...from early to late adulthood? Joshua Lansberry Ashford University PSY 304 Lifespan Development Prof. Pamela Vincent May 18, 2015 How do our bodies and minds change from early to late adulthood? As we age does our mind simply begin to deteriorate in the same fashion as our body does in regards to it physical capabilities? Have you wondered what affect does peri and post-menopause have in relation to memory decline in women? Is dementia directly related to cognitive aging? All of these conditions have one thing in common, they all occur as the human body starts to age into late adulthood. Aging from early to late adulthood has an interconnected negative impact both mentally and physically on the human body but physical activity can help protect against cognitive decline. First we need to understand physical and cognitive development and the stages associated with early and late adulthood. Then we will examine the age related decline in mentalizing skills; how cognitive aging is related to dementia; and how aging is related to peri and post-menopause and it effects has on the body. Physical changes as the body ages from early to late adulthood are predictable and undeniable. Physical Development depends on maturation, or the biological unfolding of growth. Every individual has a schedule built into his or her genes that controls both the timing and degree of physical growth and decline...
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...BRIEF REPORTS Greater Risk of Dementia When Spouse Has Dementia? The Cache County Study [See editorial comments by Dr. Peter P. Vitaliano, pp 976–978] Maria C. Norton, PhD,abc Ken R. Smith, PhD,de Truls Østbye, MD, PhD,fgh JoAnn T. Tschanz, PhD,bc Chris Corcoran, ScD,ci Sarah Schwartz, MS,ci Kathleen W. Piercy, PhD,ac Peter V. Rabins, MD, MPH,j David C. Steffens, MD,k Ingmar Skoog, MD, PhD,l John C. S. Breitner, MD, MPH,mn Kathleen A. Welsh-Bohmer, PhD,g for the Cache County Investigators OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of caring for a spouse with dementia on the caregiver’s risk for incident dementia. DESIGN: Population-based study of incident dementia in spouses of persons with dementia. SETTING: Rural county in northern Utah. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand four hundred forty-two subjects (1,221 married couples) aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Incident dementia was diagnosed in 255 subjects, with onset defined as age when subject met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised, criteria for dementia. Cox proportional hazards regression tested the effect of time-dependent exposure to dementia in one’s spouse, adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: A subject whose spouse experienced incident dementia onset had a six times greater risk for incident dementia as subjects whose spouses were dementia free (hazard rate ratio (HRR) 5 6.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5 2.2–16.2, Po.001). In sex-specific analyses, husbands had higher risks ...
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...Case Study: Treating a Patient with Vascular Dementia Grand Canyon University Case Study: Treating a Patient with Vascular Dementia Vascular dementia is one of the most common causes of dementia, Alzheimer being the most common. Vascular dementia causes around 10% of cases while Alzheimer causes around an estimate of 60% to 80% of cases. NHS Choice (2015) defines dementia as “a loss of mental ability (cognitive impairment) associated with gradual death of brain cells” (para. 2). Vascular dementia occurs when the blood flow to the brain is reduced and usually happens from strokes, it also can be caused by a variety of diseases and damages that affects the brain. One of the most common type of vascular dementia is the Multi-infarct dementia which is caused by minor strokes or (which sometimes are called “mini strokes” or silent strokes”) that at times could go unnoticed. Unlike Alzheimer's disease, there are no licensed treatments for vascular dementia (O’Brien and Thomas, 2015) Multi-infarct dementia is more common in older men than women around the ages of 60 to 75 years old. Vascular dementia is really rare in anyone younger than 65. Global, 48.5 million people have dementia, about 70% of that is Alzheimer’s and around 10% are vascular dementia, there are 7.7 million new cases every year. This case study looks further into Vascular Dementia and the people who have them and shows how a great care system and collaboration can help the patient. A case study will be conducted...
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...DEMENTIA’S Dementia is a vague term used to describe a person that has loss of memory and change in behavior and activities. It goes beyond the forgetfulness and absent minded. It is commonly used In reference to the elderly, when cognitive abilities start to slip from one’s own control. Dementia cannot be diagnosed due to memory loss alone. It must be accompanied by two or more interruptions of brain function. Individuals who suffer from a disease that causes dementia undergo a number of changes. Simple daily tasks such as dressing or bathing may also become a problem. Anything can be a cause for dementia, a stroke, a car accident or even another disease. Here, I will compare four most frequent causes of dementia with four least frequent causes. Dementia is not a specific disease. It's an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases. Vascular dementia, which occurs after a stroke, is the second most common dementia type. But there are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, including some that are reversible, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies. Dementia is often incorrectly referred to as "senility" or "senile dementia," which reflects the formerly widespread but incorrect belief that serious mental decline is a normal part of aging. Dementia is...
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...Nursing NR 222 Health Promotion Throughout Life Span Summer 2012 Alzheimer’s Disease a progressive neurologic disease of the brain leading to the irreversible loss of neurons and the loss of intellectual abilities, including memory loss and reasoning, which becomes severe enough to impede social or occupational functioning. The article Poor Decision Making Is a Consequence of Cognitive Decline among Older Persons without Alzheimer’s Disease or Mild Cognitive Impairment is about decision making is an important determinant of health and well-being across the lifespan but is critical in aging, when many influential decisions are made just as cognitive function declines. The increasing evidence suggests that older adults, even those without dementia, often make poor decisions and are selectively vulnerable to scams. The memory and aging project did a experiment with 420 non-demented persons to see if cognitive evaluations and subsequently completed assessments of decision making and susceptibility to scams. In this study, the researchers tested the hypothesis that poor decision making is consequence of cognitive decline among older people without AD or MCI. Decision making is a complex behavior that require higher order cognitive functions and is critical in aging when some of life’s most influential decision are made. For reasons unknown, older person are highly vulnerable to poor decision choices. Using data from 420 non-demented persons, they first tested the hypothesis that the...
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...Assistant Professor University of Colorado Colorado, Denver Updates in Therapeutics: The Pharmacotherapy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course 31 Geriatrics Learning Objectives: The following case pertains to questions 2 and 3. J.T. is an 82-year-old community-dwelling woman with a history of stage III Parkinson disease, hypertension, and urinary incontinence (UI). She is receiving carbidopa/levodopa, pramipexole, selegiline, tolterodine, diazepam, metoprolol, and hydrochlorothiazide. When she comes to your pharmacy to get her prescriptions, she walks slowly with a cane, and she is stooped over. 1. Identify age-related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes in older people. 2. Evaluate the pharmacotherapy regimens of older people to support the maintenance of optimal physical and mental function. 3. Identify inappropriate medication prescribing in older people. 4. Recommend appropriate pharmacotherapy for patients with dementia. 5. Evaluate the risks and benefits of the use of antipsychotics (APs) (including atypical APs) in older patients with dementia. 6. Recommend appropriate interventions for patients suffering from behavioral symptoms related to dementia. 7. Identify the types of urinary incontinence and recommend appropriate treatments. 8. Given a patient’s American Urology Association Symptom Index for benign prostatic hyperplasia, recommend appropriate therapy. 9. Recommend appropriate analgesic therapy for ...
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...Research Critique, Part 1 XXX Grand Canyon University: NRS 433V XXX Research Critique: A Qualitative Study Researchers completed a study seeking out barriers to the implementation of non pharmacological interventions for patients with dementia by nursing home staff. To better recognize and understand these barriers and to in hopes of providing a stronger evidence base for cultural change, researchers elicited nursing staff, recreational therapists, activity personnel and medical directors in a study titled “Its About Time: Use of Nonpharmacological Interventions in the Nursing Home.” Problem Statement Dementia is one of the most common diagnoses on the rise amongst the geriatric population. Alzheimer’s The most common form of dementia is Alzheimers, affecting well over 5 million people nationally. Institutionalization is common amongst this population as the disease begins to progress, typically bringing on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) including agitation, aggression and depression. This population is recognized as vulnerable and fragile, both mentally and physically. Many frequently have physical comorbidities along with dementia. This issue of suffering from comorbidities brings on the prescribing of multiple medications, which over time interact and accelerate their functional decline (Kolanowski, Fick, Frazer, Penrod, 2009). Due to the lack of beneficial effects when weighted against both short and long term adverse effects of various...
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...a critical evaluation is made concerning the article’s contribution to our understanding of ageing populations and dementia care, and its’...
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...older patients is due to the vast array of problems created by advanced dementia. A variety of these problems may also be of concern as they arise from the primary disease and may include end of life care for a shorter period, communication problems due to dementia or plain misunderstanding and even chances of lack of family motivation (Blackburn, 1989). The elementary design of palliative care is to provide bodily, mental and spiritual support to the family and patient to facilitate the life quality until expiration (Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, 2004). In the initial phases of the diseases, palliative care can be imbued with prolonging treatments (WHO, 2003) and it is not intended in any way to either accelerate or reduce the dying timeline but is meant to alleviate distress by lessening pain and other factors that result in it (WHO, 2003). It is vital that preliminary diagnosis, evaluation and therapy of pain and various other requirements such as bodily, traditional, social, spiritual and mental requirements be tended to for the accomplishment of palliative methodology (WHO, 2003). It is proper to start the palliative care in the scenario when the illness has been proven to be incurable and the care of the patient according to the symptoms is specific (Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, 2004). Symptoms of advanced dementia, termed also last stage dementia include confused or memory failure, unresponsiveness to verbal communication...
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...conduct themselves towards care of the elderly, and the actions they take to resolve discriminatory practices to reduce social inequality in respect of the elderly. Patch1 After reflecting on my own attitudes regarding my understanding of the elderly, I found that I held similar views in that once an elderly person had reached a particular age they can be easily disregarded as a useful member of society, however my views were not based on any known facts or any valid experience that I had encountered, but rather on my personal interpretation and general stereotype towards the elderly, after our group discussion and after reading relevant literature concerning ageism my opinion has changed. Ageism was introduced by Robert Butler (1969) suggesting it was a process whereby an older person was systematically stereotyped with prejudicial attitudes directed towards them. This was deemed as discrimination. According to (McGlone and Fitzgerald 2005) views ageism similar to Robert in that they believed that negative beliefs were embodied deeply in society towards elderly people, as result this process gave rise to age discrimination. Society has created this belief and it is reinforced on a daily basis and can sometimes be seen or observed through various types of media, resulting in us developing stereotypes and...
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...716 Index major depressive disorder, brain imaging studies, 70–71 malignant catatonia, 333 malingering, 530–531 ‘manic depressive insanity’, 45 manic states, 250, 253 abnormal beliefs and perceptions, 254 amphetamines and, 266 course and outcome, 274 delusional, 16 in HIV patients, 345 in ICD-10, 42 in old age aetiology, 369 clinical features, 370 treatment, 370 in old age, 369–370 mixed state with depression, 255 sensations in, 6 stroke and, 344 stupor in, 31 manic states, 15–17 Marchiafava-Bignami syndrome, 206, 338 Marijuana Anonymous, 239 marital status, and suicide, 454 masculinity drunkenness and, 428 sense of, 395 Massachusetts Male Aging Study, 402 Massachusetts Women’s Health Study (MWHS), 442 masturbation, 396 McNaughton Rules, 558 McNaughton, Daniel, 558 m-CPP 435 , MDMA (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; ‘ecstasy’), 328 medial temporal lobe volume in Alzheimer’s disease, 359 MRI for detecting, 75 medical conditions anxiety disorders in, 170 depression treatment, 521 detection of psychiatric illness, 483 feigned illness, 530–531 mental disorders due to, 327 anxiety disorders, 333 cannabis and psychosis, 330 catatonia, 332 cognitive disorders, 334 delusions, 329 depression and Parkinson’s disease, 332 general principles, 327 hallucinations, 328 mood disorders, 330 personality disorder, 333 psychotic disorder, 328 stimulant psychosis, 329 mental disorders due to, 326–335 relationship to affective change...
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...Centenarians: The Biological, Sociological and Psychological Secrets to Human Longevity Amanda S. Primm Missouri State University Fall 2014 Abstract There is increasing interest from a multidisciplinary perspective in the study of centenarians, or individuals who live up to and beyond the age of 100. It is possible that these individuals are merely born to an excellent gene pool, or that they have superior coping skills that make it easier to deal with the stresses of life, thus prolonging their healthy status, or that the key to living a century and beyond resides very simply in healthy living, which includes regular exercise, and avoiding the detrimental effects of smoking, alcohol, and foods that contribute to...
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...information and try to discuss what type of impact the senior citizens’ have on the healthcare market. This paper will also discuss the issues with the elderly immigrants and what type of effects they have on our healthcare market. This paper will also discuss challenges to this population, such as increases in health care costs, increases in prescription drug costs. This paper will also discuss How can the individual patient, the community, and society as a whole address these challenges and how a chronic disease wellness program may affect the costs for this demographic. The Effect That the Elderly Have on Healthcare According to this committee (National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, 2009) reports has triggered analysis on claims that an aging population is the major cause of spending growth on Medicare and other social insurance programs. They also goes to say that those that would like to undermine the current Social Security and Medicare programs can be expected to use the Trustee's reports' data on solvency as a rationale for privatizing, or otherwise dismantling, these successful programs. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, as a steward of programs critical to the retirement security of all Americans, is attempting to set the record straight about the future challenges faced by our Nation's premier health care system for seniors. Medicare costs are for the most part is aggravated by the same factors that have caused...
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... Which different stages of diagnosis it’s difficult to find the target of what triggers the disease. With the majority of patients being diagnosed being of the elderly stage of life, testing different options is risky because of old age. As many years and millions have gone on to find the cure to stop this tragic illness that overcomes thousands of loved ones every year, scientist have decided to step back and make a strategy. With so many failed attempts of curing this disease, they decided to find an attack approach before being diagnosed. Studies have gone into the smallest detail to find common traits that those diagnosed have. While this is an endless and tedious process, they continued. Scientist have discovered that there are ways to lower the risks of being diagnosed with the disease in the future. Although there is no cure once diagnosed, there have been studies found on how to lessen your chances of getting it. Multiple articles, including National Institute of Agings “alheimer’s prevention”, state that vitamins are always a natural and healthy route as well as anti inflammatory drugs. While a healthy diet and exercise can be effective for staying healthy and fighting against most viruses, which also plays a big part in dementia and alzheimer’s prevention as well. There are know foods that protect your memory and keep you mind sharp. A mediterranean diet is said to be one, if not the healthiest diet to go by in terms of memory consumption. Other things like...
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...District Nurses who are involved with visiting patients in various homes in the community, I encountered patients with various psychological and physiological disorders. Prudently, it is worthwhile to note that the patients who we visited had various health problems that ranged from individuals who were housebound and could not travel to seek medical attention. Besides, some of the patients had nursing needs such as leg ulcer dressing, wound dressing, pressure ulcer dressings, and catheter insertion as well as its removal. Description One of the most complex situations that I experienced was trying to take blood from an elderly patient with dementia. Since the patient was at her residential home and had never seen me before, she was not aware of my main purpose for visiting. Moreover, I had no prior knowledge of her state with dementia. At the time of my arrival, the patient was comfortably sitting in her chair while cradling her dolly. Her attention was mainly drawn to the dolly’s hair as she sang her various songs. One member of the care staff helped me take blood from the patiently by distracting her with songs and books but the patient ran out of patience and began being anxious thereby lashing out at me. Despite my disruptions using the baby, the patient never allowed me to complete my attempts to take blood from...
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