Dementia is a neurodegenerative, progressively deteriorating and terminal clinical syndrome characterized by a loss or decline in memory and other cognitive abilities. Most recent scientific thinking is that dementia may be caused by various diseases and conditions affecting over 5 million Americans and 27.7 million worldwide. It is projected that the number of Americans with dementia will exceed 7.7 million by the year 2030 and from 11 to 16 million by the year 2050. There is presently not a cure for dementia. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer 's disease, accounting for up to 80% of cases. Other common forms of dementia include vascular dementia, mixed dementia, dementia with Lewy Bodies, Parkinson Dementia, Frontotemperal …show more content…
The three principal goals of rehabilitation for individuals with dementia are to: help the individual maintain or improve function and engage in daily activities to the extent possible and as the disease progresses; restore or compensate for functional decline due to an acute insult such as an injury or traumatic health episode such as a stroke, or fall which occurs over and above the dementia; and provide family caregivers with education and knowledge about the disease and specific skills to provide a supportive environment at home and reduce excess disability. Due in part to the fact that dementia is a terminal condition, healthcare professionals have not traditionally considered dementia patients as appropriate candidates for rehabilitation. Most health professionals remain unaware of how best to support this clinical population, how to effectively engage individuals with dementia in rehabilitative therapies to address acute more traditional rehabilitative conditions, and the significant role of an habilitative framework of such a traumatic disease.(www.emedicinehealth,com) When was Alzheimer 's First Diagnosed and Discovered? Alois Alzheimer identified Auguste Deter as the first Alzheimer 's patient, an analysis of that original patient 's brain has revealed the genetic origin of Alzheimer 's. Alzheimer 's disease is named after Dr.
the importance of relationships and interactions with others to the person with dementia, and their potential for promoting well‑being.
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.
Dementia, also known as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is a progressive, chronic, and degenerative. 60% of dementia occurs in people over the age of 65. Dementia causes loss of judgment, memory, change in personality, and visuospatial perception. Severe cognitive impairment can occur over time, as well as physical deterioration and death.
There are many different types of dementia and causes of dementia. The first cause is Alzheimer’s disease, which is caused by nerve cells dying in certain areas of the brain. This therefore also affects the connection between the affected nerve cell causing them to deteriorate. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.
Dementia is a term used to describe the symptoms of a number of illnesses which effect the function of the brain. It is an umbrella term describing the progressive decline in a person’s cognitive ability. The type and severity of symptoms varies with each type of dementia and is usually has a gradual onset, is progressive and irreversible. (1)
There are many different forms of dementia and each has its own cause. Some of the main type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia affecting 50%-70% of dementia patients (Alzheimer's australia, 2005). This is a degenerative illness which attacks the brain, this is achieved buy tangles which are in the middle of shrunken brain cells and plaques which eventually cause the brain cells to die meaning information can no longer be recalled or assimilated. There are also other types of dementia which include vascular dementia which is caused by circulation of the blood to the brain, Parkinson’s disease which is a disorder of the
When living at home with dementia the individual will have professional help come to them to help with daily tasks such as supervising medication intake, enabling optimum health and safety at home, providing a patient listening ear and friendly face, cooking, housekeeping and general errands, helping to facilitate routine, familiarly and comfort for their loved one at a difficult time. When someone moves from their home into a care home it can be very
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. This insidious, progressive disease impacts tens of millions of seniors in America and tens of millions more around the world. The disease robs its victims of their memory, cognitive skills, and eventually their ability to even control their won body. Because of the progressive nature of Alzheimer's, the amount of care an individual will need depends greatly on the stage of the disease and level of impairment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines dementia as the following: “An umbrella term for a group of cognitive disorders typically characterized by memory impairment, as well as marked difficulty in the domains of language, motor activity object recognition, and disturbance of executive function - the ability to plan, organize, and abstract.”
Dementia is the only cause of death that does not have a cure and cannot be prevented. It is the loss of mental functions such as thinking, memory, and reasoning that is severe enough to interfere with a person 's daily functioning. Dementia is not the name of a specific disease itself, but rather a group of symptoms that are caused by various diseases or conditions. This is referred to as an umbrella term, a phrase that covers a broad interval or set of functions or items that all fall under a single common category. Dementia is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. These include Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy body’s, Parkinson’s disease, corticobasal degeneration, and progressive supranuclear palsy are all specific diseases that are sub categories to dementia. People often think of dementia as a form of memory loss. And usually it does start by affecting people’s short-term memory. But it’s more then that, it can also affect the way people think, speak, perceive things feel and behave. Dementia makes it harder to communicate and do everyday things. This disease mainly affects older people but it is not a normal part of aging. Dementia is a syndrome, usually of a chronic or progressive nature, caused by a variety of brain illnesses.
Alzheimer’s: Is the most common cause of dementia. During the course of the disease, the chemistry and structure of the brain changes, leading to the death of brain cells. Vascular Dementia: If the oxygen supply to the brain fails, brain cells may die. The symptoms of vascular dementia can occur either suddenly, following a stroke, or over time, through a series of small strokes. Dementia with Lewy Bodies: This form of dementia gets its name from tiny spherical structures that develop inside nerve cells. Their presence in the brain leads to the degeneration of brain tissue. Fronto-Temporal Dementia: Damage is usually focused in the front part of the brain; Personality and behaviour are initially more affected than
Over time the disease get worse and the patient needs more help. It can be an overwhelming experience for everyone, but can also be rewarding. As a “caregiver” you have to understand what the patient is going through such as, memory loss and personality changes. Communicating and understanding and understanding is difficult, people with AD (Alzheimer’s Disease) have trouble finding the right words to speak or even understanding what they’re being asked. When communicating with people that have AD, give them direct eye contact so they know that you’re talking to them and address them by their name. They can sense your behavior, the speaker needs to have a clear, and patient tone and be mindful of your body language, if you look irritated, the person with AD will receive that message as it is being displayed. Another tip is to be Patient, don’t rush them to talk or walk or eat, because they can become just as frustrated as the person they are speaking to. If they are weak, help them stand up or sit up if needed. Let them be independent, it allows them to make their own decisions, but giving them options are helpful, for example asking them if they’re hungry, if they are give them a choice of maybe a soup or a sandwich. Listen to them, give them attention by caring for them show them love, support and
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior, along with causing severe language problems. This disease is known as the most common form of dementia, and its account for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases. According to current estimates, about 10% of adults over the age of 65 and nearly half of adults over age 85 suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2006). In addition, experts also suggested that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer's disease (AD, SDAT) or simply called Alzheimer's, which is the most common dementia. In 1906, the first German psychiatrist and neurologist, Alois Alzheimer, pointed out that the disease was incurable, degenerative and fatal. The disease is named after him. In 1901, Alois Alzheimer presented the case of a patient named Auguste D, 50 years old, who has suffered from memory loss. In the twentieth century, the term "Alzheimer's disease" is usually used to diagnose demented people who are around the aged of 45 to 65 (forgetful before getting old). Older people who are suffered from dementia are considered to be normal, due to the high age of "numbness". In the 1970s and 1985s, it has been founding out that losing-memory people of different ages had similar clinical symptoms. This disease usually occurs in people over 65 years of age. However, early Alzheimer's is not uncommon but it can occur sooner than expected. In 2006 there were 26.6 million people with Alzheimer's disease worldwide. Anticipated Alzheimer's rate in the world will be 1 in 85 by 2050.
Rehabilitation is done to reduce any kind of burden on a caregiver and to help any person with this disease to function and get better. There are physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology services that are available for persons with Alzheimer’s disease.