Jenkins Keith HCS245 Wk3 Mental Behavioral Case Study Essay

Imagine greeting your grandmother and being met with a blank stare. Think about how it would feel to watch as your father forgets how to drive or dress himself. Picture your own mother crying out for her long dead parents and siblings. Try to envision the look on a loved one’s face as you tell them that they can no longer live at home alone. Now put yourself in their place-- slowly losing your freedom, your memory, and your very identity. Welcome to the world of Alzheimer’s disease. This is the reality that nearly fifteen million caregivers and over five million patients must face every day. Public awareness must be raised about Alzheimer’s disease and the people it affects.

Arm yourself with as much information as you can: While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s there’s more information available now than there ever used to be. From senior care tips on creating a consistent schedule to slowing

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

Although Alzheimer’s Dementia is believed to begin at age 65 and older, however recent studies has proven that dementia even begins at an early age with the older populations having a higher number. Based on recent reports, there has been a significant increase in the numbers of people affected with dementia in the United States which continues to grow. The number is said to be around 5.5 Million ranging from all ages.  It IS estimated by the Alzheimer’s Association of America, that  in every 10 persons beginning at age 65 and older; 10% already have dementia with about two-thirds of them being women. The numbers of races affected by dementia are subsequently different, (Dementia in the Elderly, 1999). African Americans at younger ages pose

Many organizations and funding helps support cancer and other diseases because the survivors are able to share their stories, which creates emotion for the listener. Since no one with Alzheimer’s is able to share a story about the hardships of the disease, family members and caregivers should have the responsibility to advocate a change in the amount of funding Alzheimer’s research receives. Also, Jessica Gwinn, expert who writes about clients in the medical, biotech, fiber optics and software fields, concludes “as caregivers, we can begin by advocating for our loved ones and giving them a voice that they cannot give themselves. People can share their stories and speak out to help ease and, ultimately, eliminate the stigma associated with Alzheimer’s. And we can support one another with a strong and unified goal of finding a cure through greater awareness about the devastating effects of this disease.” This solution is as simple as telling others about how many people Alzheimer's kills each year, yet it still has no cure. Sharing simple information may help other people realize Alzheimer’s is a serious disease and should be

Many people have heard of Alzheimer’s Disease, but very few of them would know that more than 5 million Americans h ave the disease. This number will keep increasing if the current population trends continue. That number also constitutes people who are unaware that they even have the disease, because the symptoms of Alzheimer’s are not easily recognized. This is due to the fact that Alzheimer’s disease affects brain cells and cannot be seen visually. In addition, Alzheimer's symptoms vary from person to person because each person with the disease is unique, and can be at different stages of disease development. More importantly, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which brings to my attention the question of why there is no cure or prevention

Caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease can be a complex task. It can be frustrating, confusing, emotionally draining and physically exhausting, the local Alzheimer Society is a great aid for a range of accessible services and resources for those experiencing different stages of Alzheimer’s and other related dementias, as well as, support to caregivers and other health professionals.

This paper will provide an overview of Alzheimer’s disease. It will explore its etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors and their modification, diagnostic and medical treatment including pharmacology, health education, and nursing care of Alzheimer’s disease based off nursing literature. It will go into detail of a patient who has experienced Alzheimer’s for 11 years and their specialized plan of care including their medical history, physical assessment, concept mapping, nursing diagnoses, and specific interventions to the identified nursing problems. This plan of care will be evaluated based upon the patient’s responses.

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that progresses over time and destroys important mental functions and involves memory loss. The disease usually occurs in elders ages 60 or older and the further the stages in the disease, the worse it gets. The entire health care system, family, friends, and the person with the disease are all greatly affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a major issue from a public health perspective because it is one of the most expensive medical conditions in the United States. People can live with Alzheimer’s for quite a long time, but they need care while living, so the cost continues to add up as people with Alzheimer’s continue to live, but having no way of functioning on

After Alzheimer's is diagnosed in a parent, or other elderly family member, the caregiver has the task of deciding what the best form of care for the patient is. In order to do this they have to fully understand what the disease is, and

I’m going to talk about Alzheimer and my great grandma’s situation. First I’ll talk briefly about Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer’s disease is the most Familiar cause of Dementia. This word Dementia describes a set of symptoms that can includes memory loss and also difficulties of thinking, problem solving or even language. These symptoms appear when certain diseases are damaging the brain, which also includes Alzheimer’s disease. It’s a physical disease that affects the brain. It’s a progressive disease more parts of the brain would be damaged and as this happens, more symptoms develop and becomes more severe it . My great grandmother had Alzheimer when she was really old I don’t remember her age correctly because I was too young at that

Ultimately, the path to effective new treatments is through clinical trials (“Medication”). “Future Alzheimer's treatments currently work by temporarily improving symptoms of memory loss and problems with thinking and reasoning” (Mayo Clinic Staff). “Future Alzheimer's treatments are focused on combinations of medications like those used for many cancers” (Mayo Clinic Staff). An ongoing clinical trial conducted by the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN), is testing whether antibodies can reduce the growth of beta-amyloid plaque in the brains of people with certain genetic mutations and thereby reduce, delay or prevent symptoms

The Alzheimer’s Association is a nonprofit association formed in 1980 by Jerome H. Stone and several representatives from several family support groups. The organization tries to address and bring awareness to a growing problem within our aging population, which is the development of Alzheimer’s and dementia in the senior population. On the official Alzheimer’s Associations website they explain their mission and purpose which is “ to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care for all affected; and to reduce dementia through promotion of brain health.” (ALZ.org, n.d.). Although Alzheimer’s and dementia can develop in earlier stages of a person’s life and there have been documented cases

In February of 2000, I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer's disease. She was diagnosed with the disease just less than two years prior to her death. Throughout that time, I watched changes in my grandmother that made her seem like an entirely different woman to me. She gradually began losing her short-term memory and we began to see signs of her long-term memory degrading too. It began to get harder and harder to take her out into public without being afraid of what would happen next. Her emotions would fluctuate with the changing of each minute it seemed. Physically she became weaker and weaker and would often scare us with falling while she would be walking. Eventually she had to be moved into the

Elise Eifert , Professor, PhD in Public Health from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Gerontology Certificate, and former Alzheimer’s disease educator