Older People People With Dementia
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Memory loss is an example. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease. It’s an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.
Symptoms and signs of dementia
While symptoms of dementia can vary greatly, at least two of the following core mental functions must be significantly impaired to be considered dementia:
Memory
Communication and language
Ability to focus and pay attention
Reasoning and judgment
Visual perception
Many dementias are progressive, meaning symptoms start out slowly and gradually get worse. Loss of memory for recent events is a common early sign. Some people at the middle stage become very easily upset, angry or aggressive – perhaps because they are feeling frustrated – or they may lose their confidence and become very clingy. At the last stage, the person may also become increasingly frail. They may start to shuffle or walk unsteadily, eventually becoming confined to bed or a wheelchair.
Impacts
As a carer, we are likely to experience a range of very different, and often quite extreme, feelings. Some feelings commonly experienced by carers of people with dementia include distress, frustration, guilt, grief and loss, exhaustion, annoyance, frustration and anger. Some of the most common feelings families and caregivers experience are guilt, grief and loss, and anger. And for the clients themselves they may suffer the stresses from the society and the people around them
The consequences of the people with dementia in relation to individual:
People living with dementias often have mental health problems — especially depression and anxiety disorders — as well as dementia. Memories they have always relied on become hazy and uncertain. Knowledge and skills cultivated over a lifetime diminish. Relationships change or are lost. People with dementia can become deeply sad, fearful and/or angry. Sometimes their behavior becomes a challenge for people who care for them.
The consequences of the people with dementia in relation to the family
The family of the people with dementia will find it is very hard to care for the patient. And they may feel distress, frustration, guilt, grief and loss, exhaustion, annoyance, frustration and anger. They are facing lots of problems with the patient. They will have the very heavy stress from the caring process and the society or the people around them. So it is important to inform the patient`s family how it is going on when the carers are caring for the patient.
The consequences of the people with dementia in relation to the carers
As a carer, we are likely to experience a range of very different, and often quite extreme, feelings. Some feelings commonly experienced by carers of people with dementia include distress, frustration, guilt, grief and loss, exhaustion, annoyance, frustration and anger. Caregivers face many obstacles as they balance caregiving with other demands, including child rearing, career, and relationships. They are at increased risk for burden, stress, depression, and a variety of other health complications, the effects on caregivers are diverse and complex, and there are many other factors that may exacerbate or ameliorate how caregivers react and feel as a result of their role. Numerous studies report that caring for a person with dementia is more stressful than caring for a person with a physical disability.
The way to reduce the stresses for the individual, family and carers.
For all of those 3 kinds of people, they can get help from relax, they are supposed to have the Quality sleep and rest, Quality relationships. They need to be Feeling safe and secure. And the sense of connection to the family and community should be nice. For the carers themselves, they have to learn how to enjoy themselves and get rid of stress. Individuals and families can be both informed the treating process and the good things. They will be getting better when they get encouragement.
The diverse dynamics of the family:
Each family member may act differently in response to coping with an individual with dementia. Some family members may feel resentful or angry while others cope by seeking support and information. And others may simply fall into a place of denial and avoid the situation.
Caring for a family member or friend with dementia can be both a very rewarding and challenging experience. It can also be very physically, emotionally and financially demanding and affect our lifestyle and life choices
As a dementia progresses, the need for caring and supporting is increasing. It is that carers take the time to look after themselves and to respond to their own needs and emotions
Caring for someone with dementia impacts every aspect of daily life. As a patient loses one`s ability after another, caregivers face tests of stamina, problem-solving, and resiliency. During this long and difficult journey, communication diminishes, rewards decrease, and without strong support, caretakers face challenges to their own well-being. Maintaining emotional and physical fitness is crucial. Preparing and protecting yourself, working to understand your loved one`s experience, and embracing help from others can minimize the hazards and enhance the joys of your caregiving experience.
The code of rights for the people living with dementia:
People with dementia and their carers have the right to be provided with accessible information and the support they require in order to enable them to exercise their right to participate in decisions which affect them.
People with dementia and their carers have the right to live as independently as possible with access to recreational, leisure and cultural life in their community.
People with dementia and their carers have the right to full participation in care needs assessment, planning, deciding and arranging care, support and treatment, including advanced decision making.
People with dementia and their carers have the right to be assisted to participate in the formulation and implementation of policies that affect their well-being and the exercise of their human rights.
People with dementia and their carers have the right to be able to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms in every part of their daily lives and wherever they are, including full respect for their dignity, beliefs, individual circumstances and privacy.
Public and private bodies, voluntary organisations and individuals responsible for the care and treatment of persons with dementia should be held accountable for the respect, protection and fulfilment of their human rights and adequate steps should be adopted to ensure this is the case.
People with dementia and their carers have the right to be free from discrimination based on any grounds such as age, disability, gender, race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, social or other status.
People with dementia have the right to have access to appropriate levels of care providing protection, rehabilitation and encouragement.
People with dementia have the right to help to attain and maintain maximum independence, physical, mental, social and vocational ability, and full inclusion and participation in all aspects of life.
People with dementia and their carers have the right to access to opportunities for community education and lifelong learning.
People with dementia have the right to access to social and legal services to enhance their autonomy, protection and care.
People with dementia have the right to health and social care services provided by professionals and staff who have had appropriate training on dementia and human rights to ensure the highest quality of service.
People with multiple impairments
Multiple disabilities are a disability category under IDEA. Children with multiple disabilities have two or more disabling conditions that affect learning or other important life functions. To qualify for special education services under this category, both of the student’s disorders must be so significant that her educational needs could not be met in programs that are designed to address one of the disabilities alone.
Symptoms and signs of multiple impairments
People with severe or multiple disabilities may exhibit a wide range of characteristics, depending on the combination and severity of disabilities, and the person’s age. There are, however, some traits they may share, including:
Limited speech or communication;
Difficulty in basic physical mobility;
Tendency to forget skills through disuse;
Trouble generalizing skills from one situation to another; and/or
A need for support in major life activities (e.g., domestic, leisure, community use, vocational).
It is a cross-classification of disabilities that involves significant physical, sensory, intellectual, and/or social-interpersonal performance differences. The need for extensive services and supports is evident in all environmental settings.
Impacts
For the clients themselves, they may be suffered the Discrimination from others, they may have the pressure on themselves, so there should be a positive person to care them. And for their family, they are going to have a long-term pressure from the society and they may have some problems with the finance.
The consequences of the People with multiple impairments in relation to individual:
For the clients themselves, they may be suffered the Discrimination from others, there are multiple stresses on this client because they have more than one kind of impairment. There should be a positive person to care them. Support and encourage them to have a good mood in order to let them getting heal. People with multiple impairments can become deeply sad, fearful and/or angry. Sometimes their behavior becomes a challenge for people who care for them.
The consequences of the People with multiple impairments in relation to their family:
The family of the people with multiple impairments will find it is very hard to care for the patient. And they may feel distress, frustration, guilt, grief and loss, exhaustion, annoyance, frustration and anger. They are facing lots of problems with the patient. They will have the very heavy stress from the caring process and the society or the people around them. So it is important to comfort the family while caring the client.
The consequences of the people with multiple impairments in relation to the carers
As a carer, we are likely to experience a range of very different, and often quite extreme, feelings. Some feelings commonly experienced by carers of people with multiple impairments include distress, frustration, guilt, grief and loss, exhaustion, annoyance, frustration and anger. They are at increased risk for burden, stress, depression, and a variety of other health complications, the effects on caregivers are diverse and complex, and there are many other factors that may exacerbate or ameliorate how caregivers react and feel as a result of their role. So the caregivers are supposed to relax and do not take it so hard, they need to find some ways to decompress
The way to reduce the stresses for the individual, family and carers.
For all of those 3 kinds of people, they can get help from relax, they are supposed to have the Quality sleep and rest, Quality relationships. They need to be Feeling safe and secure. And the sense of connection to the family and community should be nice. For the carers themselves, they have to learn how to enjoy themselves and get rid of stress. Individuals and families can be both informed the treating process and the good things. They will be getting better when they get encouragement.
The diverse dynamics of the family:
Different family may act differently in response to coping with an individual with multiple impairments. Some family member may feel resentful or angry while others cope by seeking support and information. And others may simply fall into a place of denial and avoid the situation. Caring for a family member or friend with multiple impairments can be both a very rewarding and challenging experience. It can also be very physically, emotionally and financially demanding and affect our lifestyle and life choices
Caring for someone with multiple impairments impacts every aspect of daily life. As a patient loses one`s ability after another, caregivers face tests of stamina, problem-solving, and resiliency. During this long and difficult journey, communication diminishes, rewards decrease, and without strong support, caretakers face challenges to their own well-being. Maintaining emotional and physical fitness is crucial. Preparing and protecting yourself, working to understand your loved one`s experience, and embracing help from others can minimize the hazards and enhance the joys of your caregiving experience.
The code of rights for the people living with multiple impairments:
The people with multiple impairments should always be treated with respect, including respect for your culture, values, beliefs and personal privacy.
No-one should discriminate against the people with multiple impairments or push you into doing something or making a decision that you are not comfortable with.
The care for the people with multiple impairments and treatment let you live a dignified, independent life.
the people with multiple impairments have the right to be listened to, understood and receive information in whatever way you need. Where possible, an interpreter should be provided if you need one.
It is your decision whether to go ahead with treatments or not and the people with multiple impairments are able to change yourthe mind at any time.
In most situations, the people with multiple impairments can have a support person of the choice with the people with multiple impairments if he/she wish.
