Dementia Anxiety Disorder (PSYC1002R)

Dementia has a huge impact on not only the lives of them self’s but also the family and carer. Watching the person you love degenerate from a fully functioning person to some one that needs to be fully cared for. As a carer, you are likely to experience a range of different feelings. This is particularly difficult because as dementia gradually causes the person’s abilities and personality to change the nature of relationships will also change (better health). The

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

Dementia is the biggest health and social care challenge of this century. Over a million people will be living with the condition by 2021. Dementia can crush lives. For a person diagnosed with the condition, as well as their family and friends, dementia can mean an irrefutable life

Dementia does not only impact the people with symptoms and it also disturbs the people who must care for the person. It is estimated that 1.2 million people are involved in the care of people with dementia. It has a financial burden on the Australian economy $4.9 billion in 2009-10. (1)

As baby boomers age and the demographic of the nation changes, it is with increasing frequency that the terms dementia, Alzheimer’s, and chronic cognitive decline are included in common vocabulary. Television viewers are inundated with advertisements for Alzheimer’s medications. Popular sitcoms include episodes about dealing with the stresses that can occur in a family dealing with cognitive decline issues. Entire movies, such as Still Alice, speak to these issues from the perspective of the patient. Chronic cognitive decline has been brought to the forefront of the American culture not only in homes across the country but in the healthcare system where the challenges of recognizing, treating, and managing these conditions while providing quality of care can be challenging.

The topic I am writing about is memory loss or more specifically: Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Modern medicine has improved significantly in the last decade and the average human lifespan has been extended. However, since humans are living longer, there is also an increased susceptibility for chronic diseases as opposed to infectious diseases. A chronic disease that is slowly on the rise is Alzheimer’s, as it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. This topic is important to me because I’ve had numerous encounters with patients with dementia and have seen the impact it has on many families and friends. Additionally, the brain is arguably

Dementia is an extremely common disease among the elderly, with 4 million Americans currently suffering from the Alzheimer’s type alone. Figures show that 3% of people between the ages of 65-74 suffer from the disease, rapidly increasing to 19% for the 75-84 age bracket, and as high as 47% for the over 85s. Therefore, it is easy to see why Dementia is such a large part of many people’s lives, whether they are suffering from the condition themselves, or have an elderly relative who requires full time care just to undertake simple day to day tasks. The disease can be extremely traumatic for the patient and their families, as the person, who may have been extremely lively and bright throughout their

“Who are you again?” my great-grandmother asked her daughter, my grandma. Dementia is a horrible diagnosis not only for the people diagnosed with it, but also for everyone around them. Someone you’ve known your whole life slowly starts to forget you. I want to know many things about dementia because I know as I get older there is a larger chance more and more people close to me will suffer with dementia. I have chosen this topic since both my great-grandparents suffered with dementia/Alzheimer’s, so I have been in contact with people who start to forget the most important things and people in their lives.

     It is inevitable that eventually each of us will grow old and begin to face more and more health problems as our age rises. Elderly people are challenged by many illnesses and diseases that unfortunately, are incurable. One disease that becomes more common as people age is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s a common cause and a form of dementia and can severely damage a patient’s cognitive functions and can ultimately cause death. Living with Alzheimer’s disease can be saddening for both the sufferer and the family. Family and friends will find it very hard to cope when a loved one begins slipping away and losing memory of who they are.

The number of people with dementia is escalating worldwide. An estimated 35.6 million people worldwide had dementia in 2010 and this number is projected to more than triple to 115.4 million in 2050. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and contributes to 60-70 % of the dementia cases (WHO, 2012). Approximately 5.2 million Americans of all ages had Alzheimer’s in 2014, including an estimated 5 million people age 65 and older (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). The escalating number of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is affecting increasing number of lives and the systems that care for them. It is disabling to the individuals who have it and can be devastating to the caregivers and their families. Caring for people with dementia posits huge major challenges in the upcoming decades. Therefore, the issues related to dementia such as negative stereotypes, need for attitude change and the ways to promote positive attitude toward people with dementia should be critically investigated and addressed to be better prepared in the future to tackle the challenges likely to be faced with escalating number of people with dementia.

Alzheimer’s is a disease that attacks the brain and can result in brain death. This disease is chronic and lately a lot of elderly are being diagnosed with it. Alzheimer’s disease can be referred to as a silent killer because once a person gets the diagnosis, they will have it permanently. Alzheimer’s Patients have a decreased short-term memory; this can result with the onset of confusion. At times, families with loved ones that encounter this disease usually have to change their lifestyle by adjusting it to their love ones needs. This book shows a great outlook on dilemmas families come across when a loved one is diagnosed with this disease.

Even if I was a young child, I still vividly remember my grandfather being diagnosed with dementia almost twelve years ago. At the beginning of his diagnosis, I didn’t fully understand the weight of this discovery in regards to what it meant for our family for the years to come and how much my grandfather would change with dementia. Towards the end of his life, I began to understand the weight of his illness and that my time with him was limited. Even if his death three years ago has brought much grief to me and my family, it brought us closer together and encouraged us to reflect how much he made an impact on our life. Because my grandfather made such a positive and lasting impact on my life, I wish to help solve this problem that affected him and discover the cure to this frightening disease that affects millions worldwide.

560). Older adults who suffer from apraxia may have difficulties remembering how to perform routine motor tasks For example, if a patients are asked to brush their hair, they might first brush their body part, then hesitate and brush the chair, and finally, with prompting, brush their hair. Because of disturbance in the brain, the brain do not process the nerve impulses correctly, consequently the action will likely be disorganized and slow. Almost as though they have to think out each movement along the way. The patient with apraxia fails to translate the idea to perform specific movements into a coordinated and sequential scheme of muscle contractions to achieve the desired motor

As the granddaughter of someone with dementia and perhaps early onset Alzheimer's, the second chapter highlighted many experiences I have witness while spending time with my grandfather. This past summer, I visited my grandparents in China after four years without seeing them in person. The symptoms described in the chapter, along with the sense of loss of self, were clearly exhibited by my grandfather. He wouldn’t remember what year it was or the names of some distant family members, but he still enjoyed taking pictures with his old 2000’s camera and, thankfully, still remembered my name. My mom had warned me that he was exhibited symptoms, but I hadn’t realized their extent until seeing it in person. My grandfather had always been rather

Dementia represents one of the most difficult public health challenges today. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies dementia as a major public health priority and a significant cause of disability and dependency.[1] According to its latest report, nearly 47 million people suffer from dementia around the world, with an additional 9.9 million new cases each year. In 2015, the total burden of dementia was estimated at $818 billion globally.[1] In Canada, currently over 564,000 people live with dementia, with an additional 25,000 new cases every year. Caring for these patients, costs Canadian taxpayers approximately $10.4 billion annually.[2]