Combating Alzheimers Disease - Literature review Example

Combating Alzheimer’s Disease Introduction Aging is perhaps the most complicated part of a human life cycle since there is a need to preserve everything while it lasts. Getting old for some is never a problem, especially those who are confident enough that they have somebody to depend on in terms of their personal and physiological needs. This is true as well for elders that are physically healthy. However, it is not as easy as it is for elders who are in doubt as to who they can trust in handling their care, especially those who are suffering from an illness due to old age. One challenging illness of the aging is Alzheimer’s Disease or AD. According to Stanton (2001), Alzheimer’s disease is a manifestation of dementia which occurs between ages 30-40 but common for 65 years old and older individuals. This disorder gets worse as time passes and it is a “degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in increasingly impaired memory, thinking, reasoning, and behavior” (Stanton, 2001, n.pag.). The Department of Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine (n.d.) stated that United States has 4 million cases of AD on the aged. This paper will tackle on designing a program for elders having Alzheimers Disease and justifying whether home care or nursing home care is the most effective way on promoting wellness of these individuals. This is significant to gain focus as to which of the two health care setting would provide the most effective way of caring for the elderly and especially those with AD. Vulnerable Community This program starts from little pieces of ideas, goals and plans in combating Alzheimer’s Disease. This centers a simple community with an average number of population. The city of Colton under San Bernardino County is a community of close family relations, and known to be one of the developed dominions in the United States (“Demographics,” n.d.). Colton has 52,154 population as of 2010 (“Colton, California,” 2011). Colton’s history of having rich family ties sets them as perfect focus in extending programs of wellness of the aged, prevention and specific care for those having Alzheimer’s Disease within the family. Aside from support systems, it is important that an institution and program fit the standard needs of their client. The community as a whole needs to contribute to this as well by providing support and means of development. A 2010 study revealed that there are 2,153 under the 65 to 74 age bracket, 1, 277 for ages 75- 84 and 503 for ages 85 and above (“Colton CA,” n.d.). Estimated “median household income by age” in Colton as of year 2000 is $27,018 for ages 65-74 and $22,460 for ages 75 and above (“Income,” n.d., n. pag.). There are short term jobs offered to the elderly as well. This is within the required age range and guidelines of the city. One of which is being a San Bernardino county resident and other policies required by the government in terms of low earners (Department of Aging and Adult Services, n.d.). The rest are pensioners and veterans. As a community, Colton has the advantage of developing further the wellness of its aging population since it is only less in number. They can provide motivation that there are still a lot of things that can be done to the aging population in terms of its wellness and handling Alzheimer’s disease. Progressions of Alzheimer’s Disease According to Kantor and Zieve (2010), there are progressions and signs of Alzheimers Disease. These are Mild cognitive impairment or MCI, described as the augmentation of Alzheimers disease which consist of minor episodes of forgetting stuff, events and others but do not affect the activities of daily living. Next to this are the early symptoms which include difficulty retaining things that were recently done on handling of stuff, information on directions, mood changes and inability to do duties that requires retaining information. Third classification is the worsening of Alzheimers disease such as inability to retain information about your origin, daily activity patterns, and seeing things that are not present (Kantor & Zieve, 2010). Program of Care An appropriate program that can be reasonable and efficient is building a categorization program on their health care setting. Creating specific sector and support groups for each progression and symptoms is essential to achieve one significant goal in the fight for Alzheimer’s: finding the ideal care in an appropriate health care setting and prolonging of life. The city of Colton along with its veteran population should have these sectors. Each will need to have a family member involved for each health care implementation and will not require clients for rehabilitation unless it is necessary. This is to enhance the legacy of Colton of having close family ties. These groups will need to focus on client’s under MCI, early symptoms and the ones with worst cases of the said disease. The main purpose of these sectors is to educate through health teaching the importance and means of preventing Alzheimer’s disease, promoting wellness for the aged at a cost-friendly environment. Each sector can have at least 30 members which comprises of nurses, physicians, volunteers and social workers. Each will have a specific responsibility for each client, from assessment, to planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. These groups will be a home based health care program and will be divided according to each client that is under each progression of AD. The aim of this specified care and categorization is that appropriate care and focus on individual needs of the elderly is established, but not limiting the needs of each client in terms of family attachments and their need to feel that they are not isolated from the real world. In order to determine as to what category will be for the client, Colton can implement a compulsory screening and assessment for AD on individuals reaching the age of 40. These assessments include checking on the neurological state of each individual and undergoing a series of tests in blood and other key determinants. 50% of the population under the 50 and above age category should be advised to undergo the said screening test and assessment. The program can also progress and work on Immunogerentology. “Immunogerontology is the study of the immune system in the elderly” (Whitman, 1999, n.pag.). Expansion and specialization of such field would be beneficial to the program to promote wellness thus avoiding further complications of the elderly. Helping Hands A goal can be easily achieved once it is worked on hand in hand. Agencies that can be of monetary assistance to this program would be the California Alzheimer’s Disease Centers founded by the California Department of Public Health (California Department of Public Health, 2011). Another agency is the National Institute on Aging. This institute focuses on Alzheimers Disease and they have established the Alzheimers Disease Education and Referral Center as well (National Institute on Aging, 2009). They will lend a helping hand for this program primarily for one reason: having the same advocacy on promoting wellness of the elderly and prevention as well as prolonging life of an individual having Alzheimer’s disease. A place for Mom is a group that is committed to assist in obtaining the goals for elderly care and assist families in search for the appropriate type of care for their loved ones. This is also a way of promoting the said program in terms of advertising since they do not ask for monetary payments on their services (“The Search for Home Care,” n.d.). The National Association for Home Care and Hospice can also contribute in attaining the program’s goals. It is in fact the “largest trade association representing the interests and concerns of home care agencies, hospices, and home care aide organization” (“About NAHC,” n.d., n. pag.). Comparisons and Financial Stability Practicality and convenience are just two of the many reason as to why home care is considered on taking care of an elderly with Alzheimers Disease. The need to have a family member to be rehabilitated in a nursing home care will need a stable monetary source. According to AARP organization (n.d.), an “average cost is more than $50,000 a year and climbing” (n.pag.), which merely depends on where you are situated. An insurance is not dependable to cover for the said finances since they do not handle finances for nursing home care. This might put pressure on the family’s financial stability. Home care nursing on the other hand is economical and convenient. A cost estimate of 3,360 a month on a 30 day period is for the home care nursing rate (“Elder Care Cost,” n.d.), which totals to 40,320 a year. Families can save 9680 a year if they prefer to have their elderly loved ones enrolled to the community’s categorized program for the elders with Alzheimer’s disease. As age progresses, the health of an individual, interests and participation in the social community deteriorates, especially those who have Alzheimers Disease. At some point, they may feel shame and doubt in their environment. There is a need to figure out as to what is the ideal health care setting for each elderly individual. According to Brinkley (2010), one significant benefit of having a patient under the care of a nursing home facility is providing the caregiver or the family peace of mind in terms of handling a patient with Alzheimers disease, since they tend to have several mood swings that can greatly affect personal relationships. On the other hand, Home Care Nursing focuses on psychological and physical well being of the patient itself, and not just the health care provider. This promotes integrity of the individual in dealing with the disease; at the same time, it promotes bonds in the family and assures safety on the part of the client and gaining the participation of the client in the program. By staying at home, it helps the elder retain everything from doing the daily activities to remembering recent events. Conclusion Designing a program for elder individuals having Alzheimers Disease and justifying as to which is more effective in promoting their wellness: home care or nursing home care, laid comparisons on their benefits, advantages, disadvantages and effects. The combat to prevent Alzheimers Disease and promoting wellness through programs of the elderly indicates that choosing an appropriate setting for these will greatly affect the outcome of the health care plan. While Alzheimers Disease has no exact treatment, a rule is that aging is in fact inevitable, but the diseases that correspond to aging is avoidable. Motivation from family members, commitment of the health care providers and respect on the integrity of the individual will lead to success on wellness and prolonging life to an individual having Alzheimer’s Disease for both home care and nursing home care setting. References AARP. (n.d). Nursing homes: Cost and coverage. Retrieved from http://assets.aarp.org/external_sites/caregiving/options/ nursing_home_costs.html About nahc. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nahc.org/about/home.html Brinkley, M. (2010). What are the advantages of a nursing home for alzheimers disease? Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/ 109093-advantages-nursing-home-alzheimers-patients/ California Department of Public Health. (2011). California Alzheimer’s Disease Centers (CADCs). Retrieved from http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/alzheimers/Pages/CaliforniaADPCenters.aspx Colton, California. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.wolframalpha.com/entities/cities/colton,_california/rv/vl/4h/ Colton, CA 92324 population by age. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.clrsearch.com/Colton_Demographics/CA/92324/Population-by-Age Demographics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ci.colton.ca.us/Demographics.html Department of Aging and Adult Services. (n.d.). Senior community employment services program. Retrieved from http://hss.sbcounty.gov/daas/programs/Senior_Communities_Services.aspx Department of Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine. (n.d.). Alzheimer’s Disease. Retrieved from http://www.med.nyu.edu/adc/forpatients/ad.html Elder care costs: Comparing in-home care,nursing homes, and assisted living. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aplaceformom.com/ senior-care-resources/articles/elder-care-costs/ Income. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.epodunk.com/ cgi-bin/incomeOverview.php?locIndex=10014c Kantor, D., & Zieve, D. (2010). Alzheimer’s Disease. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001767/ National Institute on Aging. (2009). About the ADEAR center. Retrieved from http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/AlzheimersInformation/AboutUs.htm Stanton, S. (2001). Alzheimer’s disease: A family affair and a growing social problem. Retrieved from http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/alzsa/overview.php The search for home care in colton..Simplified and free. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://home-care.aplaceformom.com/california/colton/ Whitman, D. (1999). The immunology of aging. Retrieved from http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/archives/immune-aging.php Read More