Introduction
Destructive diseases like dementia impose a considerable strain on individuals, their caregivers, and the public on a physiological, psychological, and economic level. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most prevalent kinds of dementia and accounts for approximately 60–70% of dementia cases (Navia, R. O., & Constantine, 2022). In the world today, dementia is among the primary causes of impairment and vulnerability in older adults and the sixth largest cause of death among all diseases (Navia, R. O., & Constantine, 2022). According to estimates, 6.5 million Americans already have Alzheimer’s disease, and 13.8 million more instances are expected by 2055 (Ettinger, 2022).
Due to dementia diagnosis, patients frequently suffer from the negative impacts of stigma while not being able to receive the same treatment as others (Haapala et al., 2018). Moreover, a person’s self-esteem might be negatively impacted by their health, financial situation, work position, and connections with people around them (Haapala et al., 2018). Therefore, dementia is often not well-understood since, while being well-studied, the condition is frequently not recognized by the general public, which causes stigma and obstacles to diagnosis and treatment.
Research Questions
When studying such a condition as dementia, it is vital to pay attention not only to the final stage of the disease and its consequences but also to observe its development and prevention methods. As a result, the research questions for the topic of dementia are as follows:
- How does the body deteriorate with dementia, and how strong can these changes be for the person diagnosed with dementia?
- How can family members of the person with dementia promote a better lifestyle to prevent health conditions such as dementia in the future?
Answers to Research Questions
Regarding the first question, it is necessary to give an overview of dementia and its manifestations. A clinical condition known as dementia is a gradual deterioration in cognitive function that impairs one’s capacity to operate autonomously (Duong et al., 2017). Dementia symptoms develop gradually, persist, and intensify with time (Duong et al., 2017). Cognitive, functional, and behavioral impairments are common in dementia patients. The cognitive deficit dementia’s contributing factors can be strong and manifest as memory problems, communication functional limitations, agnosia (incapability to identify objects), apraxia (difficulty in performing previously learned activities), and impaired executive function (Duong et al., 2017). The damage to the cerebral cortex brought on by synapse malfunction, inflammation, and changes in the brain’s metabolism leads to cognitive decline (Duong et al., 2017). As a result, with dementia, the patient’s body deteriorates slowly.
As for the second question, immediate family, relatives, or friends can help individuals diagnosed with dementia reduce the quick progress of the condition. By leading a healthy lifestyle that includes frequent exercise, eating balanced food, not smoking, and moderate alcohol use, families may help lower a person’s risk of dementia (Livingston et al., 2020). Other ways a family can help a patient reduce the risks of further development of dementia is by keeping one’s mind occupied through reading, solving riddles, or acquiring new knowledge.
The Following Aspects of Interest
Finally, when it comes to the aspects of the topic that would be important to analyze, it is the dementia prevention methods from a young age. While there are numerous interventions used to prevent the quick process of cognitive function deterioration in people already diagnosed with dementia, it is vital to see what types of approaches can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease occurrence. Therefore, prevention approaches from a young age must be analyzed.
Conclusion
In sum, dementia is among the most detrimental diseases, which not only causes immense malfunctions in cognitive abilities but leads to social stigmas, decreasing the self-esteem of the patients. As a result, it is necessary to increase awareness when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementia conditions and provide individuals with approaches that will reduce the risk of condition development. For the given work, five academic sources were used to consult for the research, all of them being published within five years.
References
Duong, S., Patel, T., & Chang, F. (2017). Dementia: What pharmacists need to know. Canadian Pharmacists Journal, 150(2), 118–129. Web.
Ettinger, S. (2022). Diet, gut microbiome, and cognitive decline. Current Nutrition Reports, 1-10. Web.
Haapala, I., Biggs, S., & Kurrle, S. (2018). Social aspects of dementia and dementia practice. International Psychogeriatrics, 30(11), 1579-1581. Web.
Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Sommerlad, A., Ames, D., Ballard, C., Banerjee, S., Brayne, C., Burns, A., Cohen-Mansfield, J., Cooper, C., Costafreda, S. G., Dias, A., Fox, N., Gitlin, L. N., Howard, R., Kales, H. C., Kivimäki, M., Larson, E. B., Ogunniyi, A., Orgeta, V., … Mukadam, N. (2020). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. Lancet, 396(10248), 413–446. Web.
Navia, R. O., & Constantine, L. A. (2022). Palliative care for patients with advanced dementia. Nursing 2022, 52(3), 19-26. Web.