Managing Alzheimer’s disease in the Elderly (Research Paper Sample)

Managing Alzheimer’s disease in the Elderly
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Managing Alzheimer’s disease in the Elderly
Aging is characterized by vulnerability to a wide range of health conditions due to declining body functioning and weakening immunity. Toughy and Jett (2018) refer to the biological theories of aging to explain the body’s natural deterioration process over time, leading to physical and mental impairment. AD accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases, making it the most common type of mental impairment (Toughy & Jett, 2018). Symptoms include memory lapses, communication difficulties, and unpredictable behaviors (Alzheimer's Disease International, 2016). In the U.S. alone, nearly 5.5 million suffer from the condition, and it is among the top five causes of US deaths. Also, the condition is irreversible with no known cure. More importantly, it has far-reaching effects on patients and their families because it leads to slow and permanent loss of memory and cognitive abilities, eventually resulting in the inability to perform daily living activities independently. This paper highlights the progression of AD in elderly persons, risk factors, prevention, and effective management to improve quality of life.
.While Alzheimer's is a normal aging condition, age is the greatest risk factor since the majority of the people with the condition are aged 65 and above. Symptoms also worsen with time as patients progressively lose their memory and cognitive abilities. However, it also affects younger people, with up to 5 percent of the people with the condition exhibiting early-onset Alzheimer's, usually in the early to late 40s. Survival for people diagnosed with Alzheimer's differs with age. For people ages over 70 years, the average survival is 4.5 years, while those aged below 70 can live up to 10 years with the condition (Alzheimer's Disease International, 2016). Currently available treatments cannot stop Alzheimer’s progress. However, they can temporarily slow symptoms and allow patients to live longer and lead better lives.
The Pathology of Alzheimer's disease
Doctors believe that damage to the brain in people with Alzheimer's begins nearly a decade before symptoms become visible. During the preclinical phase, patients may appear symptom-free. However, undetectable toxic changes are taking place, for example, abnormal protein deposits that form amyloid tau tangles in the brain, subsequently causing neurons to stop functioning due to loss of connection with other neurons (National Institute on Aging, 2016). As a result, the neurons die, leading to loss of brain functions such as memory and cognitive abilities.
Alzheimer's symptoms are initially mild and unnoticeable. However, they worsen over time as their effects become apparent, such as forgetting things and failing to carry out basic daily living activities. Besides, the symptoms may manifest themselves differently in different people, making it more difficult to detect them in some cases. A memory lapse is usually the earliest sign that of Alzheimer’s onset. For instance, people may suddenly start finding it difficult to recall recent events or learning new information due to their inability to commit new knowledge to memory (Toughy & Jett, 2018). The attribution of early symptoms to memory loss is due to damage to the brain's hippocampus, which is responsible for day-to-day memory. However, long-time memory remains unaffected in the early stages of infection.
Treatment and Management
Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's, although there are drugs for slowing down the progress of symptoms. Non-drug therapies include psychiatric treatment, which can help the patient to deal with psychological conditions like depression. However, the condition is irreversible and usually unmanageable when it gets to the advanced stage.
Prevention Strategies for Alzheimer’s in the Elderly
Toughy and Jett (2018) recommend active medical management as the best way to improve health outcomes in the elderly. This includes managing coexisting conditions and risk factors, seeking counseling services, and participating in physical activities.
Managing Risk Factors
The main lifestyle-related risk factors for AD include smoking, poor diet, and sedentary living. Moreover, elderly persons are vulnerable to physical (head) injuries, which can trigger AD due to head trauma. Smoking accelerates cerebral atrophy and the onset of white matter lesions (Toughy & Jett, 2018). Smoking cessation will minimize the risk