A complete analysis for Dementia patients

1. Running head: DEMENTIA
DEMENTIA
Name
Institution

2. DEMENTIA 1
Introduction
Dementia is described as a collection of symptoms that point to a variety of possible brain
diseases that result in the long term and often gradual decrease in one’s ability to process thoughts
and remember, to a point that it affects a person's normal functioning on a daily basis (Chertkow,
Feldman, Jacova and Massoud, 2013). Damage on the brain caused by diseases such as
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the known causes the condition. People suffering from dementia
experience emotional problems, language difficulties, and even decline in motivation. The most
commonly affected group is the elderly who make up the largest part of people who are diagnosed
with dementia. However, anyone can be affected by the problem, as it is not only confined to the
elderly.
The history of dementia could go as far as humanity itself as there is not specially known
point at which dementia first affected an individual. Modern developments in medicine have made
it easier to identify and diagnose the problem than in the past, which has gone a long way in
addressing the problem today compared to the past. Up to before the end of the 19th Century,
dementia was referred to as the condition in which someone had lost the ability to reason and was
also associated with mental illnesses (Berrios, 1994). Not much was known about dementia, but
the lack of a cure for the condition made it a concern that needed to be looked into.
The exact point at which the condition was identified cannot perhaps be accurately pointed
since there are some indicators that the condition could have been in existence as early as the 7th
Century BC where mental decay was defined as a stage in one’s life when their ability to think and
reason could be impaired. This could be a pointer to dementia which is mostly observed in the
elderly.

3. DEMENTIA 2
Causes of Dementia
Dementia occurs as a result of a person suffering from any of a number of several diseases
which affects their brains. Of importance is to remember that dementia is not a disease but rather,
is the collection of symptoms as a result of these diseases. This is because dementia is a clinical
syndrome that is severe enough to interfere with a person’s social or occupational functioning
(Chertkow, Feldman, Jacova and Massoud, 2013).
 Alzheimer’s disease
It is estimated that 60-80% of dementia cases are as a result of a person suffering from
Alzheimer’s disease (Higuera & Ellis, 2016). Some of the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s
are; experiencing difficulties in remembering recent conversations, names or events; depression as
well as apathy, which are often regarded to as the early symptoms of the disease. Symptoms that
manifest in the later stages include; impaired communication, poor judgment, changes in behavior,
disorientation, confusion, and having difficulties while swallowing, speaking, and walking. The
disease is described as slow and gradual and begins long before any symptoms emerge. The
disease affects the brain of the person and this leads to dementia.
 Vascular dementia
This occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen supply as a result of narrowing or
blocking of blood vessels. Death or damage of brain cells occur and this leads to complications
which are associated with dementia. It is estimated that this disease contributes to about 15-20%
of dementia cases (Chapman, Williams, Strine, et al, (2006). Vascular dementia has been found
to often begin with poor judgment or experiencing trouble in carrying out easy tasks such as
planning, organizing, and even making simple decisions.

4. DEMENTIA 3
 Lewy Body Dementia
This disease is caused by the presence of Lewy protein deposits within the brain and are
named after the person who discovered them. These Lewy proteins interfere with the chemical
composition of the brain, leading to alterations that cause dementia. Some of the symptoms of the
disease include; experiencing sleep disturbances, well-formed visual hallucinations, slowness, and
gait imbalance. Some of the symptoms of this disease are similar with those of Parkinson’s disease
which also affects the brain.
 Frontotemporal Dementia
This disease affects the front and side parts of the brain which are involved in the activities
of planning, social behavior, and language perception (Chapman, Williams, Strine, et al, (2006).
Abnormal proteins form clumps inside brain cells which results in their death. Some of the early
indicators of this disease are; visible changes in a person’s personality and behavior. Difficulties
with fluent speech or forgetting the meaning of words may also occur depending with the area of
the brain that has been affected.
 Mild Cognitive Impairment
This disease results in a person experiencing problems with their memory or thinking but
it is not in a level that would affect the person’s everyday life. However, Mild Cognitive
Impairment may lead to dementia. It is therefore crucial that intervention is made when this
disease is detected so as to reduce the chances that it would progress to dementia.
There are some rare causes of dementia which include; rarer causes include corticobasal
degeneration, HIV infection, progressive supranuclear palsy, Parkinson’s disease, and Creutzfeldt-
Jakob disease (CJD) (Alzheimer’s Society, 2017).

5. DEMENTIA 4
Occupational Therapy in Dementia Cases
The practitioners of occupational therapy lay a lot of emphasis on analysis of activities and
work closely with the elderly in different settings in an effort to address dementia as a condition
that has tremendous effects on their occupational performance. Occupational therapy practitioners
can offer education to family members as well as those in the early stages of dementia about its
functional implications and the effects that the condition could have on their lives. Evaluations of
persons with dementia is carried out by occupational therapists as to determine their strengths,
impairments, and the performance areas in need of intervention (Schaber & Lieberman, 2010).
Although there is no cure for dementia, the person ailing from it could exhibit improvement
in their functioning which could be through compensation or adaptation to their condition. The
role of occupational therapy practitioners also includes assisting care providers by helping them
cope with the difficult, and yet often rewarding role they play of caring for dementia patients. It is
important that the care providers for patients of dementia to be well motivated in their jobs of
caring for the dementia patients, who are unable to go about their daily activities as a result of the
condition.
Occupational therapy intervention is aimed at the improvement of the well-being of family
caregivers, delaying the admission of persons with dementia to care homes by providing them with
all they need while at home, and also to reduce the rate of institutionalisation of dementia patients.
When dementia patients are in a position to receive the care and support they require while at
home, they are better placed to receive more personalized treatment and attention than they would
if they were institutionalized (Schaber & Lieberman, 2010). Occupational therapy intervention
seeks to make this possible by equipping care givers with the knowhow and ability to care for the
dementia patients without the need of taking them to institutions or care homes.

6. DEMENTIA 5
Occupational therapy practitioners are meant to come up with ways of assisting people
with dementia to be able to live safely in their own homes for as long as possible with the help of
environmental evaluation and adaptation (Corcoran & Gitlin, 1992). Wellness programs such as
fall-prevention and caregiver educational strategies are among the functions carried out by
occupational therapists. In addition, occupational therapists are tasked with helping patients of
dementia in their long-term-care and adult day health settings, so as to be in a position of retaining
existing brain function for as long as possible.
The approaches used by occupational therapists are;
 Health Promotion: This is through focusing on the existing strengths of dementia patients
and promoting wellness of care providers.
 Remediation: The restoration of a dementia patient’s physical skills such as range of
motion, strength, and endurance, even though remediation of cognitive skills is unlikely.
 Maintenance: Occupational practitioners identify what works well in the daily routine of
the dementia patient and make efforts to ensure that the patient’s skills are maintained for
as long as possible.
 Modification: This provides the dementia patient with safe and supportive environments
through adaptation and compensation.
Conclusion
Dementia is a condition that affects the normal functioning of an individual as it affects the
parts of the brain responsible for carrying out those tasks. With the condition having no known
cure, occupational therapy serves to make it easier to deal with the condition and provide the best
care for the dementia patients.

7. DEMENTIA 6
References
Alzheimer’s Society, (2017). What is dementia? Retrieved from
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/info/20007/types_of_dementia/1/what_is_dementia/3
Berrios G.E, (1994). Dementia: Historical Overview. Springer Science Business Media
Dordrecht. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4615-
6805-6_1
Corcoran M A & Gitlin L N, (1992). Dementia Management: An Occupational Therapy Home-
Based Intervention for Caregivers. Vol. 46, 801-808. doi:10.5014/ajot.46.9.801. Retrieved
from http://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=1875310
Chapman D.P, Williams S.M, Strine T.W, Anda R.F, and Moore M.J, (2006). Dementia and Its
Implications for Public Health. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1563968/
Chertkow H, Feldman H, Jacova C and Massoud F, (2013). Definitions of dementia and
predementia states in Alzheimer's disease and vascular cognitive impairment: consensus
from the Canadian conference on diagnosis of dementia. Retrieved from
https://alzres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/alzrt198
Higuera V & Ellis E, (2016). Health line: 10 Early Symptoms of Dementia. Retrieved from
http://www.healthline.com/health/dementia/early-warning-
signs?s_con_rec=true&r=1#Overview1
Schaber, P., & Lieberman, D. (2010). Occupational therapy practice guidelines for adults with
Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press.

8. DEMENTIA 7