Introduction 1

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Introduction 1 Introduction 1 1 Introduction SENILE DEMENTIA: OVERVIEW Senile dementia is a disease caused by degeneration of the brain cells. It is different from normal senility in the elderly in that the patient’s brain function will gradually deteriorate resulting in progressive loss of memory and mental abilities, and noticeable personality changes. Causes and Development Dementia is always caused by an underlying disease or condition. Brain tissue is damaged, and functioning is diminished. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive brain disorder causing deterioration in memory and thought processes. Causes include: • Alzheimer’s disease • Vascular dementia, the second most common cause of dementia, accounting for up to 20% of all dementias • Huntington disease, a progressive degenerative disease that causes dance-like movements and mental deterioration • Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries • Multiple sclerosis, a disorder of the sheath that lines the brain and spinal cord • HIV, the immunodeficiency disorder that leads to AIDS 2 Diagnosis and Treatment of Senile Dementia • Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative disorder of part of the nervous system • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rapidly progressing degenerative disorder of the nervous system causing problems with walking, talking, and the senses • Pick’s disease, a disorder of the brain that causes slowly progressing dementia • Viral or bacterial encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain • Lewy body disease, a degenerative disease of the nervous system • Normal pressure hydrocephalus, or increased cerebrospinal fluid in the brain • Chronic subdural hematoma, or bleeding between the brain lining and brain tissue • Brain tumor • Wilson disease, a rare disease causing an accumulation of copper in the liver, brain, kidneys, and corneas • Neurosyphilis, an infection of the nervous system by the syphilis bacteria, which causes weakness and mental deterioration • Progressive supranuclear palsy, also known as Steele- Richardson-Olszewski syndrome, a rare disorder of late middle age that causes widespread neurological problems. Certain abnormalities of a person’s metabolism or hormones may also be responsible for the development of dementia, including the following: • Hypothyroidism, which means the thyroid gland is underactive • Hyperthyroidism, which means the thyroid gland is overactive • High-dose steroid abuse • Deficiency, or low body levels, of vitamin B12 • Thiamine deficiency • Deficiency of niacin, or vitamin B3 • Chronic alcohol abuse Introduction 3 • Chronic exposure to metals, such as lead or mercury, and to dyes, such as aniline • Medication side-effects or drug interactions. In some of these cases, dementia can be reversed by removing the toxic agent or bringing vitamin levels back to normal. Signs and Symptoms Symptoms at the early stage include the following: • Forgetting recent events (distant memories also fade as the disease progresses) • Experiencing difficulty in reasoning, calculation, and accepting new things • Becoming confused over time, place and direction • Impaired judgment • Changes in personality • Becoming passive and losing initiative. Symptoms at the middle stage include the following: • Losing cognitive ability, such as the ability to learn, judge, and reason • Becoming emotionally unstable, and easily losing temper or becoming agitated • Needing help to simply live from day to day • Confusing night and day; disturbing others’ normal sleeping time. Symptoms at the later stage include the following: • Losing all cognitive ability • Becoming entirely incapable of self-care, including eating, bathing, and so on • Neglecting personal hygiene • Incontinence • Losing weight gradually • Walking unsteadily and becoming confined to bed. Treatment and Prevention Senile dementia that is caused by depression, poor nutrition, thyroid dysfunction, drug poisoning, alcoholism, and so on, can 4 Diagnosis and Treatment of Senile Dementia often be corrected by treating the underlying problem. Alzheimer’s disease and multi-infarct dementia are degenerative diseases, and up to now there is no effective treatment. It is best to recognize the symptoms early and be diagnosed and assessed by a doctor. There are currently some medications available to slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease. If you recognize the symptoms of senile dementia in a family member, these steps should be taken: • Consult your doctor to confirm the diagnosis. • Join a family support group for senile dementia patients. This will help to ease the pressure of looking after the patient through sharing of experience. • Take advantage of social services such as day care centers for the elderly. • Explain your loved one’s illness to your relatives and neighbors to gain their understanding and support. • Make alterations in your home environment to prevent accidents. • Establish a daily routine for the patient to reduce his or her feelings of confusion. • Have the patient wear a wrist bracelet labeled with his name and telephone number. Always have a recent photo of the patient at home so that it will help to find him if he or she gets lost. There is up till now no effective way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. However, multi-infarct dementia is caused by damaged blood vessels, and can be prevented through healthy living habits. MEMORY LOSS AND OTHER SYMPTOMS OF DEMENTIA While symptoms of dementia can vary greatly, at least two of the following core mental functions must be significantly impaired to be considered dementia: • Memory • Communication and language • Ability to focus and pay attention Introduction 5 • Reasoning and judgment • Visual perception People with dementia may have problems with short-term memory, keeping track of a purse or wallet, paying bills, planning and preparing meals, remembering appointments or traveling out of the neighborhood. Many dementias are progressive, meaning symptoms start out slowly and gradually get worse. If you or a loved one is experiencing memory difficulties or other changes in thinking skills, don’t ignore them. Professional evaluation may detect a treatable condition. And even if symptoms suggest dementia, early diagnosis allows a person to get the maximum benefit from available treatments and provides an opportunity to volunteer for clinical trials or studies. It also provides time to plan for the future. Causes Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. This damage interferes with the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other. When brain cells cannot communicate normally, thinking, behavior and feelings can be affected. The brain has many distinct regions, each of which is responsible for different functions (for example, memory, judgment and movement). When cells in a particular region are damaged, that region cannot carry out its functions normally. Different types of dementia are associated with particular types of brain cell damage in particular regions of the brain. For example, in Alzheimer’s disease, high levels of certain proteins inside and outside brain cells make it hard for brain cells to stay healthy and to communicate with each other. The brain region called the hippocampus is the center of learning and memory in the brain, and the brain cells in this region are often the first to be damaged. That’s why memory loss is often one of the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer’s. While most changes in the brain that cause dementia are permanent and worsen over time, thinking and memory problems caused by the following conditions may improve when the condition is treated or addressed: 6 Diagnosis and Treatment of Senile Dementia • Depression • Medication side effects • Excess use of alcohol • Thyroid problems • Vitamin deficiencies. Diagnosis of dementia There is no one test to determine if someone has dementia. Doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia based on a careful medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests, and the characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function and behavior associated with each type. Doctors can determine that a person has dementia with a high level of certainty. But it’s harder to determine the exact type of dementia because the symptoms and brain changes of different dementias can overlap. In some cases, a doctor may diagnose “dementia” and not specify a type. If this occurs it may be necessary to see a specialist such as a neurologist or gero-psychologist. Dementia treatment and care Treatment of dementia depends on its cause. In the case of most progressive dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease, there is no cure and no treatment that slows or stops its progression. But there are drug treatments that may temporarily improve symptoms. The same medications used to treat Alzheimer’s are among the drugs sometimes prescribed to help with symptoms of other types of dementias. Non-drug therapies can also alleviate some symptoms of dementia. Ultimately, the path to effective new treatments for dementia is through increased research funding and increased participation in clinical studies. Right now, volunteers are urgently needed to participate in more than 180+ actively enrolling clinical studies and trials about Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Dementia risk and prevention Some risk factors for dementia, such as age and genetics, cannot be changed. But researchers continue to explore the impact of other risk factors on brain health and prevention of dementia. Introduction 7 Some of the most active areas of research in risk reduction and prevention
Recommended publications
  • The Memory Bridge Training Retreats
    1 THE MEMORY BRIDGE TRAINING RETREATS: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC EVALUATION Lucinda Carspecken Lecturer, Inquiry Methodology Indiana University, Bloomington Copyright © June, 2018, L. Carspecken Based on interviews with… Gina Awad Marigrace Becker Christiane Bomhard Debbie Carriveau Angela Christie Heather Comstock Carolyn Cook Emily Cousins Jill Crunkleton Greg Farrell Brenda Gurung Mary Jo Gibbons Jane Harlan-Simmons Ryan Harrison Emma Jack Maeve Larkin Jeanene Lindsey Pat McDaniels Sarah Neary Donna Newman-Bluestein Molly O’Brien Julia Periello Maegan (Maggie) Pollard Magdalena Schamberger Natalie Sell Susan Shifrin Stuart Torrance Michael Verde Cheryl Yeend 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to my skilled and patient transcribers, Kathleen Carspecken, Sunil Carspecken and Michelle Collard. And thanks to Indiana University’s Faculty Writing Group for providing a weekly space and time to work on this report. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: THE MEMORY BRIDGE TRAINING RETREATS FOR 2015 AND 2016 5 Memory Bridge in Context: Dementia Care in the United States 6 Research Methods 10 An Overview of the Report 16 CHAPTER 1. MEMORY BRIDGE’S BEGINNINGS, ITS VISION AND SOME ASPECTS OF ITS PHILOSOPHY 18 CHAPTER 2. “INGREDIENTS IN A CASSEROLE”: THE PEOPLE WHO CAME AND WHAT THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM 27 The Selection Criteria 27 The Application Process 30 The Participants 33 Learning from One Another 35 What the Participants Brought with Them 38 CHAPTER 3: THE ELEMENTS OF THE CURRICULUM 63 The Material Aspects of “Feeding the Feeders” 63 Circles 68 Meditation 76 The Buddy Visits 79 Formal Presentations 100 Stories 108 Down Time 113 Group Activities Initiated by Trainees 118 Eye Contact 122 4 CHAPTER 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Family Resiliency, Sense of Coherence, Social Support And
    FAMILY RESILIENCY, SENSE OF COHERENCE, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS: REDUCING CAREGIVER BURDEN AND DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN PERSONS WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE by Havovi B. Shroff A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The College of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida August 2014 Copyright Havovi B. Shroff 2014 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is with the deepest gratitude that I would like to thank everyone who has contributed in affording me with the numerous opportunities and efforts required, for completing this dissertation. Firstly, I would like to thank Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Counselor Education for its professional and skilled faculty, especially the Department Chair Dr. Paul Peluso. In particular, I would especially like to thank my dissertation Chairperson, Dr. Michael Frain, who has patiently guided, encouraged and advised me throughout this process. Thank you to my committee members Dr. Elizabeth Villares, and Dr. Greg Brigman who have been a source of support and comfort from the commencement of this journey. I will be forever indebted to these three individuals for assisting and advocating for me every step of the way. I’d like to thank Dr. Maria Ordonez and Glenda Connelly LCSW for lending their invaluable expertise in the area of Alzheimer’s disease and also to Anita Pennathur, Anu Nagar, Bradley Trager and Jaimee Schulson for all their assistance. My special thanks to Dr. Dushyant Uttamsingh, Dr. Asmeeta Punwani, Erica Brown, Dr. and Mrs. Mukesh Wadhwa at Stratford Court and Ms.
    [Show full text]
  • Implementation of Alternative Methods Into Nursing Care of Elderly with Alzheimer Disease
    Tkáčová Ľ, et al. J Gerontol Geriatr Med 2021, 7: 085 DOI: 10.24966/GGM-8662/100085 HSOA Journal of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine Research Article Implementation of Alternative Keywords: Alzheimer disease, Basal stimulation; Naomi feil; Methods into Nursing Care of Snoezelen; Validation Elderly with Alzheimer Disease Introduction During the 20th century, ageing had taken a new dimension Ľubomíra Tkáčová1*, Dagmar Magurová1, Jana Cuperová1, from the individual aging to the society-wide aging [1]. According 2 1 Helena Galdunová and Beáta Grešš Halász to the World Health Organization (WHO), Alzheimer’s disease is 1Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Care, University of Presov, Presov, among the ten main diseases that will endanger the health and lives Slovakia of people in the near future within the deepening of the population 2Department of Midwifery Presov, Faculty of Health Care, University of aging. According to data from 2013, there were 44,4 million patients Presov, Presov, Slovakia registered with dementia, for 2030 it is expected to rise to 75.6 million. Slovak Alzheimer’s Society states the number of dementia patients in Slovakia up to 50-60 thousand, who are cared for by about 100 to 150 Abstract thousand family members and carers [2]. Nursing care is very specific and demanding for patients with dementia. Whereas cognitive failure Introduction: The population aging process has enormous effect on further society evolution because of high occurence of chronic occurs in a patient due to dementia, a wide range of behavioral diseases and starting mental defects. The most common is problems affecting different activities appear during the treatment [3].
    [Show full text]
  • Good Work: Dementia Learning and Development Framework
    GoodContents Introduction Ethics ExcellenceWork Engagement References Appendices A Dementia Learning and Development Framework for Wales People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway Mother Theresa Good Contact Details Care Council for Wales, South Gate House, Wood Street, Cardiff, CF10 1EW Tel: 0300 30 33 444 Minicom: 029 2078 0680 E-mail: [email protected] www.ccwales.org.uk ISBN: 978-1-911463-03-0 (2016) Care Council for Wales All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the Care Council for Wales. Enquiries for reproduction outside the scope expressly permitted by law should be sent to the Chief Executive of the Care Council for Wales at the address given above. Further copies and other formats This document is available in large print and other formats if required /CareCareersWales @CareCouncil Contents Introduction
    [Show full text]
  • Anthropology & Aging Quarterly 2013
    Anthropology & Aging uarterly September 2013 Q Volume 34, Number 2 Journal of the Association of Anthropology & Gerontology The Body AAGE Offi cers President Samantha Solimeo CADRE, Iowa City VA Medical Center 601 Highway 6 West Iowa City, IA 52246–2208 E-mail: [email protected] Immediate Past-President Lori L. Jervis Center for Applied Social Research, University of Oklahoma 2 Partners Place, 3100 Monitor Avenue, Rm 100, Norman, OK 73072 E-mail: [email protected] Treasurer Sharon Williams Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Purdue University 700 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN 47907 E-mail: [email protected] Secretary Eric Miller Program Director Education Abroad, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 526 Prices Fork Rd., Blacksburg, VA 26060 E-mail: [email protected] Elections Chair Rebecca Berman Buehler Center on Aging, Northwestern University 750 N. Lakeshore Drive, , Suite 601, Chicago, IL 60611-2611 E-mail: [email protected] AAGE Booth Coordinator Maria G. Cattell 486 Walnut Hill Road, Millersville, PA 17551 E-mail: [email protected] AAQ Editor-in-Chief Jason Danely Department of Anthropology, Rhode Island College 600 Mt Pleasant Ave. ,Gaige 111, Providence, RI 02909 E-mail: [email protected] 47 Anthropology & Aging Quarterly 2013: 34 (3) Anthropology & Aging Quarterly (ISSN: 1559-6680) The official publication of the Association for Anthropology & Gerontology http://anthropologyandgerontology.com/ Editor-in-Chief Jason Danely Rhode Island College Associate Editor Book Reviews Editor Digital Content Intern Jonathan Skinner Joann Kovacich Samantha Grace University of University of Phoenix University of Arizona Roehampton Editorial Board Judith Corr Dawn Lehman Catherine O’Brien Grand Valley State University Minding Your Business MatherLifeWays Howie Giles Annette Leibing Margaret Perkinson Saint Louis University University of California Santa Barbara Université de Montreal Madelyn Iris Dena Shenk Mark Luborsky University of North Carolina, Charlotte Council for Jewish Elderly Wayne State University Lori L.
    [Show full text]
  • Old-Age-Faculty-Newsletter-January
    Old Age Psychiatrist (67)2017 Old Age Psychiatrist Newsletter of the Old Age Faculty of the Royal College of Psychiatrists January 2017 Issue 67 Editorial Team: Helen McCormack, Sharmi Bhattacharyya, Anitha Howard, Ayesha Bangash 1 Old Age Psychiatrist (67)2017 Old Age Psychiatrist (67) 2017 CONTENTS EDITORIAL Update from the Editorial Team, Helen McCormack..............................................................................3 Update from Alistair Burns, National Clinical Director for Dementia and Older People’s Mental Health ......................................................................................................................................................... .......4 Update from Amanda Thompsell, Chair of the Old Age Faculty. ............................................................ 7 NEWS Stop Press, breaking news for Trainees, Old Age Liason Psychiatry.....................................................10 International Psychogeriatric Association , Call for new members......................................................11 FEATURES Collaborative Working across continents to develop holistic services for Older People in India. Sujoy Mukherjee, Gautam Saha, Amanda Thompsell and Sharmi Bhattacharyya........................................12 Noise making in dementia: has a remedy been found? Ayesha Bangash and Ather Malik.................13 Dementia Simulation Programme. Alister Gomes-Pinto, Pamela Jenkins, Sharon Sorungbe and Natalie Bayley......................................................................................................................17
    [Show full text]
  • How Discourses of Aging and Old Age in Contemporary, Popular Film Both Reinforce and Reimagine the Narrative of Aging As Decline Pamela H
    University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository American Studies ETDs Electronic Theses and Dissertations 7-3-2012 The Becoming of Age: How discourses of aging and old age in contemporary, popular film both reinforce and reimagine the narrative of aging as decline Pamela H. Gravagne Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/amst_etds Recommended Citation Gravagne, Pamela H.. "The Becoming of Age: How discourses of aging and old age in contemporary, popular film both reinforce and reimagine the narrative of aging as decline." (2012). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/amst_etds/17 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in American Studies ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Pamela Gravagne Candidate American Studies Department This dissertation is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication: Approved by the Dissertation Committee: Gabriel Melendez, Co-Chairperson Vera Norwood, Co-Chairperson Alyosha Goldstein Janet Cramer Margaret Cruikshank THE BECOMING OF AGE: HOW DISCOURSES OF AGING AND OLD AGE IN CONTEMPORARY, POPULAR FILM BOTH REINFORCE AND REIMAGINE THE NARRATIVE OF AGING AS DECLINE By Pamela Gravagne B.A., Spanish, Syracuse University, 1968 M.A., Spanish, Syracuse University, 1969 M.A., American Studies, The University of New Mexico, 2007 DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
    [Show full text]