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Dementia is the loss of intellectual and social abilities severe enough to
interfere with daily functioning. For centuries, people called it senility and
considered it an inevitable part of aging. It is now known that dementia is not
a normal part of the aging process and that it is caused by an underlying
condition. People with this condition need special assistance to carry on with
their normal lives. This paper will explain some of the social services that are
helping to combat this disease and an analysis of the services effectiveness.
More than four million older Americans have Alzheimer's, the most common form of
dementia.
And that number is expected to triple in the next 20 years as more people
live into their 80s and 90s. Still, there's reason for hope. There are as yet no
cures, but researchers studying Alzheimer's have made progress, especially in
the last 5 years. New drugs that can temporarily improve mental abilities in
some people with mild Alzheimer's are now available, and more drugs are being
studied. Researchers also have discovered several genes associated with
Alzheimer's. Furthermore, scientists are defining subgroups of dementias and
their distinguishing characteristics in the hopes of refining treatments.
Although Alzheimer's disease is the most common of the dementias, there are many
types, even hundreds, of dementias — some reversible, and others, like
Alzheimer's disease — irreversible.
What is Dementia? Dementia is the loss of intellectual and social abilities
severe enough to interfere with daily functioning. For centuries, people called
it senility and considered it an inevitable part of aging. It is now known that
dementia is not a normal part of the aging process and that it is caused by some
underlying condition. Symptoms of dementia vary in severity, order of appearance
and with the type of dementia. But all dementias involve some impairment of
memory, thinking, reasoning and language. Personality changes and abnormal
behavior may also occur as dementia progresses. Of the diseases that produce
dementia, Alzheimer's is the most common. The disease was named after Alois
Alzheimer, a German physician. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the
brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. He found
abnormal clumps (plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (tangles).
Other changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease include a loss
of nerve cells in the areas of the brain vital to memory and other mental
functions, and lowered levels of chemicals in the brain that carry complex
messages back and forth between billions of nerve cells important to thinking
and memory. The first sign of Alzheimer's disease may be mild forgetfulness. The
disease progresses to affect language, reasoning, understanding, reading or
writing. Eventually, people with Alzheimer's disease may become anxious or
aggressive, and may even wander from home. The problem of Alzheimer’s disease is
considered a growing problem in the United States. As our population gets older
our need for elderly services increases dramatically.
This means that healthcare costs are on the rise and we need more care
facilities for our aging elderly. As we all know in this election year
prescription drug prices are a hot topic. Prescriptions for the elderly are
getting so expensive that they cannot afford them anymore, therefore relying on
some other source to help buy the prescriptions. The toll is not only financial,
but proves to cause emotional turmoil for the families dealing with an aging
relative. Some of the goals and values of society that are affected by this
problem are: the rising costs of healthcare, prescription drug prices, and the
toll on the individual and their family. This presents a problem for those who
cannot afford it and therefore rely on society for help. It is also hard for a
family to put a loved one in an institution. Alzheimer’s disease is
non-discriminatory. It can affect any race or nationality.
It does not matter if you are rich or poor, male or female. It can happen to
anyone, there are some younger cases of the disease but it remains most common
in the elderly population. Alzheimer's disease affects brain tissue directly,
causing progressive brain deterioration in middle or late life. So far, only age
and heredity are proven risk factors. But like cancer and cardiovascular
disease, Alzheimer's probably results from a combination of factors. Researchers
are studying: Age: Alzheimer's usually affects people older than age 65, but
can, rarely, affect those younger than age 40. The average age at diagnosis is
about 80.
Only one to two people in 100 have Alzheimer's at age 65, but that risk
increases to about one in five by age 80. By age 90, half of all people this age
have some symptoms. The incidence of Alzheimer's is about the same for all
races, but women are more likely than men to develop the disease, in part
because they live longer. Heredity: Family history plays a role in about 40
percent of people with early onset Alzheimer's. If your parents or a sibling
developed Alzheimer's, you're more likely to as well. But, even in families with
several people who've had Alzheimer's, most members don't get it. It's clear
that most Alzheimer's involves some disease process in addition to a genetic
vulnerability. Environment: Researchers are studying environmental factors to
discover both possible causes and preventions of Alzheimer's. For example, some
people with Alzheimer's have small deposits of aluminum in their brains.
But scientists who've studied environmental aluminum sources from antacids
and antiperspirants to cooking pots and drinking water haven't found a link
between aluminum and Alzheimer's. On the other hand, some studies hint at a
possible protective effect from estrogen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
vitamin E and other factors, some studies even show that a lower calorie diet
help reduce the chances of getting the disease. But more research is needed to
confirm any benefit. The service that is identified in this paper is the
long-term care facilities which care for alzheimer’s patients.
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