It is important to encourage to maintain independence. Know the most common types of dementia and their causes. 3.1) The most common causes of dementia are neurodegenerative disease where the brain cells die more quickly than normal which leads to a decline in the persons mental and physical abilities. Dementia can be caused by strokes, brain damage, old age, or it can be hereditary. 3.2) Symptoms of Alzheimer’s; Becoming more confused and forgetful, Mood swings, Becoming withdrawn due to loss of confidence, Having difficulty completing every
Dementia Awareness Unit 237 Dementia is a condition which is the gradual loss of brain function, this also makes it degenerative. It can include symptoms such as memory loss, confusion, problems with speech and understanding. Dementia at the moment has no cure, as it has a number of diseases that coincide with it. Alzheimer’s is part of dementia. Functions that are affected by dementia are; Short term Memory loss, Language skills, the ability to interpret information, spatial skills, judgement and attention.
Less commonly, a non-degenerative condition may have secondary effects on brain cells, which may or may not be reversible if the condition is treated. The causes of dementia depend on the age at which symptoms begin. In the elderly population, a large majority of cases of dementia are caused by Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia or both. It is rare to have dementia in young people 1.2 Describe the types of memory impairment commonly experienced by individuals with dementia. The memory impairment may result in lack of attention, forgetting language, forgetting names and identity of friends and relatives and lose of ability to solve problems.
Dementia Awareness Dementia is not a disease in its own rights and it is not a part of the normal aging process. It is a progressive condition which means it will gradually become worse. This is because when dealing with dementia brain cells will begin to die and as these brain cells cannot usually be replaced the cells die and the brain begins to shrink. It is a common illness and affects around 820,000 people just in the UK alone. Most people who suffer with it are over 65 but there are 150,000 people under 65 who also suffer with it.
Dementia which begins gradually and worsens progressively over several years is usually caused by neurodegenerative disease that is, by conditions affecting only or primarily the neurons of the brain and causing gradual but irreversible loss of function of these cells. Less commonly, a non-degenerative condition may have secondary effects on brain cells, which may or may not be reversible if the condition is treated. The causes of dementia depend on the age at which symptoms begin. In the elderly population, a large majority of cases of dementia are caused by Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia or both. It is rare to have dementia in young people 1.2 Describe the types of memory impairment commonly experienced by individuals with dementia.
There are some other factors Cause changes in individual condition with similar symptoms of dementia, like depression, confusional state due to an infection (UTI/chest infections), sensory changes due to age related degeneration, reduced metabolism cause poor appetite, Osteoporosis and fear of falling. Abilities of an individual with dementia may fluctuate because of the changes to physical environment (moving home, starting at a day centre) changes to a social environment (changes in carers, loss of family or friends and social isolation, Bereavement) changes to the emotional environment ( Cares become stressed, experience of abuse) Personal changes ( changes in treatment, changes in medication) Changes in physical condition ( bacteria or viral
Vascular dementia is caused when there is a reduction in the blood flow to the brain. Over time, this can damage the parts of the brain which play a large part of a person memory, speech and attention. A stroke can play a part in this type of dementia when it narrows the blood vessels to the brain. Dementia with Lewy Bodies is caused by lumps of protein which builds up inside nerve cells inside the brain, the proteins damage the nerve cells and how they work, these nerves are responsible for thinking, memory and movement of a person. Dementia with Lewy Bodies can be closely related to Parkinsons Disease and there is a theory that Dementia with Lewy Bodies interferes with two neurotransmitters called dopamine and acetylcholine which assist in the brains functions.
About 75% of people who are diagnosed with dementia will have either Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia, or a combination of the two. There less common forms of dementia include dementia with Lewy bodies, fronto-temporal dementia (Pick’s disease), Huntington’s disease, alcohol-related dementias, and HIV/AIDS-related dementia. Alzheimer’s usually affects the elderly population and is a degenerative neurogical disorder and genetic factors are considered the greatest factors in the development of the disease. This conditions begins gradually and worsens progressively over several years. It is caused by nerve cells dying in certain areas of the brain and the connections between the affected nerve cells deteriorate.
Medications and disease’s can cause a decreased ability to taste and smell. A decrease in the senses can negatively impact a person’s quality of life. Declining Sensory System in the Elderly 3 Declining Sensory System in the Elderly And the affect on the Quality of Life As the human body ages the body starts to change and certain health issues arise; hearing, vision, mobility, taste and smell are some of the common areas affected by the changes. These changes occur within the sensory system. The sensory system is part of the nervous system responsible for processing sensory information such as hearing, vision, and taste.
UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND EXPERIENCE OF DEMENTIA Task A 1. For each of the following forms of dementia, describe: • How is the brain affected • The symptoms an individual might experience. Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain disease. Most patients start exhibiting symptoms after they reach the age of 60. Alzheimer's disease affects the brain through exponentially greater cell death and tissue loss, resulting in a decreased brain size.