Dementia Essay

Words: 4005
Pages: 17

Unit 4222-237 SADIE LEWIS

Outcome 1
1.1 Dementia is the progressive decline in the cognitive function, involving all aspects of perception, thinking, reasoning and remembering. This is largely to do with damage or disease. This is progressive and leads to the deterioration of the mind, affecting an individual’s ability to concentrate on daily tasks. The memory is often affected, causing them to forget people, dates and events that are recent to them, behaviour can be erratic and noticeably different than is usual for them, and the ability to control feelings is also affected. As the disease progresses as do the signs and symptoms.

1.2 The progressive decline in cognitive function affects the following key functions

Behavioural changes repetition, aggression, suspicion and psychiatric disturbances like depression, anxiety, psychosis, agitation, sleep disturbances. To decide how the condition should be managed, with medication, and or psychological therapies

2.2 The Social model of dementia, is concerned with the individual and how their dementia affects their lives. This is person centred and it is used to establish how they feel and behave in their own environment and how their personal history and background may impact on their needs. This information is important to provide the right care and support.

Unit 4222-237 Sadie Lewis

Outcome 2
2.3 Individuals with dementia often find it difficult to achieve tasks that they have done all their lives, eg cooking, forgetting they have put the oven on or not lighting the gas, forgetting to eat, malnourished, driving forgetting how to drive or directions to where they are going, crossing roads, unable to connect with the danger of traffic, wandering getting lost in places they have been dozens of times. This makes vulnerable and is due to an impairment to their brain, disables their ability to live independently and to make safe judgements about their lives.

Outcome 3
3.1 Alzheimer’s Disease, is one of the most common causes of dementia, Alzheimer’s occurs