Understand the process and experience of dementia DEM 301 Outcome 1 Describe a range of causes of dementia syndrome. Alzheimer's disease This is the most common cause of dementia. During the course of the disease, the chemistry and structure of the brain changes, leading to the death of brain cells. Vascular dementia If the oxygen supply to the brain fails, brain cells may die. The symptoms of vascular dementia can occur either suddenly, following a stroke, or over time, through a series of small strokes. Describe the types of memory impairment commonly experienced by individuals with dementia Memory problems are usually the most obvious symptom in people with dementia. Someone with dementia may not know common facts when questioned. …show more content…
An individual’s needs and abilities change over time as a result of their condition and are different for each person. All abilities involve more than one memory and dysfunction of the brain will affect a person’s abilities. Self-awareness and identity can be lost that may affects a person’s abilities and needs. Furthermore anxiety, depression, mental health issues, loss of independence, loss of companionship, change of circumstance. Moreover Seven Stages of Alzheimer's (2006) going from no impairment to very server cognitive decline shows the fluctuation of the needs and abilities. People with dementia have symptoms that can vary throughout the week or even day. They will have times when they perform well, and others when they will have more problems. Fatigue is the biggest enemy of the person with memory loss. People with brain diseases tire easily because they must concentrate so hard all the time. For many, the late afternoon and early evening hours can be the most challenging due to fatigue, a condition often referred to as "sundowning." Outcome 2 Describe the impact of early diagnosis and follow up to diagnosis Early diagnosis helps a person and their family prepare, they may want to learn about what they about to face increase awareness of dementia, its implications and Integrated Care Pathway. They would be able to look at benefit and legal implication such any benefits entitlements and power of attorney. The person and their family would
There are several causes of dementia some of them are; a stroke, brain disease, MS, certain medications, shrinkage of the brain, too many opiates over a long period of time and severe alcoholism
1.3 Individual’s process information in different ways therefore depending on their abilities will depend on their limitations of individuals with dementia. Some people are aware of their limitations, this may make them feel sad for the way they are now and making them worried about the future. Usually as the disease progresses, the level of self-awareness will most likely decline as well. In earlier stages of dementia the person you care fore may deny or not understand that they have the disease and this can then result in them not realising their own limitations in their abilities, such as driving, cooking etc.
As people age, it is natural for them to experience a mild degree of memory loss. However, some cases can be much more severe, and can have a variety of causes. When loss of memory and other mental functions becomes more severe, the condition is known as dementia. Dementia is caused by a variety of disorders, but
Allow the person with dementia and their family plan and make arrangements for the future
Early diagnosis of dementia can have a huge impact on the individual and their family and friends.
Memory problems are usually the most obvious symptom in people with dementia. For example, a person with early stages of dementia might go to the shops and then cannot remember what they wanted. It is also common to misplace objects. As dementia progresses, sometimes memory loss for recent events is severe and the person may appear to be living in the past. They may think of themselves as young and not recognise their true age.
Dementia is a term used to describe a collection of signs and symptoms that happen to the brain when it is affected by the progression of certain diseases such as vascular dementia (when brain cells die due to lack of oxygen) and Alzheimer’s disease (a specific brain disease). Some of the affects these diseases have are on a person’s memory, language and communication abilities, behaviour and ability to make rational judgements.
The term ‘dementia’ describes a set of symptoms which can include loss of memory, mood changes and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when the brain is damaged by certain conditions and diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Age is the greatest risk factor for dementia. Dementia affects one in 14 people over the age of 65 and one in six over the age of 80. However, dementia is not restricted to older people: in the UK, there are over 17,000 people under the age of 65 with dementia, although this figure is likely to be an underestimate.
Dementia effects your memory and a person’s ability to achieve a normal everyday task and activities.
Dementia is memory damage accompanied by aphasia, apraxia, or agnosia which is the critical feature of Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms include depression, irritability, mood liability, anxiety, and sleep disturbance. Dementias are among the most difficult and overwhelming of mental disorders
It is important to distinguish Alzheimer’s disease from mild cognitive impairment and normal dementia. There is a normal amount of forgetfulness that everyone experiences as their body and brain begin to age. However, the three disorders listed above are not part of the normal aging process. Dementia is a disorder of the mental processes caused by a brain disease or damage. It’s true that the most common form of dementia is because of Alzheimer’s disease, but it is important to note that this is not the only disease or illness that can cause dementia. Symptoms of dementia include, but are not limited to: loss of memory, impaired judgment, loss of communication skills, and disorientation. Many individuals with dementia also experience neuropsychiatric symptoms. In a study conducted by Lyketsos et al. (2002), they found that as many as 75% of the dementia participants
In the light of being a powerful disease, Alzheimer is divided in three main stages. These stages go from mild to severe. Each and everyone of these stages comes with different symptoms. For example in the early stage of Alzheimer's, in concordance with the Alzheimer's association, the person can still function independently. He or she may still drive, work and be part of social activities. However, the person may feel as if they are having memory lapses, as in forgetting words that are familiar to them or the location of everyday objects. Noticing these signals can be difficult for family or friends. That is why when a detailed medical interview was conducted, doctors were be able to detect problems in memory and concentration. Some common
The most common cause of dementia is brain damage. With dementia disease, abnormal protein deposits in the brain terminate cells in the areas of the brain that control memory and psychological functions (Mayo, 2015). In other words If the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients the brain would gradually lose important cells. Second, Vascular dementia, the second most common type of dementia, occurs as a result of brain damage due to reduced or blocked blood flow in blood vessels leading to your brain. (Mayo, 2015) When the brain cells dies, it’s hard for the brain to function and that for anybody, not just the people that are diagnosed with dementia. Certain causes of dementia can be overturned with treatment, but most
It is an increasing, urgency for (OT) practitioners to understand dementia patients by using evidence based way to better serve people with dementia. Alzheimer Disease is a type of dementia and is consider an irreversible, progressive brain ailment that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest task of daily living (padilla 9/2011). The symptoms of Alzheimer Disease may vary widely, but the most common symptom is characterized by progressive loss of memory and cognitive function. Alzheimer Disease also can decrease independence in activities of
Dementia is an ongoing decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Dementia mainly affects your memory, communication and language, ability to focus and pay attention, reasoning and judgement, and visual perception. People affected by dementia are often disoriented. They usually don’t know where they are or can’t even recognize a loved one that they used to adore at one point in time.