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Sunday, October 17, 2010

Types of Services Needed for Caregivers - 2

By : Lamiaa Moustafa Elbosaty

Community Nursing Staff:

-         Community sister "district nurse". she provides nursing service for the sick elderly people at their own home.

Health visitors: They are specialized in care of elderly people. They also play a valuable role with regard to the following: Giving advice counseling, educating, identifying needs and liaisoning with other services.

-         Community psychiatric nurses: They support the patients and their carers as well as monitor progress and detect any deterioration (Bushy, 2002).

3: Allied Health Professional:

They provide an invaluable service to the elderly. They include: Physiotherapists, rehabilitation therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and pharmacologists (Lund & Wright, 2001).

4: Geriatricians:

These are consultant doctors who are specialized in the diseases and problems of aging and who are responsible for geriatric departments. They make home visits to advice in treatment.

5: Social Workers:

They can provide the vital link between the elderly person and the availability of any of the local services. The social worker is usually the key to obtaining extra financial help for an elderly person (Lund & Wright, 2001).

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Types of Services Needed for Caregivers

By : Lamiaa Moustafa Elbosaty

1- Multidisciplinary team:

          Effective teamwork is essential for effective care. The range of physical, psychological and social problems become so complex with elderly people so that no one discipline can work effectively in isolation. It consists of a professional who has training in gerontology, social work, nursing, or counseling. They are able to assist families in assessing their individual needs and arranging services in –home and/or in the community. They are able to review legal, financial, and medical documents and make referrals to appropriate people in the community, also they provide counseling and education and knowledgeable about various community resources to best assist demented persons' family (Beck et al., 2000).

Thursday, October 14, 2010

COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES

By : Lamiaa Moustafa Elbosaty

Many families care for their elders with very little outside support and a lack of awareness of existing social programs. Family caregivers are often so isolated from support systems that they are not aware such support is needed until they become exhausted (Swanson & Carnahan, 2007).

Family persons providing care for the patient with dementia should familiarize themselves with services offered by community agencies. Some of these services are geared to meet the patient's need, while other addresses the need of the family caregivers. The availability of these services will vary from community to community, as will costs and funding sources (Gauglar, et al., 2003).

An estimated 10 million American needed long-term care in 2000 (Rogers & Komisar, 2003). Most but not all persons in need of long-term care are elderly. Approximately 63% are persons aged 65 and older, the remaining 37% are 64 years of age and younger (Gibson & Writer, 2008). By 2050, the number of individuals using paid long-term care services in any setting (e.g., at home, residential care such as assisted living, or skilled nursing facilities) will likely double from the 13 million using services in 2000, to 27 million people, this estimate is influenced by growth in the population of older people in need of care (USDHHS & US  Department of Labor, 2003).

In Egypt, the healthcare systems have largely ignored the needs of the elderly, there are only sporadic programmes to care for the elderly, mainly initiated by the community or within the private sector. Those above 65 years old represent 4.4% of  Egypt's population, and there are 34 old people's homes for over a million elderly people and some of these homes have waiting lists of over 1000 persons (Okasha, 2004).

The long term care differs from other types of health care in that the goal of long term care is not to cure an illness, but to allow an individual to attain and maintain an optimal level of functioning. Its income passes a wide area of medical, social, person, and supportive and specialized housing services needed by individuals who have lost some capacity for self-care because of a chronic illness or disabling condition (Schulz & Matire, 2004).

The number of dementia people residing within the community is steadily increasing. Community services can alleviate the burden experienced by families, but are used infrequently by family of demented persons. Older and less educated caregivers had higher levels of uncertainly about service availability. Depressed caregivers were less likely to know about service availability (Collins et al., 2001).

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease

By : Lamiaa Moustafa Elbosaty

Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer's Disease:

Alzheimer's Association (2008) provides this warning signs of Alzheimer's disease to allow early detection of the patients, it includes the following:

1- Recent memory loss:  It's normally to occasionally forget an assignment, deadline, or friends' name, but frequent forgetfulness, our unexplainable confusion at home or in the work place may signal problems.

2- Difficulty performing familiar tasks: Busy people frequently get distracted, for example, you might leave something on the stove too long or not remember to serve part of a meal. People with Alzheimer's disease might prepare a meal and not only forget to serve it, but forget they made it.

3- Problems with language: Everyone has trouble finding the right word sometimes, but person with Alzheimer's may forget simple words or substitute inappropriate words, making his or her sentences difficult to  understand.      

4- Disorientation of time and place: It's normal to momentarily forget the day of the week or what you need from the stove. But people with Alzheimer's disease can become lost on their own street, not knowing where they are, how they get there or how to get home.

5- Poor or decreased judgment: Choosing not to bring a sweater or coat along on a chilly night is a common mistake. A person with Alzheimer's, however, may dress inappropriately in more noticeable ways, wearing a bathrobe to the stove or several blouses on a hot day.

6- Problems with abstract thinking: Balancing a check book can be challenging for many people, but for someone with Alzheimer's, recognizing numbers or performing basic calculations may be impossible.

7- Misplacing things: Everyone temporarily misplaces a wallet or keys from time to time. A person with Alzheimer's disease may put these and other items in inappropriate place – such as an iron in the freezer, or a wrist watch in the sugar bowl, then not recall how they got there.

8- Changes in mode or behavior: Everyone experiences a broad range of emotions, it is part of being human. People with Alzheimer's tend to exhibit more rapid mood swings for no apparent reason.

9- Changes in personality: People personalities may change somewhat as they age. But a person with Alzheimer's can change dramatically, either suddenly or over a period of time. Someone who is generally easy going may become angry, suspicious or fearful.

10- Loss of initiative: It's normal to tire of house work, business activities, or social obligations, but most people retain eventually regain their interest. The person with Alzheimer's may remain disinterested and uninvolved in many or all her/his usual pursuits.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Types of Dementia -7

By : Lamiaa Moustafa Elbosaty

Dementia due to Pick's Disease: The onset of Pick's disease is between 40 and 60 years of age; it occurs slightly more in men, usually those with first degree relative with the illness. Although the cause is unknown, genetic factors are suspected (Sadock & Sadock, 2003). Pick's disease is another degenerative cognitive disorder that resembles Alzheimer's disease in its clinical picture that in several instances it is only at autopsy that differentiation can take place. General microscopic findings include atrophy of the front temporal regions of the brain, in contrast to the more parietal-temporal distribution in Alzheimer's disease (Arciniegas & Dubovsky, 2001). The victims of this disorder have less disorientation and memory loss than those with Alzheimer's disease and more personality changes, including loss of social constraints (resulting in frequent behavioral problems) (Mohr, 2006).

- Dementia due to Vitamin B12 Deficiency: The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with dementia varies significantly, but the incidence of reversible vitamin B12 deficiency as the primary etiology is probably less than one percent. Cognitive deficits may include poor spatial coping skills, diminished episodic memory, and impaired abstract thinking (Whyte et al., 2002).

Friday, September 24, 2010

DEMENTIA

By : Lamiaa Moustafa Elbosaty

A. Definitions:

Dementia is defined as a change in mental status that caused by physical changes in the brain, it is usually a chronic condition that progresses slowly and is not reversible. Dementia is frequently associated with the elderly, and is often incorrectly assumed to be a part of the aging process. Actually, many elderly people retain their intellectual functioning into their eighties and nineties. Important factors determining whether dementia will occur are genetic predisposition, family history, nutritional status and general level of health (Barry, 2002).

According to Judith et al. (2005), dementia is a progressive impairment of cognitive functions occurring in clear consciousness (that is, in the absence of delirium). Dementia consists of a variety of symptoms that suggest chronic and widespread dysfunction. Global impairment of intellect is the essential feature, manifested as difficulty with memory, attention, thinking, and comprehension. Other mental functions may often be affected, including mood, personality and social behavior. The symptoms result in significant impairment in social or occupational functional and they represent a significant decline from a previous level of functioning.

While the Alzheimer's Association (2006), defined dementia as a  progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person's memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carryout daily activities. As dementia progresses, many also experience change in  personality and behavior, such as anxiety, agitation, and hallucinations.