Dementia Psychosocial Effects

858 Words4 Pages
Dementia and its Psychosocial Effects There are many types of dementia, with the two most common being Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia (Stokes, 2010). Dementia has become one of the most feared illnesses in the western world with many people being diagnosed as having anticipatory dementia, a mistaking of natural memory loss for dementia (Hoffnung, et al., 2010). As humans age it is natural to become more forgetful and struggle to recall information but dementia differs as there is much more rapid rate of loss (‘Dementia Syndrome in the Elderly’, 2010). The actual word dementia translates in Latin to “out of the mind” but has been redefined as a brain disorder that causes memory loss, degradation in cognitive ability, an increasing loss…show more content…
Carers will eventually have to perform services for the ones that they are looking after which they will find very confronting yet it is their duty to put on a brave face and try to maintain as much dignity as possible for the sick individual (Stokers, 2010). As well as maintaining the sick individual’s health it is also important that they do not neglect their own (Hoffnung, et al., 2010). Carers also need to make sure that they always feel safe in the presence of the person they are looking after as personality can change drastically due to dementia (Hoffnung, et al.,…show more content…
International Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 116, pp. 1271-1293 Hoffnung, M., Hoffnung, R., Seifert, K., Burton Smith, R., Hine, A., Ward, L., et. Al. (2010) .Lifespan development (1st Australasian ed.). Australia: John Wiley & Sons, 616-630 Stokes, G (2010) Explaining About… Day-to-Day Living with Dementia. Working with Older People, Vol. 14, pp. 5-7 Willis, R, Chan, J, Murray, J, Matthews, D, Banerjee, S (2009) People with Dementia and their Family Carers Satisfaction with a Memory Service. Journal of Mental Health, Vol. 18, pp. 26-30 (2010) Dementia Syndrome in the Elderly. Harvard Mental Health Letter. Review Questions 1. How do people with dementia deal with the knowledge that eventually they will not be able to think coherently and recognise those they love? 2. Often I have heard stories of family members not wishing to visit mothers or fathers with dementia as it is too painful to see them in the way they are. Is this fair to leave those that are sick in a home by themselves? 3. How would people in ancient times dealt with elders that developed dementia? 4. Is severe dementia one such situation where it could be warranted to euthanize an
Open Document