care of themselves and daily tasks (Haigh, Mytton, 2016). Due to the rising number of individuals developing dementia, it is causing major challenges in the healthcare systems and society (Angermeter, Luck, Then, Riedel-Heller, 2016). Utilizing psychotropic medications are often ineffective or harmful to the individual, therefore, many patients decide to utilize sensory therapy as a form of treatment instead (Livingston, Kelly olmes, et al., 2014). Caregivers of individuals with dementia can also experience health consequences related to caregiving at the end of life. Spousal caregivers are 40.5% higher odds of experiencing frailty as a result of caregiving (Carr, Dassel, 2017). Dementia does not only affect the individual, it affects those around them, society, and the healthcare system.
In the U.S., there is an essential population of informal caregivers that devote a significant amount of time and resources to caring for older adults with impairments. However, due to the informal nature of these caregiver relationships, there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of this population. In “A National Profile of Family and Unpaid Caregivers Who Assist Older Adults with Health Care Activities (2016)”, Wolff and colleagues highlight the importance of understanding the responsibilities of caregivers and how this may affect their own health, as well as the need to identify the basic characteristics of informal caregivers. Therefore, the primary objective of this study by Wolff and colleagues (2016) was to characterize the common responsibilities of caregivers, their utilization of supportive services, as well as to identify the effects of caregiver-related responsibilities on their health. Ultimately, this information may inform future public health services and health care systems to provide much needed support and resources to these caregivers.
According to the Healthy People 2020 objectives, dementia can negatively impact a person's ability to perform their daily tasks without the help and supervision of a qualified caregiver. Based on these objectives, the health program proposal includes:
Alzheimer’s is a worldwide disease that many people over the age of 65 years old are diagnosed. Alzheimer’s disease is a current situation in my household the past three years. It is one of the many health issues that do not yet have a known cause or cure. In this investigative report I researched how Alzheimer’s patients affect their family caregivers. All my information was cited from the West Warwick High School research tool as well as google to find articles related to my claim. Many families around the world are going through the same struggles as my own and are seeking advice from others on how to carry on with this daily hassle. My family as well as other families are not alone. There are different ways to cope with our issues depending
The authors opines that due to the advances in medicine our life expectancy is likely to extend and many of us will be called upon to be caregivers for someone in our family who requires special care. This book guides and educates readers on what can be done from a caregiver's standpoint to be better equipped to nurture people living with Alzheimer's disease. This book is authoritative as it packed with tips and techniques from five authorities in the field, and provides insights such as: What caregiving style will suit me best? What skills are likely to remain as Alzheimer's disease progresses? How do I balance my needs with the needs of the person I'm caring for? And much more! The most important tenet of this book is that we can better care
This stems from frustration, misunderstanding, and often times an actual inability for those afflicted to express themselves. Lives are forgotten, simple daily tasks become insurmountable feats, and those suffering can even have a distaste for the ones they love the most. The impact can be equally devastating for their family members and caregivers. A New York Times article even equated the emotional and physical toll of caregiving as similar to the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Graham). Over time, this disease becomes exponentially more domineering and destructive. Until we can better understand the functionally of Alzheimer's, people associated with the disease can seek counseling, support groups, and information on more efficient ways to cope. There is even a great outlook for these services to increase as The U.S. DHHS also included a goal to “Expand Supports for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Their Families” in the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. As part of this goal, nationwide strategies include providing the resources to help family caregivers continue to provide care while maintaining their own health and well-being; assisting families in planning for future care needs; and helping to maintain the dignity, safety, and rights of people with Alzheimer’s (National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease). As a result, quality of emotional
The social impact first begins with the difficulty in diagnosis of the disease (Popescu et al., 2014). For individuals and families, coping with AD will vary depending on their attitudes, beliefs or cultural affiliations, and support network (Menchola & Weiss, 2015). Moreover, for 55%-91% of patients, a woman is the informal caregiver. Also, in 41%, spouses are the main caregiver (Wimo et al., 2013). The social “impact of the caregiving process has been identified as caregiver burden” (Wimo et al.,). Caregivers provide a range of necessary activities from supervising medications, dressing, shopping, managing medical appointments, incontinence care, and dealing with aggressive behaviors. Consequently, studies have shown that caregiver’s are at increased risk of depression, frustration, decreased interest in activities, chronic fatigue change in sleep patterns, and decreased social interactions. These risk leads to “increased risk of psychological, behavioral, or cognitive disorders”, especially for those living with an AD patient (Popescu et al.). In contrast, those with a support system have shown greater resilience in suffering negative effects from caregiving. On the contrary, caregivers can learn about themselves in the process, tap into unknown strengths, develop feelings of achievement, and gain greater connections between caregiver and
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with relentlessly progressive losses in cognition, memory, and language. According to research by Herbert, Weuve, Sherr, and Evans (2013), 5.3 million people are affected by AD, and that number is expected to almost triple by the middle of the century. As cognitive decline progresses, independence and the ability to perform self-care is lost as caregivers must assume this considerable burden. Given the prevalence of AD, its devastating pathology, and its impact on loved ones and caregivers, the social impact of this disease cannot be overstated.
Many older people experience problems in daily living. For example, people with dementia can include forgetfulness and limited social skills. Specially when a person is living alone it could be very difficult to their ability to perform self-care. Having trouble performing self-care is a common reason why older people seek for a caregiver to assist them and move to assisted living communities, or entering a nursing homes.
Another reason why long-term care is more beneficial for an Alzheimer’s patient’s health is because cargivers tend to become overworked. A person with any form of Dementia needs their caregiver to be alert and organized everyday of every hour; if the caregiver is overworked and frustrated the patients care could be compromised unintentionally. Caregivers must watch over every single move of their loved ones if they stay at home. Taking care of a person with Alzheimer’s is like taking care of a giant infant. In most cases Alzheimer’s patients require constant supervision to ensure they do not wander about and forget where they are going. Safety is one of the greatest concerns in careing for an Alzheimer’s patient. Most Alzheimer’s patients have confusion often and could potentially get lost if they are not in their normal surroundings. Caregiving is both mentally and physically exhausting. As Alzheimer’s progresses, the physical and mental demands on a caregiver can gradually become overwheling (Segal). The number one concern for caregivers should
One of the most impacting communication strategies that have influenced and supported change would be the necessity of relationship in care. From a personal perspective I always struggled with the omission of comprehensive family and friend involvement in the ongoing care of the person with dementia (PWD). For example ( Morhardt & Spira, 2013) discuss the relevance of inclusion for family members to be heard and respected as valuable members of the care team. The people who are often the holder of the clues to help with
The study was conducted using seventy-seven older individuals, aged 54 to 90 with 12 black and 65 white that were living with their spouses. The individuals that participated in the study were from Baton Rouge through referrals from organizations in the community of churches, health care agencies, and councils on aging. To compare the differences the researchers used 27 caregivers (14 males and 13 females) of Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer (SDAT) patients, physically impaired, and non-caregivers; 17 caregivers (4 males and 13 females) of physically impaired patients; and 33 non caregivers (10 males and
“Dementia results in a progressive decline in multiple areas of functioning, including memory, reasoning, communication skills and the skills to carry out daily activities. Alongside this decline, individuals may develop behavioural and psychological symptoms such as depression, psychosis, aggression and wandering, which complicate care and can occur at any stage of the illness. Family carers of people with dementia are often old and frail themselves with high levels of depression and physical illness” (DOH 2009)
Dementia becomes very severe so that it impairs a person’s ability to work and perform common tasks in the home. The current solution is to have a caretaker, a caretaker is the family member or friend who gives the most help like personal care, instrumental daily activities, or health-related decisions. Caretakers find assisting with certain activities to be mainly disappointing and uncomfortable as it necessitates invasion of privacy and role reversal. Caretaker is also responsible for