Dementia Challenges

The number of people living with dementia worldwide was estimated to be 47.47 million in 2015, reaching 75.63 million in 2030 and 135.46 million in 2050 (WHO, 2015). As the disease progresses the person with dementia experiences loss in memory, certain personality traits, expressive abilities and other skills. Cognitive impairment eventually compromises the ability of person with dementia to carry out activities of daily living and other tasks in daily life. This decline in functional ability posits a huge challenge for maintaining health, wellbeing and quality of life of people with dementia. Therefore, issues related to wellbeing of people with dementia should be carefully examined and

The term ‘dementia’ is used to describe a syndrome associated with an ongoing decline of the brain and its abilities. This includes problems with memory loss, thinking speed, mental agility, language, understanding, and judgment. People with dementia can become apathetic or uninterested in their usual activities, and have problems controlling their emotion. They also fine social situation challenging, lose interest in socialising and aspect of their personality may change. The majority of people who are diagnosed with dementia have either Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia, or a combination of the two. (Source 1) As the disease progresses, the person experiencing dementia becomes more vulnerable and their needs often complex; which requires appropriate care and management (Kitwood, 1997).this leads me to the next distinctive feature of patients with dementia.

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)

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

Dementia refers to a syndrome which results in deterioration in thinking, memory, behavior, and ability to execute everyday activities and duties. Despite the fact that the syndrome is mainly associated with the older people, it is not a normal aspect or part of ageing. One of the major causes of dementia is the aspect of Alzheimer's disease. This disease contributes to about 60 to 70 percent of the cases of dementia. Dementia possesses psychological, physical, economic, and social impacts in relation to the family, caregivers, and the entire society. Dementia affects each individual in a diverse or different way with reference to the impact of the disease and personality following the development of the syndrome (Gao et al, 2013 p. 447).

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

Background: Dementia is one of the fatal brain disease which shatters the person’s ability in his daily functioning. The prevalence of dementia in Kerala in people aged ≥ 55 is 3.77% and 4.86% in ≥ 65 years. Kerala has highest number of old age home in India and significant number of elderly residing in the old age home which also includes substantial number of persons with dementia. They require some special attention or they might be marginalized among the elderly. Thus this is a serious endeavor to investigate those management strategies on elderly with dementia in residential institution for aged.

Dementia is a disorder that leads to a gradual loss of the cognitive capacity of an individual, ultimately affecting one’s daily activities. Dementia does manifests through the accompanying disorders because it does not exist on its own. In other words, dementia is a disorder that comes about through the existence of the related disorders. The main ones are four, but they are not the only disorders that cause dementia. These include Lewy Bodies dementia (LBD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD). Others include mixed dementia, Huntington’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus and Frontotemporal dementia. According to Ram (2006), these disorders have a broad spectrum of impacts on the patients besides having devastating effects on the overall economy of the world’s nations especially when the number is significantly high. The paper intends to dig out the milestones the dementia disorder has undergone.

According to the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), dementia is one of the most prevalent disorders found among

This essay will aim to introduce the term dementia including the types, causes, prevalence, young onset and models of care. This essay will continue to address what skill could be implemented to provide person centred care with understanding of health promotion and recovery concepts.

To achieve effective and excellence care on dementia, biological, psychological and social approach to dementia has to consider because it provides an understanding to people with dementia and help improved health practice, treatment and support for better dementia care (Bowers & Downs, 2008). Biological approach tackles the disease process of dementia, the cause of brain injury and the changes in behavior pattern of dementia sufferers. On the other hand, psychological approach to dementia involved the sufferer’s reaction to the injury, how they accept it and deal the situation. It also covers the effect of the disease process on their communication and action in relation to others. Particularly, people with dementia, mostly feel embarrassed and depressed by their brain injury. They are often angry, agitated and frightened because of the disease but maybe it also means seeking help to avoid embarrassment and disgrace. Dementia care in social domain explains the right of the person with dementia to enjoy and experience significant social interaction. Friendly environment and venues with sociable care provider that makes them comfortable and feels worthy is the focus. In addition, social identities of the people with dementia should be valued and social

In the beginning of the nineteenth century, dementia became a true medical condition. The disease was known to have symptoms of lack of memory, social, and mental disability. When the disease became more severe, people were sent to asylums “In 1907 Dr. Alois Alzheimer published a paper identifying a cluster of symptoms of dementia. These included reduced comprehension and memory, disorientation, unpredictable behavior and difficulties with communication. Thus Alzheimer’s disease was born.” (Welsch 17). Little care and little research were done for people who were suffering from the disease. If not taken care of at home, the person would be sent to a psych-ward facility. There was a debate concerning if dementia was a social or nurse profession. “Since the 1980s the profile of dementia has been raised and how it is viewed has changed. Sufferers are no longer seen as unfortunate victims of diseased brains for whom little can be done, but as fellow human beings capable of responding and enjoying human relationships and having a full bill of rights.” (Welsch 18). Caring for a dementia sufferer will become challenging to recover his or her life. Dementia remains untreatable, but there are medications provided to help prolong the memory of a sufferer. The drug, ‘anti-cholinesterase inhibitors’, helps postpone the effects that will show in the final stages. Supporting and caring for people with dementia will have a large impact on

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.

Dementia is a progressive process, with the symptoms and decline in function often worsening, sometimes rapidly, overtime. Although the elderly population are most frequently affected, many younger patients can also be affected. Currently, no cure, be it medical or behavioural, has been isolated, however certain treatments have proved beneficial in delaying the onset or staying off further rapid deterioration. In addition to pharmaceutical treatment modalities, other support and managerial techniques may enable n enhanced quality of life.