Demographic Paper Target the aging population Cheryl Etchison HCS/490 Cindy Perkins December 23, 2013 The elderly, a population of people whose healthcare needs make up a vast majority of people in the United States that has the greatest impact on the needs in healthcare. Everyday someone is diagnosed with a condition that is prevalent among the elderly population called dementia. Dementia is a debilitating condition that effects the brain to where it does not function properly anymore. And these people come to a point where they are no longer able to take care of themselves, not because they care physically unable to but because they cannot remember how to to perform simple tasks because the brain is slowly deteriorating. Most often this is in the form of Alzheimer’s disease that can be diagnosed as early as 40 and rarely earlier but most often in people 50 and older.
Dementia is not a specific disease it’s a general term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other critical thinking skills (Alzheimer’s association, 2012). The individual's ability to perform everyday activities will be lessened. Dementia is often referred to as senility or senile dementia which is incorrect as serious mental decline is not a normal part of aging. Dementia can occur as a result of a variety of neurological diseases. Alzheimer's disease the most common accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases.
This can be more common in people who have high blood pressure, type 1 diabetes and those who smoke. Also If someone has a stoke it can damage brain cells. However not everyone who has had a stroke will go on to develop vascular dementia. Other less common causes of dementia can be things such as head injuries that can cause memory loss, brain tumours and alcohol abuse which is the cause of korsikof dementia. 1.2 describe the types of memory impairement commonely experienced by individuals with dementia.
It has similar symptoms to Parkinson's disease such as tremors, slowness of movement and speech difficulties. People with vascular dementia may suffer from incontinence or seizures where as other types of dementia may not have those symptoms. However the level of ability and disability depend on individual's age and condition of dementia, people who are living with dementia in earlier age such as 60's-70's are less likely to be as dependable on others than people living with dementia at the age of over their 70's or 80's. People also have different levels of stamina at different ages, so their ability and disability may vary and the level of support they require will be varied as well. There is little awareness or understanding of the needs of people who develop dementia at an early age, and this can make it very difficult for younger people to access adequate support.
Genes also play a role in the risk to you developing this disease. Vascular Risk Factors These include having an immediate family member with disease. It may also develop in combination with Alzheimers and/or Parkinson’s disease. Fronto-temperal Risk Factors This dementia tends to occur at a younger age than Alzheimers and can affect men and women. Very little is known about the risk factors of this type of dementia and most cases are not inherited, although there is one extremely rare type which can be passed through
About 75% of people who are diagnosed with dementia will have either Alzheimer's or vascular dementia, or a combination of the two. There are other forms of dementia which are less common. They include dementia with Lewy bodies, fronto-temporal dementias, Huntington's disease, alcohol-related dementias, and HIV/AIDS-related dementia. 4.1 Peoples ability and disability differs depending on what type of dementia they have. Not all people who have dementia are always forgetful and some types, such as fronto-temporal dementia, are far less forgetful than Alzheimer’s disease.
In the UK, it is estimated that there are about 700,000 people who have dementia. Moreover, some researchers said that there are over 24 million people worldwide who have dementia. The early symptom of dementia is that people tend to forget the things that they have done or said lately, but they can remember events that happened many years ago. Some of them may have difficulty in finding words;
Cu1668 1.1 Diversity : means difference , this means recognising and valuing those differences whether thats culture backgrounds personalty work style gender age Equality : means treating people in a way that is appropriate for there needs Inclusion : making sure equal opportunities for residence , whether is there age , sex, ethnicity . 1.2 Residents with dementia may have lost normal brain function , understanding capabilities , abilities to perform routine tasks , they may need assistant from family members / social workers 1.3 They may feel excluded due to confusion feeling like they doing belong in a place or with certain people , they maybe living within the past which means that the cannot understand whats being asked of them .
There are 7 stages of Alzheimer’s and life expectancy can vary. Some people will argue that there cannot be a set life expectancy due to diagnosis. Medical Doctor, Eric B. Larson said that “On average, patients with AD live for 8 to 10 years after they are diagnosed. However, some people live as long as 20 years” (2007). Regardless of age or race, Alzheimer’s affects many people in the same ways that make it hard to function on a daily basis.
When having a member of the family that is aging such as a father, mother or grandparent we need to be supportive and honor their decisions when it comes to their retirement or if they need assisted living. Senescence