Dementia: Symptoms, Treatments, and Causes - Essay Example

Name xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Institution xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lecturer xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date Dementia is a disease condition that leads to behavioral changes in a person due to ongoing decline of brain and its functioning ability. Persons with dementia have their thinking, language, memory ,understanding as well as judgment or analytical capabilities becoming impaired. Dementia is one of the leading diseases that not only puts strain on the care givers, family and society but also the general economy is affected. In many countries dementia has become an economic burden from the societal perspective which not only included the health care costs but also social care costs and opportunity costs that was associated to the unpaid care given to the dementia patients. Dementia contributes to massive loss in the productivity of the nation which was attributed to premature death as well as the absence from work by those having dementia. The diagnosis of this condition however is not made early and the interventions to dementia have not yet been fully developed to prevent the progressive decline of the brain function (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health 2007). Response to dementia is governed by various principles. This principles are aimed at ensuring the care given to the people with dementia is of quality , equity and without any form of discrimination. This principles will ensure that the dementia is managed in the best way possible.non discrimination will enable the provision of quality care to dementia cases since they would not be excluded from health services basing on this condition. This will thus require that dementia cases are given respect at all times while undergoing while being treated by the health and social care staff. The health care givers should at all times endeavor to attend to the needs and the wishes of the dementia affected persons and should therefore get all the necessary support they deserve. Responses to dementia will also require that the care givers to be able to have a valid consent from the people affected by dementia themselves for this will ensure that the care that is given will be based on the understanding and the decisions that the person who has dementia. The information from the dementia cases should be treated with confidentiality as any other disease condition and should only be disclosed at specified circumstances. Dementia will also require that the care givers are able to receive psychological therapy since the condition will also tend to impact on a number of care givers having who have to undergo some element of psychological distress (National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health 2007). Dementia being one of the health conditions should be integrated into the health as well as social care. All agencies should therefore be involved in the treatment and care of the dementia cases through the formulation of working policies as well as procedures. The health care plan for dementia should therefore entail a combined care plan that is agreed by both the health and social services for this will take into account the ever changing needs that dementia posses to those who are affected by it. The care plans for dementia should also be constantly reviewed basing on the agreed frequency among the professionals, care givers and the persons who are affected by dementia. Health care providers and managers should therefore undergo training on the care of dementia which should at all times be consistent to their roles and responsibilities. Integration of dementia in the health and social care services will also go a long way to ensure that the delivery of care is able to trickle down to the lowest level possible so that all the dementia cases are able to receive the adequate attention that they deserve. This care will thus range from primary care , home care, mainstream and specialist day services, assistive technology and telecare, intermediate care and rehabilitation, care in general hospitals and finally specialist mental care services (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence 2006). The response to dementia will also involve the identification of the risk factors on time. This will enable the early identification of dementia cases and the formulation of various preventive strategies where necessary to prevent the occurrence of the condition. The identification of dementia cases will be based on the level of cognitive impairment thorough memory assessment. Primary and secondary prevention measures will thus be put in place to prevent the occurrence of the cases of dementia. This will involve the institution of various screening methods for dementia cases as well as offering of the genetic counseling sessions. The diagnosis of dementia should only be made after a comprehensive assessment has been done. The assessment will include the taking of the medical history, cognitive and mental state examination, physical examination and conducting of appropriate investigations. The response to the person having dementia will entail the provision of medical care to the affected person. Medical care will be vital in the management of the symptoms which affect the thinking as well a the memory(cognitive symptoms). This will be followed by the use of medication to help in the management of symptoms that affect the mood of the person with dementia and how someone is able to behave(non-cognitive symptoms) (Farlow & Cummings 2007). Acetylchlinesterases will be vital in the treating of the symptoms which affect the thinking and memory in the person with dementia. Other medication to be used will include the antidepressants which would help in the management of symptoms that alter the mood of the patient. Sleeping tablets will also be given to those with sleeping difficulties. The last resort of medication would involve the use tranquilizers or the antipsychotics (Brewer et al 2007). The people with dementia should also be put on reality orientation which will involve the giving of regular information to the patients in relation to time , place and people with the very basic aim of enabling them to be oriented. Cognitive stimulation will also be vital in such patients and this will involve the stimulation of the brain which goes a long way to improve the patients memory ,language and the problem solving ability, this could be achieved though undertaking of recreational activities, problem solving activities, and talking to the patients with dementia. Regular exercises will also be necessary in this patients since they would have a decline in mobility. By undertaking activities such as walking and dancing, the progression of the decline of mobility will be slowed down in the patients. Reminiscence therapy will also be of essence in the patients with dementia. This will involve the encouraging of the dementia patients to be able to talk about their past experiences . this will be able to make them to use their long term memory and bring the past into their current thoughts. This will enable the patients to be able slow down the loss of memory which is normally a character of dementia. Sensory stimulation will also be of importance in the patients who have dementia. This will involve the use of music. Lights, sounds , smell, massage and aroma therapy. this will improve the mood and feeling of restlessness among the patients with dementia (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence 2006). In the management of dementia, there is need to come up with an effective program. The program should be tailored towards the provision of better care to the patients with dementia as well as the involvement of not only the health care professionals but also the community and the general public. The care of the people with dementia is multi disciplinary and will involve the professionals such as the psychiatrists, doctors and nurses as well as the non professionals who are able to attend to the patients while at home. The general public needs to be informed about dementia to that it is a disease condition like any other and it therefore does not warrant discrimination of the those who are affected by the disease. Elimination of discrimination of the patients having dementia will ensure that the care as well as the health services being given to them to holistic, have longevity, equality and meet the quality standards expected. The care program will involve the suspected patient being taken to a health facility from where a comprehensive examination will be done to determine the diagnosis of dementia. Other complications will also have to be noted at that time (Lipinska 2009). There will be need to put the patient on medication. This will enable the patient to be able to manage the cognitive as well as the non cognitive symptoms which are associated with dementia. This medication will range from acetylchlinesterases, antidepressants to sleeping tablets. The medication will enable the patient to problems with relation to thinking, moods as well as the sleep disorders. Care should be taken while administering the medication (Beavis 2007). Most of the care given to these patients will be at the community level. The practical issues with regard to care of the patients will differ from patient to another among the care givers and therefore the formation of the care program of the dementia patients gains relevance since people who have dementia continue to feel vulnerable as the condition continues to progress and they increasingly become dependent on others. They will therefore need most of the activities to be done for them. there will be need therefore to come up with a daily routine that will enable the care giver to become less frustrated and avoid confusion. A simple routine will show the activities which are to be carried out daily and any changes made done on advance to enable the continuity of care even after change of the care givers is done. Dementia patients will have difficulties in the carrying out of the daily activities. This would include everyday tasks such as dressing, bathing, bowel emptying and feeding oneself. The patients with dementia will therefore require assistance with the carrying out of the activities of daily living. Care givers are therefore supposed to create a daily routine in a relaxed environment. The care of the persons with dementia will also involve the administration of the prescribed medicines by the care givers as exactly prescribed. Communication can be made to the health care givers when the care giver has problems regarding the medication. Patients with dementia should also be encouraged to undertake the physical activities such as walking. Staying active will enable the patients to become active mentally hence slow down the progression of the disease condition. Emotional support still remains key in the care of the patients with dementia. These patients will need to be constantly reassured and talked to. There will be need to talk to them about the problems they are having and also being able to listen to them and treat them with respect. It is through emotional support that they will be able to be have the courage to deal with the condition (Lipinska 2009). Safety should also be a priority in the provision of care to the dementia patients. These patients’ will tend to be at risk of having various accidents due to their mental capacity being impaired and this goes a long way in affecting their analytical skills and the making of judgment. It therefore be necessary to make the home safe to avoid injuries. For instance, clearance of the walk ways, avoid moving furniture’s around for this can lead to further confusion of the patient. The locks of doors and cup boards should be on and keep away all other things like knives , medicines, cleaning supplies away from the reach of the patient. The person should not be allowed to undertake activities such as driving or cooking to avoid possible accidents from occurring. Formation of support groups will also be relevant in the management of dementia. The support groups will enable the management of the condition to be easier through the provision of more information with regard to dementia. This information will be relevant both to the family of the patient having dementia and the patient as well (Ulstein et al 2007). Counseling services should also be provided to the people who have dementia as well as the care givers. This will facilitate a better understanding of the patients needs and also the disease condition hence enable the care givers to provide the best care possible for the patient and being able to understand what they are going through. Those who are having relationships with the affected patient will also have tolerance and patience while providing and caring for them as a result of the counseling. Patients with dementia on the other hand will be encouraged and also build the memory decline from taking toll though mental stimulation as well as improving of the thinking and memory of the affected individual (Vernooij-Dassen et al 2005). Follow up of those with dementia is a vital step in the provision of care to those with dementia. The follow up will be done through keeping all schedule visits ,and the patient being able to undertake all the relevant tests and investigations and keeping to ate with the medication that the patient is taking by the care givers. Various modalities of communication should also be put in place to allow the care givers to be able to communicate to the health care professionals with regard to the patients well being. Communication will allow timely intervention to be put in place in the cases where the patient deserves further medical attention or is detoriating(Ulstein et al 2007). In conclusion, an effective mechanism need to be put in place that will enable the early diagnosis of dementia so that interventions could be put in place to avert its effects. the members of the public need to be more informed about the condition for this will enable better attention to be given to the patents with dementia (Killick & Allan 2001). References National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (2007), Dementia: A NI CE-SCIE Guideline on supporting people with dementia and their carers in health and social care, National Clinical Practice Guideline Number 42, British Psychological Society and Gaskell. Brewer JB, Gabrieli JDE, Preston AR, Vaidya CJ, Rosen AC. (2007), Memory. In: Goetz CG, Textbook of Clinical Neurology, 3rd ed, Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier, chap 5. Beavis D. (2007), The Alzheimer’s medication service: developing an early intervention service in a rural community, In: Keady J, Clarke C, Page S, editors, Partnerships in Community Mental Health Nursing and Dementia Care, Maidenhead: McGraw Hill: Open University Press. pp. 109–24. Killick, J, & , Allan, K, (2001), Communication and the care of people with dementia, Buckingham: Open University Press. Vernooij-Dassen MJ, Moniz-Cook ED, Woods RT, De Lepeleire J, Leuschner A, Zanetti O. (2005), Factors affecting the timely recognition and diagnosis of dementia across Europe: from awareness to stigma, Int J Geriatr Psychiatry ;20:377–68. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2006), Dementia; Supporting people with dementia and their carers in health and social care. Farlow, MR, Cummings, JL, (2007), Effective pharmacologic management of Alzheimer's disease, Am J Med, 120:388-397. Ulstein ID, Sandvik L, Wyller TB, Engedal K. (2007), A one year randomised controlled psycho-social intervention study amongst family carers of dementia patients – effects on patients and carers, Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord ;24:469–75. Lipinska, D, (2009), Person-centered counseling for people with dementia, London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Read More