Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most prominent health issue in older adults. In fact, more than 35 million people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease worldwide. (D’Aoust, Brewster, & Rowe, 2013) Of these individuals, a good portion are taken care of by at home caregivers. These caregivers can described by husbands, wives, mothers, and fathers. “Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic, progressive illness characterized by impaired cognition, loss of ability in instrumental and basic activities of daily living (aDL), reduced global functioning, and behavioral and psychological symptoms” (Haro, Kahle-Wrobleski, Belger, Agnello, Jones, Reed, Vellas, Wimo, & Argimon, Pg. 677, 2014) As the amount of patients with Alzheimer’s disease …show more content…
Both tangles and amyloid protein lead to cognitive impairment due to neuronal death. These also affect neural transmission. Amyloid protein and tangles kill off the healthy neurons. By killing off these neurons, the brain then shrinks in size. Alzheimer’s disease is also hard to deal with psychologically. Losing the ability to remember events, people and how to live in daily life takes a huge toll on the patient’s psychology. Alzheimer’s is often referred to as an “end-of-life issue” because of the deterioration of the brain. Due to the neurons and neurotransmitters in our brain, it is highly likely that depression is the result of the brain shrinkage. It is expected that once diagnosed with AD, depressive symptoms will arise from the patient and if not the patient, than the caregiver. There have been several researchers who focus/focused on depression and Alzheimer’s . Depression has been researched along with Alzheimer’s disease because several research studies concluded there was a correlation between the two. It is also a fear of many that depressive symptoms will prevail in patients when Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed. Mormont and his colleagues conducted research to observe anxiety and depressive symptoms after the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. This was done 3 months after the disclosure of the illness. (Mormont, Jamart, & Jacques, 2014) It has been
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.
Alzheimer 's disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain from which there is no recovery. There are three brain abnormalities that are the hallmarks of the Alzheimer’s disease is initially caused by plaques buildup in the brain’s neurons as illustrated in figure 1. The support structure that allows the flow of the nutrients through the neurons gets damaged and ultimately there is loss of connection among the neurons and they die off (National Institute of Health, 2015). This causes the brain tissue to shrinks, which is called atrophies. All this ultimately lead the victim of this disease to face difficulties in governing emotions, recognize errors and patterns, coordinate movement, and remember. Ultimately, a person with AD loses all memory and mental functioning.
Alzheimer’s Disease has been one of the top leading causes of death in our country. It is understood that this disease is identified as an excess of the protein amyloid-ß within an increase of plaque (Seneff, Wainwright, and Mascitelli, 2010). Additionally, as the brain ages, it gets used to the inflammation and oxidative stress, so it is important to take the right amount of antioxidant micronutrients like vitamin C and vitamin E as well as anti-inflammatory macronutrients such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to protect the brain from ageing (Whalley et. al, 2004). This is a devastating disease that affects most people over the age of fifty. Recently, there have been many studies done to figure out what causes this disease, if there is anything that can cure it, and how to prevent the disease. Seneff, Wainwright, and Mascitelli, believe Alzheimer’s develops with consuming too many carbohydrates, especially fructose and having a deficiency in cholesterol and dietary fats as well (2010). Whalley, Starr, and Deary have seen that poor diet, poverty, and failing health are links to developing Alzheimer’s Disease (2004). Furthermore, seeing increase in plasma homocysteine concentration increases risk of Dementia, which can result from an inadequate intake of vitamin B12/folate (Walley et. al, 2004). Additionally, Gray supports Walley’s findings and even believes having an adequate intake of vitamin B12/folate will have a positive effect on the overall health
A major devastating and debilitating disease, Alzheimer 's is a public health issue that affects not only the United States but also countries all around the world. In 2010, there were 35.6 million people living with Alzheimer’s. Researchers and medical personnel expect this number to triple by the year 2050. The disease is costing America an exorbitant amount of money and has become a burden on families, caregivers, medical personnel, the healthcare system, and the nation’s economy. If attention is not focused on this major problem, “nursing homes will be overloaded, caregivers will be burned out, healthcare system will be overwhelmed, and federal and state budgets will be overtaxed” (Alzheimer’s Association, 2011).
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
Alzheimer’s is a disease that usually develops in adults after the age of 65, but there are cases where people at a younger age develop it as well. Alzheimer’s has a higher chance of occurring the older you get. Studies have suggested that Mexican Americans have a higher chance to be affected by this disease, according to the New York times. A study by the Alzheimer’s Association states that by 2050 about 1.3 million Hispanics could have Alzheimer’s. This is worrisome to health care professionals because Hispanics are the largest growing minority in the United states as of now.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia in the United States, with its commonness expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades. Although awareness of Alzheimer's disease has increased greatly among professional and amateur audiences, exact means do not exist to calculate how many Americans the disease affects. However, it is estimated that there are over 5.1 million people aged 65 or older with probable Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer’s is also the sixth leading cause of death in America. Throughout, I will be addressing the issues that surround this disease: it is not an inevitable consequence of aging, the care and treatment, and end-of-life decisions. While explaining these issues, the goal is to achieve a better
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of progressive dementia currently affecting 5.3 million Americans. Of the 5.3 million, 5.1 million people are the elderly population with two-thirds of those affected being women. There is no treatment available to cure dementia but measures can be taken to sustain the quality of life. Dementia not only affects the patients directly, but also family members and caregivers as well. Family members deal with patient’s memory loss, changes in personality and also have to take care of the ill patients financially. According to WHO, the cost of dementia in 2010 worldwide was estimated to be $604 billion dollars. Apart from the economic pressure, family members also deal with the physical and emotional pressures that come with dementia.
Although, according to Williamson, “many caregivers adapt quite well to their role” (Williamson). Before my pap started losing his memory, I didn’t realize how hard it was to watch a loved one with this disease, let alone care for a patient with Alzheimer’s. According to an article that explains a few coping strategies for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease, “caregivers of people with dementia experience high rates of clinically significant anxiety and depression” (Cooper). This article explains various emotion-focused strategies, problem-focused strategies, and dysfunction-focused strategies for those caring for a person with Alzheimer’s. An experiment was conducted on caregivers of patient who have Alzheimer’s that explains which of these strategies were
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.
Alzheimer 's disease which chronically leads to Senile Dementia, is a horrific change in homeostasis for human beings. The most obvious change in homeostasis from Alzheimer 's is loss of memory. Memory loss can vary from short term to long term. Alzheimer 's disease has been occurring in humans for a long time. This is a disease that affects different body systems, and interrupts homeostasis to a significant point. As Alzheimer 's disease is further investigated, there are more discoveries with how it is caused, what it affects, and how to reduce the risk of developing it. Alzheimer 's disease is a frightening disease that is represented in humans. There are many concerns with this disease that are worth finding out for the future victims
In 1906, Dr. Alois Alzheimer had a patient named Auguste D. He described this patient by saying she had “profound memory loss and unfounded suspicions about family” (Alzheimer, 1906). After his patient had died, he performed an autopsy to rule the cause of death. Alzheimer claims he found “dramatic shrinkage and abnormal deposits in and around the nerve cells”. His findings set new standards for understanding neuro-degenerative disorders around the world. In 1910, this newly discovered abnormality was coined as “Alzheimer’s Disease” (healthline.com). Researching soon ensued and scientists now had more information than ever. In 1976, Alzheimer’s was recognized as the most common cause of dementia. By 1984 Beta-amyloid was found present in brain
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is a progressive neurological disease afflicting 24.3 million people worldwide. 4.5 million people in the United States are diagnosed with this illness annually (Leifer, 2009). Victims of Alzheimer’s disease reach a stage when they are no longer self-sufficient. Those with severe symptoms or lacking family support systems are relegated to nursing homes. Although scientific studies indicate that Alzheimer’s disease leads to a loss of memory and independence, researchers have proven that caregivers are also affected both physically and emotionally. Research is currently being conducted in finding ways to treat Alzheimer’s and helping their caregivers in the process.
January 2013 my grandmother passed away after battling Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease that is permanent and is affecting more elderly people every day. This horrible disease changes the memory and thinking in the brain. Researchers, for years, have been trying to find a way to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s. Researchers, with the help of doctors have been successful finding a way to slow down the progression, but not completely stop it. Although Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects millions of people, with new cases being diagnosed every day, researchers are still working frivolously to find a cure.
When an individual has a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), one can assume that individual may also have a diagnosis with a depressive disorder. Depression in many cases can be the first sign of a neurodegenerative disorder (Yun, 2015, as cited by Green, Cupples, Kurz, Chui, Edeki…Farrer, 2003). Many individuals, who have a neurological disorder, may also develop depressive disorders early on before the appearance of cognitive impairments. Prior research has supported the idea that individuals who are depressed maybe twice as likely to develop AD when compared against non-depressed individuals (Schiavone, 2017, as cited by Jorm, 2001).