How Does Dementia and Alzheimer's Effect Family Members - Literature review Example

Introduction

Alzheimer just exists to many people as a medical term which they know less about. Alzheimer is a medical condition which causes abnormalities in the brain which often affect the memory capabilities, and to some extent, it also affects other brain functions. Most people think that the memory loss condition is part of aging while in essence; it is a disease that can affect even the young people. The first symptom of the disease is acute mild memory loss which if not treated on its onset graduates to critical memory loss. However, with progress, the disease is accompanied by more severe symptoms such as loss of the ability to reason and loss of speech; reduced ability to make decisions, poor judgment (Amieva, 2008).

According to Gitilin (2005), it becomes impractically possible for a patient suffering from the disease to go about their daily activities without the help from other people. Once a person suffers from AD the disease affects not only him but also the people around him especially his friends and close family. This is because there are some changes in personality and behavior that occur to the person. The challenges that are encountered are real and difficult, and caregivers and family members have to be ready to deal with them. However, this does not mean that the disease robs people their happiness as they can always share times of joy, laughter, and companionship with their loved ones who are suffering from the disease.

The disease however though as mentioned earlier can affect even the young, however it is more common among older adults. In most cases, people use the word Alzheimer and dementia interchangeably. However, the two words are not the same and mean different things although there is some relationship between the two. Dementia is just but one symptom of AD. Dementia on itself means that an individual is not able to function on their own due to metal impairness affecting memory. Dementia can be caused by factors such as severe head injury or stroke.

Amieva (2008) further argues that despite many attempts by doctors to diagnose the cause of AD which was affects many people at a young age, there is no evidence of any substantial cause. In most cases, the cause of the disease is not fully understood even by doctors. However, the first changes associated with AD occur in the brain 15 years before symptoms of dementia become apparent. Though there are some brain scans that can detect such changes, the brain scans cannot be used to tell who is likely to develop Alzheimer and who is not. Some of the symptoms that show in most patients occur two years before the diagnosis; however, people often dismiss them as being normal health issues as they often passed with time not knowing that the patient is in the early stages of developing a full-blown that could impair them for the rest of his life.

Findings

Effect on family members

In most cases, the family can be profoundly affected once their loved ones develop the condition. At times the family members and the caregivers are often referred to as the second victims of the disease. In some cases, the family members fall under the category of invisible patients. One of the major challenges that they face as a family is trying to balance between their normal life, career and personal time while taking care of their loved ones. For example, in most instances, parents often find themselves working round the clock to help their beloved children to do even the simplest of chores. Though the family member may love the patients so much as humans sometimes they feel that the burden is heavy on their shoulders sometimes becoming very exhausting (Haley, 1996).

Robinson (2009) explains that one of the major characteristics that are associated with caregivers of Alzheimer patients is reduced quality of life due to fatigue. In most situations, it is possible to find some of the caregiver falling sick. For example, care givers are likely to develop hypertension due to the levels of stress they experience while taking care of their loved ones who are sick which force them to employ an external caregiver to help. Other aspects that are related to poor quality of life is social isolation, emotional stress and to some extremities financial hardships. People who were initially working are forced to stay at home to take care of their loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer. Some of the things that caregivers need to learn this process is to acknowledge that despite the fact that one must take care of their loved ones an individual also has personal obligations to look after their overall well-being.

First experience

As mentioned earlier, the first experience with a case of AD is usually very traumatic. Unfortunately or fortunately, if it happens to a person who is close it gives the caretaker one on one experience with patients suffering from Alzheimer. It is after the first experience that most caregivers developed a keen interest in delving into the facts of the disease in a bid to create more awareness to the people. At first, it is scary and even traumatic. In case a family has not experienced such a condition before, then it is difficult to know how to approach the problem at first which makes it even scarier. Regardless due to the love that they have for their loved ones the only option is to give them all the support they need.

Recommendations for Coping with the condition of Alzheimer within a family

With no doubt, it is evident that Alzheimer is a family disease. In short, this means that once a member of the family succumbs to the disease then the whole family suffers due to the condition of one family member. Learning to cope with the condition within the family is of absolute importance. Robinson (2009) asserts that stress associated with watching a loved one’s condition deteriorate is often demoralizing. However it is important for the family members to learn to take care of their needs also and not to neglect them. In most case, family members may be forced to frequently seek emotional support through counselors and from support groups of people who have loved ones suffering from the disease.

Sharing experiences with other people who are in the same position through support groups gives family caregivers a chance to express their emotions and feelings without being judged, something that can give them some sense of relief. In most cases, the care that family members invests in themselves often translates to the care that they give to the loved one who is sick. It is also advisable to take up some form of training aimed for people who give care to people who are battling with AD. The training comes in handy as one is able to understand the challenging behaviors changes that the sick person is experiencing.

On the other hand, once a patient starts losing their ability of speech then it becomes difficult to communicate with them, and such training comes in handy. Some studies reveal that family members who learn the necessary skills needed when dealing with a patient dealing with Alzheimer experience lower levels of stress. The skills and support groups can be sought for through online platform or enrolling in such programs and groups in the locality (Riedijk, 2006).

Conclusion

In most cases when starting off as the family member with the burden of caregiving, it is hard to know where to start. The realization that a loved one is no longer self-sufficient and solely relies on help can be terrifying. This is the time that one needs to take some actions. The roles of a caregiver taking care of an Alzheimer patient change over time as the condition changes with time requiring different kinds of support and care to the patient. It is therefore very important for family members to familiarize themselves with the different kinds of caregiving roles as they may be forced to play. On the other hand, it is important to be aware that AD can be a costly condition to take care of. Family members, therefore, need to balance between their work life and caregiving role to ensure finances are ever available.