Role of the Community in the Lives of the Affected Families - Research Paper Example

Information Planning and Evaluation in Human Services Number Brief Overview Using the community forumformat of needs assessment, it was concluded that there was an urgent need to tackle the numerous challenges that arise from Alzheimer’s within the community, direly affecting the immediate family members with impacts spreading to the greater society. This is not to mention the effect of the poor preparedness concerning the ailment on the sick themselves. As previously stated in the needs assessment paper, the forum aimed at determining whether the existing services were sufficient and effective enough, identify the gaps in the implementation of the deliberations and assessing whether the proposed ideas and services are likely to be effective once they have been implemented. The main concerns that seemingly plagued the society were the inability to conduct early and timely/ helpful identification of symptoms, lack of knowledge on the activities that can help alleviate the onset of the disease in the sunset years of life, and care of the affected persons. The community felt ill equipped and prepared to handle the disease to the best of their abilities as they have been often left frustrated and fatigued in the process. It was clear that there was need to educate the society on the disease, how to avoid it, detect it early enough for swift interventions and how to care for the patients (whether at home or have the sick institutionalized). In addition, it was deemed important to introduce a scheme where families coping with the illness receive financial contributions from other households so that they can sufficiently manage the condition in terms of health care for the loved one and additional counseling sessions and therapy for the remainder of the family. Also, since the only known medical institution that is known to specialize on the condition was a distant away, it was observed as a necessity to have a local institution built that aids the community and its members in matters pertaining to the Alzheimer’s syndrome. Activity Development Process Role of the Community in the Lives of the Affected Families The first part of tackling the problem is to involve the entire community in providing support to the families that have a patient living amongst them. This was to be in the form of moral support and visits where members are encouraged to be there for the affected families in times of their need such as in the evenings and also through financial support so that the families still had enough capital to look after the patient while still attending school and so on. Seeing members of the community more often can also aid the patient’s recovery and enhance memory and this aspect of community intervention was deemed very essential even by medical professionals present in the forum. A committee was to be set up promptly that would henceforth be tasked with collecting contributions from members of the community and channeling the same to the concerned households after verifying the condition of a resident. Setting up a Local Alzheimer’s Care Center Seeing as there were few centers that dealt exclusively with the condition in the entire state, the forum opted to solicit funds from members of the community in form of monthly contributions while also seeking financial aid from the federal government. Contributors would automatically become stakeholders of the institution upon its completion. However all households were requested to make some contributions towards this project on a monthly schedule. A 50 man committee was to be set up to oversee to this and collect the contributions towards this cause. This center would be within the community and it would host patients both in the long-term or short-term basis (daily, monthly, yearly, and so on). This would enable members proceed with their daily routines, for example, then in the evenings meet up with their loved ones without being overwhelmed by these responsibilities. In addition, most members expressed the discomfort of having to send a loved one to a facility in another state as they would rather have them closer home. The center would also provide the much needed advice to affected families on care and support for patients. Educational Campaign This was basically the most important aspect of the resolutions. Even the center that was to be set up would find itself deeply engrossed in a rampant education program to help enlighten the members of the community on issues relating Alzheimer’s syndrome. A committee was set up to see to the area of education of members on matters Alzheimer’s. There would be a monthly community newsletter that would be sold on monthly basis to every household. These newsletters would contain a rich source of information on the disease from medical experts and experiences from families who have had to contend with the condition from all walks of life. The profits obtained from the proceeds of the newsletters would be channeled towards the construction of a community healthcare center discussed above. Upon completion of the center most of the profits from the sales would go to the families that are impacted presently with the condition. Resources Research (Aspects of the Education/ Community Enlightment) The most predominant risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s disease is advancing age. Other factors include genetics (a direct link is found in about 10% of the cases, with the disease often seen in close relatives of the affected patient), chromosomal defects such as down’s syndrome, and diet and aluminum (with excessive exposure to aluminum, abnormal cell membrane metabolism, diet, cholesterol and fat thought to be associated with the disease). Research suggests however that certain drugs such as HRT in postmenopausal women, statins, tacrine, donepezil, galantamine and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have protective effects against disease development (Gidley and Shears, 377). Prognosis of Alzheimer’s is very poor, with no known treatment that totally stops progression of the disease or restore cognitive loss. Over a period of eight years, patients decline from total to very limited function and may need full care in the consequent years of illness. Death normally results from malnutrition and secondary opportunistic infections such as pneumonia and heart disease. Caregivers of dementia patients are therefore advised to provide balanced, low fat diets, exercise regularly and safely, quit smoking, maintain normal blood pressure and consider non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as selecoxib, ibuprofen or indomethacin. Caregivers must ensure strict adherence to prescription to avoid overdosing, under-dosing and skipping. Medication should be refilled regularly (Gidley and Shears, 411). Most people with Alzheimer’s require residential care. As already stated, there are medications available that assist in delaying extremity of cognitive impairment as well as regulate the behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. For patients at home, family members are advised to consult a qualified physician on drug therapy and such relevant information. Interventions aimed at enhancing patient’s functioning, such as mental and physical activities and help with daily hygiene activities, dressing, grooming and eating, help reduce symptom manifestations. Such interventions offer patients an opportunity to decide what action they prefer (but with guidance) to promote independence. Exercise (such as simple stretches, scheduled walking or stationary bicycle peddling) is known to be highly beneficial to the patient – improving mobility, decreasing agitation and improving sleep. Exercise, group activities and simple games designed for the level of disease can provide suitable stimulation for patients and help regulate behavioral tendencies (Gidley and Shears, 418). Some of the commonly tipped management of incontinence strategies involves monitoring incontinence, scheduling bathroom time and providing reminders. Sleep problems can often be a source of stress and fatigue. Research indicates that a period of bright light may help decrease agitation in patients and improve sleeping patterns. Maintaining a dark environment at night, providing an early evening warm bath and limiting day time napping are other commonly applied strategies for improving sleep during the night. Continuous, monotonous, so0f background white noise (white noise generators), recordings of ocean waves, flowing streams and other nature sounds may be soothing for patients and serve to reduce agitation and improve sleep. It is good to initiate a soothing bedtime ritual and when necessary, use pharmacological sleep aids. Music therapy can be useful in stirring memories and emotions. A caretaker is also advised to dim the lights especially at meal times to decrease agitation and thereby increase food consumption. Visual cueing can also go a long way in assisting patients find their way around the home especially as memory begins to fade. Such cues may be pictures such as that of a bed on the door of the patient’s bedroom which may be more effective direction cues than words that leads them into the bedroom (Perry, 312). Caregivers can always consult with their physicians to assist them in identifying environmental triggers such as very bright light, uncomfortable rooms or water temperatures which may decrease stress tolerance and elicit other behavioral problems. In addition, traditional psychosocial therapy/ counseling can help minimize anger, anxiety, fear, suspiciousness, frustration and depression. A caregiver/ nurse/ mental health professional can offer advice and encouragement to patients to help them control their feelings. Reminiscence therapy also comes in handy, where patients can draw upon their long-term memory to remember and share past events upon receiving encouragement and support from peers. This therapy is common in group sessions but is also applicable on individual basis. And as dementia progresses, caregivers will observe that attempts to correct patients’ misstatements/ delusions may yield more harm than good and therefore the validation technique in which the caregiver affirms the patient’s attempts to communicate even if patient is involved in a false sense of reality becomes critical in such stages. In as much as delusions during Alzheimer’s must not be encouraged, it is critical that caregiver avoids being argumentative with confused patients (Perry, 413). Simulated conversations (a simple video or audio tape recording) can be used especially in moderate to severe dementia patients where the voice of a close friend/ relative recounting past happenings with pauses to allow patient response can provide solace/ comfort when the individual cannot be there in person. This method provides temporary companionship while also giving a caretaker the opportunity to tend to other things. Petting (introduced in either individual or group counseling sessions) and watching small pets can often be used to improve patient’s mood and behavior. Caregivers should also promote art therapy in form of drawing, collage, coloring, sculpture, dance and music listening which provide a creative means for patient to express their emotions without talking, improve mood, stimulate senses and intellect, decrease agitation, improve motor skills and so on (Zarka, 345). If patient is diagnosed with inability to recognize/ identify hazards in the environment, weakness, muscles not coordinated, presence of seizure activity, discrimination, confusion, and impaired decision making, physician/ nurse are to assess the extent of the impaired ability and reduced visual perception, and assist the caregivers identify and minimize/ eliminate sources of hazards in the environment. This can be achieved, for instance, by installing locks and alarms around the exits of the home, providing barriers to dangerous stairs, removing floor plugs and improving on lighting (Zarka, 365). Visual impairment increases the risk of falling so prompt identification and elimination of potential risks in the environment is advised. Also, caregivers are to maintain security by avoiding a confrontation that could result in damaging behavior. In addition, upon diagnosis of an irreversible neuro degeneration, memory loss, psychological conflict and deprivation lie, physician is to assess levels of cognitive disorders such as attention and thinking skills, then advice the caregivers of the existing problems. Caregivers are thus supposed to maintain a nice quiet neighborhood, talk to patients face to face, call patient by name and employ a rather low tone during their conversations. Noise can particularly interfere with the neurons and advance disease symptoms (Zarka, 400). Works Cited Altschuld, James W., and Jeffry L. White. Needs assessment. Los Angeles: Sage, 2010. Print, 40, 78. Gidley, Isobelle, and Richard Shears. Alzheimers: what it is, how to cope. Sydney: Allen & Unwin Australia, 1987. Print, 377, 411, 418. Perry, George. Alzheimers disease advances for a new century. Amsterdam: IOS Press, 2013. Print, 312, 413. Royse, David D.. Needs assessment. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Stevens, Andrew. Health care needs assessment the epidemiologically based needs assessment reviews. 2nd ed. Oxford: Radcliffe Pub., 2004. Print, 712 - 902. Zarka, Hanadi. Alzheimers. Kbh.: Korridor :, 2011. Print, 345, 365, 400. Read More