Essay on Caring for a Person With Dementia - 2027 Words

Introduction Dementia is an umbrella term used to explain the gradual decline in multiple areas of functions, which includes thinking, perception, communication, memory, languages, reasoning, and the ability to function (Harrison-Dening 2013). Worldwide, 47.5 million people have dementia and there are 7.7 million new cases every year. Alzheimers disease is the most common cause of dementia and may contribute to 60–70% of cases. (Alzheimers society 2014). The complexity of dementia presents a number of behavioural challenges to those who live with dementia and their care providers. Aggressive behaviour seems to be one of the most prevalent challenging behaviours in the different stages of dementia (Weitzel et al 2011). As acute care†¦show more content†¦With major types of dementia, the damaged nerve cells stop fail to keep connections with adjacent cells, and the person’s symptoms may get worse over the period. Common Challenging Behaviours Challenging behaviours are often extremely stressful, which presents managing problems with dementia people as well as their care givers. In general, 80% individuals with dementia most often express the signs of challenging behaviours (McKay2008). The common behavioural disturbances associated with dementia include hallucinations delusions, sleep problems, sundowning, aggression, agitation, wandering, and communication challenges (Zwijsen et al 2014). Aggressive Behaviours Aggression is one of the psychological symptoms of dementia, which depicts a cluster of physical signs that suggest restlessness or emotional distress (McKay2008). This multifaceted major health problem originated from the complex interactions of neurobiological, cultural and environmental factors (Cipriani et al 2011). It occurs in 30 to 50% of dementia patients and the common symptoms can include hitting, verbal threats, yelling, biting, cursing, and throwing things or physical violence towards another person (Cipriani et al 2011). Causes of Aggressive Behaviours Every person with dementia and reactions to the circumstances is unique, which may be related to the progressive changes in the brainShow MoreRelatedSupport and Caring for a Person with Dementia Essay1261 Words   |  6 PagesDescription The patient presents with dementia, poor posture (her chin close to her chest) and dislikes solids, there for has to be assisted to feed and chooses only to consume liquids. Her communication skills are also poor and doesn’t have the capacity to engage in a flowing conversation but has the ability to answer a question using the words ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or by saying individual words. 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