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A Case Study on Dementia

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A Case Study on Dementia

Introduction

             As the world’s population ages off, there has been a significant rise in the number of people living with dementia, especially in low- and middle- income countries. Dementia is a human disorder characterized by impairment of the human brain. Alzheimer’s disease, is a type of dementia disorder, with over 60% of the total cases. In 2015, there were 47 million discoveries of dementia, and by 2030 and 2050, the cases will rise to 66 and 115 million, respectively (Livingston et al., 2017). Globally the cost of dementia stands to be US$818; ironically, 85% of the cost incurred is related to social and family care as compared to medical care. However, some latest population statistics have shown that people who have dementia have significantly reduced implying that the projections made may not be achieved. The long-existing prejudice about dementia being non-treatable and preventable is coming to an end since encouraging progress has been made. The discovery involves knowledge that will help prevent dementia. The paper expounds on types of dementia, ways of preventing and treating, how dementia affects individuals and professional nurses,

Types of Dementia

            With over 60% of the total cases, Alzheimer’s disease is the most severe dementia disorder (Rizzi, Rosset & Roriz-Cruz, 2014). The early stages of the disease include severe disremember of past recent events. Generally, the disease involves loss of brain cells which causes severe forgetfulness. The progress of the conditions causes individuals to experience mood changes and confusion. Also, individuals experience trouble in talking and walking. Secondly, vascular dementia is another type of disorder where there is reduced blood flow in the brains. The leading cause of vascular dementia is stroke and heart diseases which cause damage to blood vessels, thus reducing oxygen which is vital since it provides the brain oxygen and necessary nutrients. Characteristics of Vascular dementia include increased confusion, restless and agitation and the inability to organize thoughts or actions. Lewy body dementia is the second most type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. The leading cause of the disorder is the availability of protein deposits known as Lewy bodies in the nerve cells. Symptoms of the disease include hallucinations which involve seeing things that are not there. Also, Patients experience sleep difficulties and fluctuating attention; Also, one experiences long periods of overthinking. Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the nerves that affect movement. The signs and symptoms differ from individuals to individuals, and they include; severe tremors which begin in limbs, impaired balance and posture, which may continue worsening as time goes. Also, automatic movements are lost, unconscious changes, for example, blinking, walking, and moving hands may need eventually. Finally, frontotemporal dementia is a disorder that affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain which are responsible for personality, behaviour and language. Signs and symptoms of the disease vary, considering which part of the brain is affected. Some people experience insignificant changes in their personality which leads them becoming socially inappropriate, whereas others lose the ability to use language fully. In most cases, frontotemporal dementia is misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s disease, only that it occurs at an early age.

Treatment and Preventive Measures of Dementia

            Therapy treats dementia, with the aid of a neurostimulator. The treatment begins by stimulating the vagus nerve, which regulates the vagal activity of the patient by treating and suppressing the symptoms of the disorder rather than the primary cause. The most common drugs used worldwide to treat the symptoms are memantine and cholinesterase inhibitors. Also, aerobic physical activities can be attributed to the reduction of cognitive impairments, thus reducing dementia risk to up to 50% (Ahlskog, Geda, Graff-Radford & Petersen, 2011). The exercises maintain adequate blood flow into the brain, which triggers sufficient growth of the brain cells. Furthermore, when complemented with healthy food, exercises reduces high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes which causes dementia. Also, leading a healthy life is another dementia preventive measure, it involves eating healthy food, avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol which leads to blocked blood vessels, thus the insufficient flow of blood into the brains.

           

 

 

 

 

Effects of Dementia on Individuals Lives

            Dementia is not a specific disease, and mostly, it impairs at least two functions of the human brain. Individuals living with the disorder suffer in many ways.

Cognitive Changes

            Cognition involves the most sensitive functions performed by the human brain. Dementia causes cognitive changes which include; Memory loss. Makes it hard to remember other people or things done in the past. Furthermore, communication and problem solving is another difficulty experienced due to the inability to reason. For example, when an individual is obliged to talk, they lack words to communicate. Also, visual impairment becomes a problem. Many individuals had found themselves in this scenario when it mattered the most, for instance, when driving. Planning and organizing is another cognitive change which becomes difficult for individuals making it difficult to perform laborious tasks which require a lot of concentration in planning. Cognitive changes in individuals suffering dementia have led to confusion and disorientation of their healthy lives, which can be easily be noticed by others.

Psychological Changes 

            Psychological changes relate to psychology which is the study of the human mind and behaviour. The brain and behaviour of a person changes when exposed to an unwanted stimulus such as dementia, Depression is among the psychological changes experienced, and it involves bad moods which cause individuals to be sad. Also, individuals experience emotional emptiness which makes them hopeless. Moreover, the overall individuals’ behaviour changes whereby they become dull compared to before, they cease doing their favourite activities and lack the meaning of life. Also, paranoia and anxiety are experienced by individuals as a result of Depression; stress causes fear which makes people to be always occupied by paranoid thoughts which can cause them to be attached to other people for them to believe in the ideas which maybe even delusional. Psychological changes in individuals with dementia is a severe brain disorder which affects their healthy existence.

Financial Crisis

            Dementia causes a financial crisis on individuals as they incur alot of money in treatment. Dementia has proved to be a dangerous disorder, especially to individuals living in underdeveloped economies if not treated at the early stages. In 2015 the average cost of dementia treatment and care was US$287,038, which is quite expensive (Livingston et al., 2017). Good health is a need entitled to all people, individuals end up disposing of all their assets in search of proper treatment and care in those developed countries which comes at a high cost, thus dragging individuals into a financial crisis which becomes hard to overcome. Also when individuals who were breadwinners in their homes get affected, they become mainstay thus leaving a financial crisis in their homes which may take longer or never resolved as there is no one to fill the gap.

Disorientation of families

            Dementia has caused a lot of confusion and disorientation of families which eventually leads to families splitting up, for example, a father is the head of the family required to provide the necessities to the family members. However, when affected by the dementia disorder, he ceases to be the provider forcing the family to disorient due to confusion. Also, the high cost of treating the disease causes families to split for example with one suffering from dementia the family members sell all their assets to cater for the medical expenses, and they enter into a financial crisis which brings confusion. Finally, the family splits up everyone going in a different direction.

The relevance of Dementia on Individuals

            The growing number of dementia cases and articles circulating in the press has attributed to a lot of change in how people live. Individuals have started observing their diets and being involved in physical activities to maintain their body fitness. Also, different institutions have started further research on new treatment and preventive measures which will reduce the number of reported cases globally. Moreover, individuals have stopped smocking since it increases the risk of vascular problems which causes dementia. When smoking blood vessels which supply blood to the brain are damaged, this creates a frontotemporal type of dementia which usually affects the brain.

Effects of Dementia on Professional Nurses

            In the health industry, nurses are always in the frontline in offering health care to the victims. Their efforts are unmatched. However, they incur a lot of challenges in the process, and some risk their lives for the wellbeing of others. Patients diagnosed with dementia are so insensitive; therefore, they need special attention from nurses which prompts them to elevate their caring and communication skills. Nurses develop short sentences, and when talking, they give patients’ time to respond, to avoid piling pressure on them.

Moreover, creativity is enhanced in that they create a perfect mood which attracts the patient’s attention for them to begin a conversation which they breakdown into a series of steps for easy understandability. Also, they enhance their professional skills in the process. With their continued interaction with patients experiencing dementia disorders, their knowledge level is improving, leading to a useful skill portfolio. Also, this boosts their self-belief has as a result of an improved work portfolio.

Conclusion

            In conclusion, Alzheimer’s disease is turning out to be a nightmare to the health care system in their fight against dementia, with over 60% of the total dementia cases. With an average care cost of US$287,038, dementia has surpassed heart disease and cancer, like the diseases with the highest ordinary care cost. Moreover, the medical care cost is too expensive, making it difficult for low and medium-income earners to access the services. Finally, on the point of view is that the paper has a general overview of dementia and the implications it brings.

 

           

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Ahlskog, J., Geda, Y., Graff-Radford, N., & Petersen, R. (2011). Physical Exercise as a Preventive or Disease-Modifying Treatment of Dementia and Brain Aging. Mayo Clinic Proceedings86(9), 876-884. doi: 10.4065/mcp.2011.0252

Livingston, G., Sommerlad, A., Orgeta, V., Costafreda, S., Huntley, J., & Ames, D. et al. (2017). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care. The Lancet390(10113), 2673-2734. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(17)31363-6

Rizzi, L., Rosset, I., & Roriz-Cruz, M. (2014). Global Epidemiology of Dementia: Alzheimer’s and Vascular Types. Biomed Research International2014, 1-8. doi: 10.1155/2014/908915

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