Alzheimer's Disease: Its Effect On The Family (Research Paper Sample)

Effect Alzheimer’s on the Family Name Instructor Institution Date Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a disorder that leads to abnormal alterations in the brain mostly affecting mental abilities and the memory. Alzheimer's is classified as a disease, and not a usual aspect of aging. The patient of this diseases starts to loss memory as the first symptom. At later stages of the disease, the loss of language, reasoning ability, judgment, decision-making ability, and other crucial skills make day-to-day living a difficult situation without assistance from others, especially a family member or friend. Occasionally, but not always, changes in personality and behavior occur (Ducharme et .al, 2013). A good number of people with dementia stay in their communities. For instance, USA estimates ranges between 70% and 81%. Approximately, more than 75% of these people, care is offered by friends and family. In 2007 roughly 10 million Americans were taking care of a person with another dementia or Alzheimer's disease. The largest percentage of those family caregivers was partners, followed by youngsters and children in-law, typically female. The characteristic profile of a dementia family caregiver is an older female, middle-aged, child or spouse of the individual with dementia. In the US, more than 60% of unpaid family caregivers are daughters, wives, daughters-in-law, female relatives and granddaughters (Lu & Bludau, 2011). Though, male caregivers are also increasing in most countries. Survey conducted in 2008 showed that men made up half of family caregivers in the US, which is an increase of around 21 % from the one conducted in 1996 by the Alzheimer's Association. In the Britain, men aged above 75 are more probable than women to be taking care of their spouse. Alzheimer's disease has bigger challenges for both the patient with AD and to people who undertake caregiving responsibilities especially family members. It does not imply that there will no times of happiness, joy, companionship and shared laughter. AD often advances gradually, presenting time to adjust to the diagnosis, strategize ahead, and spend enough time together. This disease has always had a powerful effect on family members of the affected persons whether they are the children of the patient or healthy elderly spouse. Either way, the caring process puts a big burden on the custodians in the family that will initiate the most awful and wrenching emotional involvement that it is probable to imagine. It is strange for loved ones to see their husband or wife of sixty years or their father or mother vanish in their eye site even when this individual continues to breathe and live (Ducharme et .al, 2013). The manner in which close family members respond to caring for the patient entirely depends many factors such as what kind of history both family member and patient had together whether it’s a son, spouse, or daughter. Alzheimer's disease has some of the most obvious feelings caregiving and families experience is guilt, anger, grief and loss. Every family member should be assured that they are not alone when they experience such feeling (Lu & Bludau, 2011). Guilt It is quite very obvious to feel guilty for the way the people with this disease were treated in the past. This guilty emanates from the feeling of embarrassment by the patient’s odd behavior. The guilty can also be as a result of lost tempers or guilty for not wishing to be given the responsibility of caring for a person with Alzheimer’s. If the person with Alzheimer’s is taken to residential care or hospital the family members may feel guilty that they have not stayed with him at home for enough time, even though all that could be done has been completed. It is more common to feel guilty in relation to the past promises for instance when a person promised another member that he will always look after him when this cannot happen because of Alzheimer’s (Umberson & Montez, 2010). Most family caregiver often experience denial concerning the disease and its effect on close people who has been diagnosed. A family member might be optimistic that his sick mother will get better. Grief and loss Grief is a major response to loss. If close relative develops Alzheimer’s, then his family is faced with the loss of the relationship and a person they used to know. Couples caring for partners or a son, mother or father may experience grief at the sudden loss of the future that they initially planned to share together (Beinart, Weinman & Brady, 2012). It is common for family of the persons with Alzheimer’s to experience social withdrawal from activities and friends that once brought pleasure. Grief is an individual feeling and most people will experience grief differently at varied times. It will not become easier with the passing of time. Anger It is very common to feel frustrated and angry because of the responsibility to be a care giver. A family member might feel angry with others around him who does not seem to be helping out. Most family members become angry at the person with Alzheimer’s because of his difficult irritating behaviors and support services. The caregiver may be angered that no cure exists in medical facilities or anger that most people don't understand the situation. Most of the time, family members may even feel like hitting, shaking or pushing the person with the disease. Feelings of frustration, distress, annoyance, guilt and exhaustion are pretty normal. However, if a care giver feels like this, or is worried that he could lose control, it is significant to discuss his feelings with someone else like a doctor or staff members from the Alzheimer Society (Lu & Bludau, 2011). The Children and Teens With so much concentration on the person who has Alzheimer, sometimes younger members of the members receive the attention they need, or the disease is not explained clearly in a manner they can understand (Millenaar et al., 2014). A Hypothetical Example: A daughter known as Irene is taking care of her aging mother who diagnosed with Alzheimer three years ago. The mother called Martha stays alone in her flat in Brooklyn. The mother has been a widow for five years. The married daughter, has teenage children who are School-going in Westchester, is torn between her responsibilities to her mother and children and husband. The problem is that she has never gotten along well with her mother. Irene understands that her mother has dementia (Umberson & Montez, 2010). However, running down to the Bronx to assist her mother manage with her life is demanding when she has so much responsibilities of her own life to look after. Iren proposes to her mother that they move her closer to Irene’s house in Westchester for the husband and kids take and love her she completely refuses and that also infuriates Irene. Most children frequently experience many kinds of emotions when their parents or grandparents have Alzheimer’s disease. Small children may be scared that they will contract the disease or that played part in the cause of it. Adolescents may become angry if they must take care of more responsibilities or feel uncomfortable that their parents or grandparents are different (Pinquart, 2013). College-going children may be unwilling to leave home. As the disease advances to critical stages, the loved one’s needs normally tend to increase and caregiving duties will become more puzzling. At the same time, the capacity of the loved one to show gratitude for all the hard work will reduce. Family caregiving can exactly seem like an unappreciated task. For most, though, a family caregiver’s long and difficult journey includes not only problems, but also numerous rich, life-affirming prizes. Alzheimer's disease demands an appalling price, both in monetary and human terms. Alzheimer's treatment and management costs the United States an estimated between $100 billion a year. In late 1996, the federal government used 5 million on Alzheimer’s related research. Which implies, Alzheimer’s cost people 8.00 for each federal dollar used for research. Alzheimer's disease brings a financial burden on families of the people with the diseases. It is important to reassure small children that they cannot be infected with the disease from the sick. The family members should be clear about character and behavior changes. For instance, the patients with Alzheimer’s may forget things easily, such as their identity or names, and talk and do things that may shameful. Assure the patients that this is not their intentional or fault, but an effect of the disease (Umberson & Montez, 2010). Family caregivers normally see this disease advance before their eyes. It is evident that one of their additional responsibilities to monitor what’s happening with the patient daily and passes the information to the doctor that is why it's significant for the family physician and caregiver to have a steady dialogue and a better relationship. Family caregivers should frequently pass information on what signs the patient is exper...