¶ … Alzheimer's disease afflicts more than 16 million individuals in the United States, but the etiology of this condition remains unclear (Sullivan, 2010). What is known is that Alzheimer's affects black Americans twice as often as whites and Hispanics 1.5 times as often, and this discrepancy is believed to be attributed to lower socioeconomic status and higher rates of chronic illness among minority populations (Sullivan, 2010). The case study in question concerns a retired postal worker, "Gene," who is a 100% disabled 73-year-old African-American veteran living in Cleveland. In 2011, Gene's wife of 50 years, "Shirley," died leaving him living alone for the first time in his adult life. At the time of Shirley's death, Gene had been diagnosed with early stage dementia but had been able to remain active and living independently for a period of one year in a long-term care retirement center. During his military service in World War II, Gene received a shrapnel wound to the side of his head that made him deaf in his right ear. For this injury, Gene received a 100% total and permanent disability award from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and receives $2,600 each month in compensation (his award was reduced by $250 a month following his...
Following surgical reduction of the break, Gene's condition rapidly deteriorated and he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and moved into an intensive care facility in the community, an increasingly common intervention for the elderly with this condition (Zimmerman & Sloan, 2009). Gene's diabetes (more common in African-Americans compared to whites), gender and race are thought to have placed him at especially high risk for Alzheimer's (Sullivan, 2010).
Dementia and Normal Ageing Old age comes with quite a number of complications and change of behavior as well as physical changes. On the other hand, dementia also comes in with several symptoms that are closely related or similar to those displayed by people in old age. This makes it quite tricky for the family members of an ageing individual to tell whether the person is undergoing normal ageing or has
Since individuals who are included in those demographics normally will have less in resources that can be used to seek out treatments, the burden will fall on society. If an efficient and cost-effective treatment can be found then society, as well as the individuals affected would benefit greatly. Works Cited Akamine, D., Filho, M.K., Peres, C.M. (2007) Drug-nutrient Interactions in Elderly People, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, Vol.
(Transforming Care for People with Dementia across the Continuum) Dementia can be cured with a mixture of psychotherapy, environmental modifications, and medicines. Drug treatment can be problematic by forgetfulness, mainly if the advised drug is to be taken a number of times a day. Behavioral problems are due to irritation or over stimulation. Enjoyable activities, like crafts, games, and music, can give therapeutic motivation and enhance mood. Changing the environment
Many experience depressions and sudden mood swings. The abuse of drugs -- prescription or illegal -- can also lead to disorientation, memory loss and having new difficulties in making decisions (Blow 2003). Given these effects, the recognition of drug abuse among the elderly population is quite an important task. The recognition of these symptoms, however, is made more complicated by the fact that many members of the elderly population already
Dementia Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia, of which there are many types. Dementia is a term that describes a number of conditions that lead to a loss of intellectual capacities but initially occurring with clear consciousness. The area most often first affected is memory; however, with some types of dementia this may not be the case. The DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for dementia consist of memory loss and the loss
The authors of this research studied 690 individuals between the ages 65 and 89 over a five-year period. They called the survey the "Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly" study (ACTIVE) -- and the results indicate that "cognitive reserve reflects the persistence of earlier differences in cognitive functioning" as opposed to the differential rates of "age-associated cognitive declines" (Tucker-Drob, p. 431). Moreover, the authors offer a pair of
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