Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a group of disorders that includes an ongoing deterioration of cognitive function, ultimately ending in relentless cognitive deterioration (Alzheimer's Society.2007). Dementia is defined by a gradual decline in areas of function including decline in memory, reasoning, communication and the ability to carry out daily activities of living, this view is supported by the Department of Health (2009), in addition to this individual may develop behavioral and psychological symptoms, including depression, psychosis, aggressive behavior and wandering (Department of Health.2009) Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the work of the National Audit Office (2008), it is stated that symptoms of the end stage of dementia include physical frailty, feeding and swallowing problems, weight loss, incontinence and speech difficulties (National Audit Office. 2008 ). The term dementia has been used by doctors for decades to describe people. There are different types of dementia depending on the symptoms a person presents. These include Alzheimer's, vascular dementia, Picks dementia and Lewy body dementia. The symptoms experienced and presented by a person tend to be gradually progressive over time. Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia. It was first described in 1906 by a German neurologist, Dr. Alois Alzheimer. This type of dementia usually occurs in older adults. It often results in a loss of memory, speech, movement, and ability to think clearly/logically. Alzheimer's is caused by abnormal protein deposits in the brain. The National Institute of Aging (2011) states that “in Alzheimer's disease the loss of brain cells leads to shrinkage of the brain, bundles of proteins known as 'plaques' and 'tangles' gradually form in the brain, these are thought to bundles are responsible for the loss of brain cells that leads to a decline in a person's mental and physical abilities, including poor memory for short-term events, loss of concentration and decision-making ability, disorientation, and loss of the ability to carry out daily activities of living which may include bathing and washing clothes, meal times, and a lack of social inhibitions.' and shaving.) A person with Alzheimer's may have been able to make a cup of tea easily, but as the disease progresses they may now need supervision as they may forget to put water in the kettle before putting it to boil. Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia. This type of dementia is caused when the brain is starved of oxygen. The most common cause is a stroke. Timo (2012) states that “vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain that damages and ultimately kills brain cells.” The affected person can often suffer damage to specific areas of the brain, such as coordination, communication or memory loss. A person with this type of dementia may be able to function normally in most aspects of daily life, but struggle with something they didn't before. A person may once have been very capable of having good conversations about the past, but as this type of dementia worsens, the person may have difficulty remembering details of the past and forgetting important events in their life. If vascular dementia comesdiagnosed early enough by a doctor, its progression can often be slowed by a combination of lifestyle changes and medications. Picks (also known as frontotemporal or frontal lobe) is a less common type of dementia than other types of dementia. mentioned. This type of dementia is caused by damage and shrinkage of two areas of the brain, the temporal lobe and the frontal lobe, it can often develop in people under 65 and is sometimes hereditary, it is estimated that 20% of cases have inherited a genetic mutation from parents. (NHS.2015) This part of the brain is responsible for things like a person's behaviours, emotions and language. This occurs when nerve cells in the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain die and the pathways connecting them change. A person suffering from this type of dementia may exhibit aggressive behavior or outbursts of anger that historically they did not exhibit over small things. People supporting someone with this disorder will often see it as unusual behavior for the person and may have difficulty accepting and understanding changes in the person suffering. Another type of dementia can be caused by dementia with Lewy bodies, small circular lumps of protein. that grow inside brain cells. In Howard's (2007) work, it is stated, it is not clear how they damage the brain but they appear to have an effect on the normal functioning of the brain. This type of dementia is less common and shares symptoms with both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Because it shares these common symptoms, it can often be misdiagnosed. It is named after the German scientist who first identified it in 1912, Fredrick H. Lewy. It can often affect a person's ability to balance, coordination and vision. A person with this type of dementia who previously had good vision may begin to experience double vision or hallucinations. Symptoms can often include stiffness and slow movements (much like Parkinson's disease). Huntington's disease is a rare genetic condition that causes gradual brain damage, AIDS, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Additionally, dementia or similar symptoms can be caused by the following conditions: Deficiencies of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and/or B12; Syphilis; Alcohol-related dementia; Thyroid deficiency; Depression; Normal pressure hydrocephalus (a buildup of fluid in the brain); Brain tumors (Dementia Partners.2008); These can be cured or prevented from progressing. A person suffering from dementia may experience many changes that will affect their daily life depending on the type and stage of dementia they suffer from. Often progressively the person will suffer from a decline or loss of memory as their dementia worsens. Memory is a person's ability to store and remember information they have learned or received. This can present itself in many ways. At first the person may have difficulty finding the correct word in a sentence or forget where they put something, such as shoes. However, as dementia progresses, dementia can become much more noticeable, severe, and dangerous. The person may go out and forget where they are or how to get home. It can also have an emotional effect on the family and the person may no longer recognize family members. Dementia can cause a person to behave in ways that people close to them would not see as normal or usual, such as changes in behavior. Behavior is the way a person acts or presents themselves. Changes in behaviors can vary over the course of a person's dementia. It is not uncommon for a person with dementia to become verbally or physically aggressive towardsthings that in the past would not have had that effect. From an outside perspective, he can often be seen as a difficult or challenging person, when in reality he is trying to convey a message that he no longer has the ability to explain. It could be boredom or needing something. A person with dementia may once have been a cheerful, morning person, but is now very agitated and verbally aggressive in the mornings. There may be reasons for this, however, as the person may have always had a cup of coffee in the morning before getting dressed, but has lost the ability to make coffee and this has ruined the morning routine as he no longer gets things done in the morning. order that they like, since they need the support of others. A person's ability to reason may be affected by their dementia. Reasoning is a person's ability to think about things and process them in a sensible and logical way. A person may seem stubborn about their way of wanting things or may be seen as selfish and unwilling to adapt plans even if they make things easier for them. This can present itself in many ways. A person may be in a wheelchair and suffer pain when lifted. Instead of getting dressed before breakfast, they may be adamant about being hoisted into the chair to have breakfast in the morning and go to the dining room before being hoisted back into bed to get dressed and then into the chair to start their day. A much simpler solution that would have caused them less pain might have been to have breakfast in bed before getting dressed or dressed and then have breakfast, meaning they are relieved and cause less pain. The person may have lost the ability to reason about this and think logically about the benefits that would be brought up fewer times. The abilities of a person with dementia often fluctuate and decline over time. Ability is a person's ability to be able to do something. As time passes with dementia, the person's abilities often decline, and what they were once able to do easily becomes much more difficult or unattainable. The person may once have been able to go to the local supermarket and bring home a bag of shopping. As their abilities decline, they may only be able to walk to the shop at the end of the street and may need someone to support them and help them carry their bag home. An individual's communication can vary greatly as a person's dementia worsens. Communication is a person's ability to send and receive information through a variety of means such as speaking and writing. This often gets progressively worse with time. A person may lose the ability to hold a pen and write clearly and legibly. Another way this can be affected is that the person may begin to struggle to find the correct words to use in a sentence and therefore have difficulty communicating what they want to say to others adequately. Information processing is a vital part of people's daily lives. It can be broken down into 3 simple parts: Capture, Storage, and Retrieval. Acquisition is the first part of this process. This is when the person puts information into their memory system or learns information to remember. If information is not collected it cannot be remembered for a later date. This part is very sensitive to interference and requires attention. If a person is sitting in a safe and sees a group of men walking by dressed as superheroes for a bachelor party, he or she may later remember seeing the men walking by dressed butnot being able to remember how they were dressed. at the moment. This is because they were not paying attention and there was interference while they were concentrating on getting their order to the table. The second part is storing information. This part involves keeping information in memory for a period of time. Memory storage depends on storage capacity. It involves things like remembering your first family vacation. The third part is information retrieval. This part involves surfacing stored information and using it in the present. Some of these are very easy to remember and seem to require no effort like remembering where you work or your date of birth. Other things you might be consciously aware of in the research process to remember might be things like remembering the street you first lived on. There are 2 types of memory: short-term and long-term memory. Short-term memory can be described as working memory and is thought to be stored for around 20 seconds. Long-term memory is anything stored for a longer period and requires more conscious thought processes to retrieve the information. During dementia the nerve cells in the brain gradually die, this affects the person's ability to be able to process information effectively. As these brain cells die due to dementia, the person may not be able to complete tasks in a structured order or process information to think rationally about the best way to do things. Because dementia has numerous signs and symptoms, these can often be attributed to other conditions and not dementia. It is believed that people suffering from long-term depression who go untreated are more likely to suffer from dementia in later life. Because many of the symptoms of depression are similar to those affecting a person with dementia, it can often be difficult to distinguish between them. Some of the most common signs are anxiety, lack of appetite, and excessive sleeping. Often looking or hearing small details can make a difference. Someone who says things like "I feel very lonely" or "I want to die" could lead to more depression than dementia. People suffering from dementia can often end up with vision problems that lead to misinterpretations, misidentifications and illusions. Although this does not always mean that the person suffers from dementia. A person suffering from other eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and muscle degeneration may experience the same signs and symptoms. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be confused with dementia in older people. Young people with a UTI often suffer from symptoms such as stomach pain, back pain, chills, or fever. As people age and their immune systems change, these symptoms of a UTI change as well. People may begin to experience side effects such as confusion, agitation, or withdrawal. These are very similar to some signs and symptoms of dementia and therefore can be difficult to distinguish until a correct diagnosis is made by a doctor after tests. Long-term use of drugs or medications can also have side effects on a person who has signs and symptoms similar to those of a person with dementia. The person may lose some bodily functions, such as bladder control, or experience changes in behaviors over a period of time. Older people who have lived in the same house and environment for many years and then moved house can often feel confused and forget where things are in their new home. TheseSigns of forgetfulness and disorientation are very similar to those experienced in dementia. When a person suffers from dementia one or more changes will occur in the person, this will depend on the type of dementia they are diagnosed with and the stage they are at. their dementia is a. Each individual is unique in the changes they will experience and present to others. It is important to get support from professionals when supporting an individual with dementia to ensure they get the help and support required, but also to ensure that the knowledge of the individual supporting the person enables them to provide person-centred support and understand the person's changes. he is experimenting. With Alzheimer's dementia the person often begins with mild symptoms and impairment of their abilities. Common impairments that affect a person with Alzheimer's are remembering things, speaking (finding the right word), thinking clearly (problem solving), and making rational decisions. People with early onset might say a sentence with the wrong word, so it doesn't make sense. They may not remember that they decided to meet a friend for coffee on Wednesday or that they have a doctor's appointment. As dementia becomes more progressive and worse, these symptoms and abilities worsen and decrease. This type of dementia usually gets progressively worse over the years. Towards the end, words often become few and the person will be completely dependent on others to carry out daily activities. The person can only communicate by pointing or moving their head towards the later stages of this dementia. They will not be able to complete tasks such as personal care and preparing meals and rely on the full support of family members and caregivers at this point. This is caused by increased damage to the brain resulting in loss of brain cells, significant shrinkage of brain tissue, and increased “tangles” and “plaques” which cause brain cells to die faster than normal aging. Vascular dementia, as discussed above, damages specific parts of the brain. In this case the person is likely to retain many of their abilities and will be more aware of the fact that they are in decline. For this reason, a person suffering from vascular dementia is more likely to be prone to suffering from depression. For this reason depression can often be confused with vascular dementia as the symptoms are transferable in many ways. Because vascular dementia is often the result of a stroke, which leaves weakness in certain areas such as vision and speech, rehabilitation can promote some degree of recovery. . Therefore the person's abilities may vary depending on their recovery and the severity of the dementia they suffer from. Lewy body dementia is often closely linked to Parkinson's disease. People with Parkinson's often develop this type of dementia. It mainly affects coordination and vision. Because the signs and symptoms are very similar, they can often be confusing, especially in the early stages. Since the person may also suffer from lucidity, he or she may be prone to suffer from depression as well. In the initial stages the person's abilities may vary from hour to hour. In these cases the person can often be seen as “lazy” or “difficult” due to a lack of understanding on the part of the person supporting them or a lack of diagnosis. At one point the person may be able to walk freely around the house, but soon after may need to be supported using handrails. A person with Pick's dementia will often have full memory in the early stages, but their personality and behaviors will change. They canlack empathy and ability to reason with others, becoming aggressive. This can make the person seem selfish. The person may be able to happily carry on a conversation one moment, but become agitated and lose concentration the next. If dementia is diagnosed early, it is possible to plan for the future while the person is still capable of understanding and wanting. It allows them to have a say and express their wishes, on topics such as finances, their care and legal matters. This also opens up a range of treatments available. While there is no cure for dementia, early diagnosis can open the door to some treatments and rehabilitation that can slow the progression of dementia and allow the person to lead as normal a life as possible for as long as possible. The earlier the diagnosis, the more support they and their families can receive in planning, counseling and guidance for the new challenges they will face. Although the person may be extremely shocked when diagnosed with dementia, this will often enable them to receive the correct support and care needed. Early diagnosis can often allow the person to continue living independently in their own home for longer, without being admitted to a nursing home. There are several treatments available for people diagnosed with dementia, some are related to medications and some are not. These drugs are called “antidementia drugs” and include Donepezil hydrochloride, Galantamine, and Rivastigmine. These drugs help increase the amount of chemicals in the brain that help healthy brain cells communicate. Although they do not cure dementia, they can help slow its progression. It is important that, where possible, an early diagnosis is made so that the correct treatment package can be put in place for the individual. This will also allow the individual to have input into their care package and plan ahead for when their dementia becomes more severe and their care package requires an increase. Ensuring early diagnosis requires good reporting and evidence gathering. This will allow you to make the correct diagnosis Page 7of 11 and allow you to rule out other conditions that may have similar signs and symptoms, such as depression, urinary tract infections and eye diseases. There are two ways to support a person with dementia. The first uses a person-centered approach. This approach was first developed in the field of dementia in the 1990s by, among others, Professor Tom Kitwood of the Bradford Dementia Group. This approach aims to put the person with dementia first. Satisfy their needs and desires before those of others. In this approach, the person and not dementia is put at the center of everything that is done for the person. The second way is to look at the dementia and the problems first and not at the person behind the dementia. In this non-person-centered approach, things will often be task-oriented and not based on the individual's needs and emotions. Some of the ways in which person-centred and non-person-centred approaches differ are: 1. Seeing the person first and then their dementia – in a person-centred approach the person would be the focal point of everything that is done, looking beyond dementia and to the person responsible for it. In a non-person-centered approach, dementia would be seen as a problem and tasks would be completed in the quickest way, regardless of the person's wishes and emotional well-being. Satisfying psychological needs: in a life-centered approach.