Alzheimers
"Alzheimer's Disease is the fourth leading contributing cause of death among the elderly. Approximately 4.5 million Americans have this disease. Alzheimer's dementia (AD) is one of the most common and feared diseases affecting the elderly." Losing a Million Minds: Confronting the Tragedy of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias. U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment; U.S. Government Printing Office, 1987; p. 14. It is a progressive and irreversible brain disease that destroys mental and physical functions in human beings, regularly leads to death and creates emotional and a financial catastrophe for many American families every year. Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease is a difficult task and can become overwhelming at times. Each day brings new challenges as the caregiver copes with changing levels of ability and new patterns of behavior. A family's decision on how to care for the AD sufferer is very important. Each patient's level of AD can determine how a family decides to care for the individual. Living at home or in an assisted living environment can be challenging either way. Each family will have a different choice to make on how their family member will spend the rest of their life.
It is only after a patient dies with the average of 3 to 12 months of recovery that the levels of depression decline. Stage 1: Early or Mild Phase The early signs are continual forgetfulness and difficulty recalling new names and recent conversations. " American Journal of Public Health 1998; 88(9): 1337 - 1342. Placing a loved one in a nursing home should be a family's last resort when it is impossible to provide the necessary care in any other setting. Louis Post-Dispatch, Andrew Schneider and Phillip O'Connor Copyright 2002 . As the disease progresses it carries with it a tremendous burden both physically and mentally on the family members who are doing the care giving. Most are caused by fatal neglect traced to caregivers upon whom residents depend for food and liquid and for turning them in their beds to prevent the formation of life-threatening sores, say investigators and leading researchers in elderly care. A day care service also gives the care givers the opportunity to mix socially with others in the same predicament. Familiar sounds, smells and memories can help keep their mind coherent. "More than half of caregivers spend an average of 11 hours a week on basic activities of daily living and an additional 35 hours a week on instrumental activities of daily living. The most important thing when caring for a patient at home is to keep the house as familiar as possible. Prevalence and impact of caregiving: a detailed comparison. National Center for Health Statistics, 1999; p.
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Acceptance Essays
