On Golden Pond Essay

Alzheimer’s disease is incurable, but there are many stages, warning signs, and risk factors that can serve as detection devices for those who have older adults in their lives. One of the most common early signs of this form of dementia is memory loss. While it is normal for people to occasionally forget things, such as appointments and names, people with Alzheimer’s tend to forget these things more often and are not able to recall them even after a period of time. Other signs that signify a possible case of Alzheimer’s is difficulty performing familiar tasks (cooking, brushing teeth), problems with language (using odd words, failing to remember correct words), disorientation (forgetting where one lives, not knowing how he got to a certain place), problems with abstract thinking (forgetting what numbers represent), misplacing items (putting a hair brush in the freezer), moodiness, personality changes (confusion, suspicion, fearfulness), and loss of initiative

Providing care for a person with dementia is like being on a roller coaster ride that never ends and the ride can make the caregiver sick. In order to discuss dementia caregiving, a definition of dementia and the impacts of dementia are needed. Dementia is the generic term used by health care professionals to describe a person’s symptoms of memory and judgment issues (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015b) and furthermore is a growing problem in the United States of America (USA) and around the world. Currently 5.3 million people in the USA have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, and dementia numbers are expected to increase by 40% in the next decade (Alzheimer’s Association, 2015a). Dementia care is

From birth, the body and mind go through physical and cognitive changes that human beings will have to adapt to throughout life. Some individuals lose mental and physical abilities age they age that allow them to live a normal lifestyle. The most common age-related physical changes include hearing impairment, weakening vision, and the increasing probability of multiple chronic conditions such as arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis (Abeles, 1998). The most common cognitive changes associated with normal aging are short-term, or primary, memory loss, long-term, or secondary, memory loss, and the overall levels of performance in sustained attention. Other issues relative to aging and cognitive memory impairments are anxiety disorder, panic disorder, chronic pain, and mood disorders. This issue may cause several social, medical and family problems as individual

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.

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

Throughout history there have been reports of decreased memory and mental deterioration that accompanied old age. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who described the symptoms in a woman in Germany in the 1907 but it was not until the 1970’s that AD was considered to be a major disorder and AD continues to be a major health concern worldwide (Reger, 2002).

It is a complex disease people often times do not know how to care for. Although a decline in memory and bouts of more forgetfulness are more common as one ages, spotting the difference between normal age-related symptoms and Alzheimer’s is important for families so that they can get their loved one the best care available. Even with proper care though, caregivers can misunderstand the symptoms of those afflicted, leading to an improper treatment of the patient. There are an estimated between 2.4 and 3.1. million AD caregivers in the United States, a majority of which are family members, who may not know proper care techniques or may be of older age themselves, as they could be caring for a spouse (Schulz and O’Brien1, 185-94). In fact, in a study of caregivers of those to patients with a memory ailment including Alzheimer’s or Dementia found that spouses have consistently been found to be more depressed than other relatives caring for a family member with a cognitive impairment (Schulz and O’Brien2, 771-91). To help in awareness, there are many new classes being offered in schools that can better prepare caregivers. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s (DHHS) National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease dedicated a major goal to “Enhance Care Quality and Efficiency,” with major strategies including building a workforce with the skills to provide high quality care, explore

Dementia is reported that it doubles every five years after the age of 65. The cognitive decrease related with dementia affects an individual’s capacity to understand and produce capability information. In addition, behavioral issues that grow as a outcome of the neuropathology such as repetitiousness, hallucinations, and paranoia may interfere with communicating with others. The likelihood of suffering from dementia increases with age. It mostly occurs in the second half of life. One is at a risk after the age of 65 to develop dementia. It usually progresses slowly. Dementia is mostly related with the older adult

Dementia is a disease which causes mental debility and affects one’s way of intelligent, attentiveness, recollection and problem-solving (NHS, 2013). As a result of dysfunction of brain cells in some parts of the brain it affects the thinking process then dementia occurs and it usually comes with age (Ibid). It is estimated that 560

Any participant who develops severe dementia during the course of the study will be referred to his primary care physician and care will be taken not to interfere with the doctor- patient relationship.

One can’t help but to draw links to the aging process when watching the three times Oscar winning movie On Golden Pond. In Mark Rydell's On Golden Pond, we encounter a couple in the middle of dealing with the anxieties and hardship of moving through the latter part of their life cycle. The older actors played by Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn demonstrates different levels of activity, age stratification, continuity, and disengagement theory in their lives.

Alzheimer’s and dementia are often thought of as an old age disease. Although the most commons risk factor is age but it is not the only one. Most majority of individuals do develop symptoms as elderly, but individuals that develop onset symptoms at a younger age, below 65 are said to develop early onset dementia (Lambert, M. A., Bickel, H., Prince, M., Fratiglioni, L., Von Strauss, E., Frydecka, D., & ... Reynish, E. L., 2014). Many researchers have conducted studies on the impact of cognitive disorders, such as dementia along with Alzhiemer’s, on the affects of the nonprofessional caregiver. Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t just affect the person but the affected person’s family and friends are affected as well.

Dementia in itself is not a disease but rather a syndrome, it is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that have to do with a person’s decline in memory function, ability to think clearly, reasoning, and communication skills that are significant enough to disrupt their activities of daily living (ADL). Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, it is a progressive brain disease that affects your memory and cognitive function (Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s, 2016). As dementia or Alzheimer’s disease progresses, a person’s ability to perform ADL will become increasingly harder, making it necessary for them to receive assistance from either a caregiver or family member.

As a person ages, there are some mental health issues that can arise. Two common disorders that come with age are Alzheimer’s and dementia. Both conditions have something in common, a person’s mind is altered due to forgetfulness. A person may not be able to retain information as easily as they once had. People with these conditions may forget how to perform simple, everyday tasks. One task that may be affected is taking medications. Another fact that comes with age is that people may start taking several medications for health conditions they may have developed over the years. It is important that people take these medications as prescribed, but because they may have dementia or Alzheimer’s they do not remember how or when to take their medications.

Cognitive aging is worthy of study for many reasons. The more knowledge that is uncovered about cognitive aging, the closer to possibly finding ways to slow the process down, decrease the intensity of the symptoms, or maybe prevent it all together. If there are possible ways of doing so it is important to find them. The “what” and “when” of cognitive aging has made advances, but the “why”, “where”, and “how” are still to be uncovered. We further our knowledge of the “why”, “where”, or “how”, or uncover the full truth, without knowing the full truth about the “what” and “when”. Finding out more about one might lead to learning more about another. Expanding our knowledge on cognitive aging has the potential to increase someone’s quality of life. It has the potential to increase that family member’s quality of life. Cognitive aging effects more than the victim, it effects their