Living With Alzheimers - A Progressive Neurodegenerative Disorder - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1900 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/04/12 Category Medicine Essay Level High school Tags: Alzheimer's Disease Essay Did you like this example? Worldwide, forty-eight million people have been diagnosed with Alzheimers, a chronic neurodegenerative disease, resulting in 1.9 million deaths just in the year 2015. (Khyade, Khyade, Jagtap, 2016) There are medications that reduce symptoms for some patients, but these medications only work for a short-term period of time, at which point the patient reverts to the cognitive level they would currently be at had they never taken the medication and there are no medications that reduce the risk of getting the disease. There is no cure for Alzheimers. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Living With Alzheimers A Progressive Neurodegenerative Disorder" essay for you Create order Ultimately, everyone with the disease requires round the clock care at some point, but there are limited options, which forces families into crisis as the disease progresses. It is for this reason that I chose to do my research project and job shadowing on the population of Alzheimers patients in long-term skilled nursing care. The term Alzheimers disease originated in 1906, when psychiatrist and neurologist, Dr. Alois Alzheimer, met Auguste Deter, a fifty-one year old woman suffering from an unknown mental illness causing unusual behaviors and increasing short-term memory loss. Her condition became his obsession. Following her death, he performed a brain autopsy and discovered a shrunken cortex, clumps, now know as amyloid plaques, and tangles of fibers, now known as neurofibrillary tangles, in her brain tissue. These conditions were distinctive enough to diagnose a new form of dementia, which became known as Alzheimers disease. During the next five years, eleven similar cases were reported in medical literature, interchangeably using the term pre-senile dementia, a subtype of senile dementia due to the age of the patients. (Khyade, Khyade, Jagtap, 2016) Studies later concluded that pre-senile and senile dementia were the same, differentiating the diagnosis of Alzheimers disease and recognizing that age did not play a part in the diagnosis. This early version of the disease is now called early on-set and affects patients under the age of sixty-five. Eventually, Alzheimers disease became a blanket term to describe people of all ages exhibiting the same symptom patter, disease course and neuropathology. Alzheimers is one of the most expensive diseases in the United States. There are currently more than five million Americans with Alzheimers disease, absorbing twenty percent of all Medicare costs. The annual cost of caring for Alzheimers disease varies from $42,049 for institutionalized patients to $12,572 for patients living in the community, (Dharmarajan, 2009) not including the lost wages of a caregiver. On average, the cost of care is $330,000 in a patients lifetime. As the baby boomers age, it is anticipated that the rate of diagnosed seniors will grow dramatically, causing a very large social problem and economic burden. There are some medications on the market that have shown symptomatic benefit, and ultimately, any reduction of behavioral disturbance and cognitive decline reduces the needs of a caregiver, showing and economic benefits, but research is still under-funded and limited. Today, Alzheimers is a primary topic of biomedical research. The cause and cure for the disease remains unknown. Because no sample from any given case study is the same, results have varied widely and made it difficult to come to a resolution. The Alzheimers Disease Neuroimaging Initiative was collaborated in 2003 to share data across the world. This data includes brain imaging, clinical, cognitive and genetic data and is available for physicians and researchers to immediately access, strategically utilizing research funding by limiting duplication of studies. Alzheimers is normally diagnosed through the amalgamation persons medical history, narrative history from caregivers, and behavioral observation. In general, the symptoms of Alzheimers disease include progressive memory loss, increased difficulty concentrating, a steady decrease in problem-solving skills and judgment capability, confusion, hallucinations and delusions, altered sensations or perceptions, impaired recognition of everyday objects and familiar people, altered sleep patterns, motor system impairment, inability to maintain activities of daily living, agitation, anxiety, and depression. Ultimately, the dementia sufferer enters a complete vegetative state prior to death. (Martin, 2018) No brain scan, blood test or physical test alone can definitely diagnose the disease. A neuropsychological test is administered to determine what areas of cognitive function are impaired and what areas remain intact. Because patients often underreport or go to great lengths to conceal symptoms, the diagnosis is typically made over a minimum of sixth months to confirm to the physician that the condition is progressive. A brain scan using computed tomography (CT scans) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is typically performed to rule out conditions that may mimic Alzheimers and they may also show loss of brain mass and atrophy of the hippocampus, which are telltale signs of the disease. Diagnosis is made by symptoms and it is only through autopsy that a definitive diagnosis is made. (Martin, 2018) Fortunately, diagnostic technology is continuously improving, making the tricky task of diagnosing the disease more feasible. There are many factors that play a role in the maintenance of Alzheimers, however, the life expectancy remains between three and nine years after diagnosis. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors have shown effectiveness in temporarily slowing the progression of the disease. (Martone Piotrowski, 2013) While they may temporarily slow symptoms, they become ineffective and the body rapidly displays symptoms that would have been shown had the patient never taken the medication. Because the brain may become inflamed, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may also improve symptoms. The treatment for Alzheimers remains primarily palliative through exercise, diet, engaging activity, cognitive therapy and surrounding the patient with familiar items to reduce distress. Different factors will determine which care options are pursued for a loved on with Alzheimers disease. In the early stages of the disease, families often choose to provide home care through minimal safety adjustments so that their loved one can maintain as much independence as possible. When is becomes unsafe for the patient to be alone, home care can be supplemented with home health aides, companion services or adult day centers. Adult Day centers offer structured to socialize the patient and most also offer meals and transportation to relieve some of the care burden. Assisted living is a good fit for those that need assistance with daily living activities, socialization and minimal medical management. Caregiver guilt and crisis play a key role in making the change to a higher level of care. Who would you call when your loved one elopes from home while you are at work? For many, the answer is 9-1-1, but the fact is that they cannot hold your loved one in the hospital simply because they are an elopement risk. Most cannot take indefinite time off of work to provide care for they loved one, so they turn secure memory care units. Special memory care units offer staff that has received specialized training in caring for those with cognitive impairment, activity programming, and extra safety measures such as secured exits. Unfortunately, even specialized care units have limitations such as inability to care for those with dementia with lewy bodies and behaviors such as chronic agitation and aggression. It is typical for a patient to move from the secure unity into traditional long-term, skilled care once they become physically unable to elope. During my job shadowing experience, I was able to see first-hand the duties of the Memory Care Facilitator, Lisa Peasley. I was able to sit in on assessments of patients cognitive level of function, which gave me insight on the progression of the disease. I was also able to observe and practice taking notes on patient behaviors and family interactions. These notes are used to track abnormalities in the patients behaviors. The activity I felt was most significant during my research hours was attending care-plan meetings with the medical staff and family. It was following one of these meetings that I was able to interview the Cheryl Martin, daughter of patient, Betty Hamilton. Betty has been a resident of Beech Grove Meadows for six years and her daughter is still struggling to accept the progression of the disease and the care recommendations of the clinical team. Lisa was able to counsel her on local support groups to cope with the changes as well as provide insight as to why each r ecommendation was made in relation to an event that had taken place with her mother. As a whole, it seemed to me that American Senior Communities is dedicated to progressive memory care. Their Augustes Cottage model exhibits many care aspects that are unique and designed to promote the comfort and interaction of each patient as well as give staff and families a comprehensive understand of where the patient is staged in the progression to queue care-giving needs. Staff education leaves a lot to be desired. The staff was not shy in expressing their frustration that the promised training upon hire would take place anywhere form six to nine months after working with patients. There was also a lot of friction between the memory care unit and they rest of the skilled care unit; they seemed like two separate entities rather than one cohesive continuum of care. The staff member in charge of occupancy was overly pressured to maintain a full unit, despite the need for some patients to seek psychiatric care or progress to long term care, which caused friction with the Memory Ca re Facilitator who felt her staff could not meet the needs of some of the patients. Resources for activities are limited and upkeep of the physical unit did not seem to be a priority, which left me with several safety concerns. This shadowing experience opened my eyes to the social stigma surrounding Alzheimers disease. I was disgusted and saddened by some of my observations. Staff members called patients exhibiting abnormal behavior crazy and family and friends became distant from their loved ones because they did not know how to properly respond to changes in personality and behavior. I would like to believe that providers offering memory care have the best of intentions, but the care offered leaves much to be desired. Each family and patient has a unique story and set of needs and it is important to approach them as so, rather they expecting them to fit a mold. The care of patients with Alzheimers is always evolving and education is key. Most importantly, through this Human Services journey, I learned that honesty and genuine apology go a long way. The need for competent Alzheimers care is in high demand in my community. Hospitals are overrun with patients needing placement in a secure unit for safety, but many cannot afford private pay, and there are many hoops to jump through in order to obtain insurance coverage and guardianship. For a person in crisis, there isnt enough time to meet all of the requirements, and the hospitals are pressured to discharge them due to cost, which can result in catastrophe if a patient is sent home to unsafe circumstances. I learned that there are care gaps, but most of them involve financial burden, which no one wants to assume and this issue is only going to increase as the baby boomers come of age. Alzheimers and other dementias are the top cause for disabilities later in life and each individual leaves loved ones affected by the disease progression. With no cure in sight, this means that the likelihood of a Human Services professional encountering the disease or someone coping with a loved ones diagnosis in a professional setting will increase monumentally in years to come. It is important to be aware and educated on the subject so we may best serve our communities.

SCI Wk 1 Lab Reporting Form Essay - 604 Words

Lab 1 – Introduction to Science Exercise 1: The Scientific Method Dissolved oxygen is oxygen that is trapped in a fluid, such as water. Since many living organism requires oxygen to survive, it is a necessary component of water systems such as streams, lakes and rivers in order to support aquatic life. The dissolved oxygen is measured in units of parts per million (ppm). Examine the data in Table 4 showing the amount of dissolved oxygen present and the number of fish observed in the body of water the sample was taken from; finally, answer the questions below. QUESTIONS 1. Make an observation – Based on the data in Table 4, discuss what patterns you observe in regards to dissolved oxygen content and fish populations in the body of†¦show more content†¦Independent-dissolving oxygen. Dependent-fish. No control-because the pump was never turned back on and without the pump we can not control the fish dieing. 5. Analyze results – Assume that your experiment produces results identical to those seen in Table 4, what type of graph would be appropriate for displaying the data and why? Answer = A line graph will be appropriate because it supports the hypothesis because it provides clear results. 6. Analyze results - Graph the data from Table 4 and describe what your graph looks like (you do not have to submit a picture of the actual graph!). Answer = It would have categories for the number of fish, the amount of water, the tempature of the water, and if nutrients were added. 7. Draw conclusions - Interpret the data from the graph made in Question 7. What conclusions can you make based on the results of this graph? Answer = The graph shows the fish population increases in due to more dissolved oxygen that is found in the body of water. 8. Draw conclusions – Assuming that your experiment produced results identical to those seen in Table 4, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 3? Explain how you determined this. Answer = I would accept the hypothesis. Because the experiement is replicable because only one test was done at a time and all steps were included. References Francis-Floyd, R. (2003).

Body Conscious free essay sample

It’s a hot, steamy summer day in August 2010.Perfect day for swimming and relaxing, right? Instead I head to my annual physical and I expect the usual: step on the scale and go take a urine sample.No, this appointment was entirely different, â€Å"Hi I am Doctor Sacklerso you are in the red area of the BMI chart which states you are obese.†Cool. Just another thing to add to the list of things wrong with me.I tell myself don’t cry you will look inferior and weak, but I can’t hold it back.This sets the tone for the rest of my week, year, and life: Do not eat. The annual physical before going into 7th grade changed me.Physically, mentally, emotionally I could not handle being told I was obese.So as most 12 year olds would do, I stopped eating.Completely.After 7 days, I told myself I have to eat, but only one cracker that’s it. We will write a custom essay sample on Body Conscious or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But the cracker was so buttery and flakey that I allowed myself one more, which then turned into an entire box.I was absolutely disgusted with myself after devouring an entire box and I couldn’t just sit there knowing I did that. As a child of the technological generation, I googled â€Å"ways to get rid of food before digestion†.That’s when I came across the concept of purging or throwing your food up purposely. Gross I know, but at the time it seemed like my only option.This one time purge then became an everyday thing and at my worst I would purge up to 30 times a day.It not only made me feel better and less guilty, but purging my food helped me get rid of all the awful feelings I kept inside. I kept purging for over a year and it was only when I had lost a significant amount of weight that my parents suspected something.I felt so ashamed when we sat down and they confronted me.I was embarrassed that I had to get help and felt awful that I had now put this tremendous burden on them.I was so against sharing my feelings that the thought of going to a therapist completely terrified me.But something inside me said â€Å"If you don’t attempt to conquer this disease now, it will ruin the rest of my life or worse, kill me.†I then got help from a therapist, but talking to someone was not enough.I still continued with my routine for another 2 years. It was not until my sophomore year in highschool that I decided to stop and reconsider my lifestyle choices.You may wonder what caused me to realize that this was not the way to battle my weight issues? It was a book I read called Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.In this book the narrator, Lia, tells the story of how her and her best friend Cassie developed their eating disorders together and how Cassie’s bulimia eventually leads to her death.This book scared me into reevaluating my life and ultimately made me quit purging. As I sit here and recall my experience, it makes me realize how far I’ve come, and how much I’ve matured over these years. Having lived with bulimia for over four years, I can now say that I know who I want to be.My weight is nowhere near where I want it to be, but I will not let a number define me.I learned that my worth is not determined by whether or not I have a gap between my thighs.My body is perfect for me and I now reward it instead of deprive it.What I see in the mirror now is a genuine, hardworking, athletic, and confident woman.I’ve learned that loving myself for who I am is the greatest thing I can do.

Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War free essay sample

A look at President Lyndon Johnsons role in the Vietnam War. This paper examines the role President Lyndon Johnson played in the Vietnam War. It considers the Johnson Administration in light of its policy during this time and discusses the impact the war had on the perceptions of the Presidents success or failure. Lyndon Johnson, it has been said, could have been a great president if it werent for the Vietnam War. Granted, this may be like saying that the Titanic was a wonderful ship except for the fact that it didnt have enough lifeboats. Still, Johnsons legacy in the Vietnam conflict bears further scrutiny to understand the wars full political implications. Johnson was a Texan and a Southern Democrat. Despite this background, he is credited as the architect of landmark civil rights legislation and a massive national welfare program dubbed as The Great Society. We will write a custom essay sample on Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A career politician for virtually all of his life and a virtuoso wheeler-and-dealer, he gambled upon becoming vice-president to the young, handsome, and attractive John F. Kennedy. Johnson won his gamble in a grotesque kind of a way, fulfilling his great dream of becoming president. He was vital in the United States becoming increasingly involved in the loosing Vietnam War, however, and his legacy is clouded in infamy because of this fact. (Rulen Lyndon Johnson).