1 Name: Zae12Mcmorrow
Unit 40-
Dementi
a Care
Assignment- Understanding dementia and supporting individuals with dementia.
Introduction
The objective of this unit is to allow learners to gain knowledge of the effects of various
forms of dementia on the well-being of the individual. The awareness of dementia and how
it affects individuals and families has increased. The health and social care sectors have been
working towards developing a person-centred approach to people with dementia services.
Thus, learners studying this unit will concentrate on the individual's needs rather than on
dementia. Initially, the many types of dementia, the common signs and potential impacts on
individuals will be addressed to learners. The variety of services available that may help
people with dementia will be explored. The diverse roles of health and social care workers
and professionals will be addressed to learners, and the variety of ways in which individuals
can be helped to preserve independence and enhance the quality of their lives.
P1- Describe types of dementia and common signs and symptoms
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What is delirium (confused state)?
Delirium, also known as a confused state, is a disorder that has resulted in 'confusion and
other irregularities in thought and actions, including changes in vision, focus, mood and level
of activity.' (Helpguide.org, 2020). Many people who suffer from Delirium are male
individuals who live with dementia. This is another disorder that could 'easily go
unrecognized even by healthcare professionals because many of the symptoms are shared
by delirium and dementia.' (Anon, 2020) Many people with Delirium have the following
warning signs:
Slurred speech and language difficulties, talking that doesn’t make sense
Sudden onset over hours to days
Hallucinations
Confusion and disorientation, not aware of correct time or place
What is depression?
Depression is a condition that is seen a lot in older people that can often go undetected and
untreated. In certain cases, symptoms of depression in older people vary from those of
depression in younger adults, for example, an elderly person may experience symptoms that
are more physical symptoms and increased anxiety or agitation' (Dementia UK, 2020).
Another symptom they can encounter is sleep disruption, which is a very common symptom
(Dementia UK, 2020). Most people who have depression at this age have the following
symptoms:
Loss of interest in socialising or hobbies
Tend to have the feelings of feeling hopeless or helpless
Have Unexplained or aggravated aches and pains
Constantly feeling Sadness or feelings of despair
What is dementia?
Dementia is a collection of symptoms caused by damage to the brain, not a specific disease.
The signs and symptoms include memory loss, alterations in mood and confusion. Dementia
is caused by a series of brain diseases. The predominant types of dementia are:
Alzheimer’s disease
Vascular dementia
Pick’s disease (FTD)
Huntington’s disease
Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease (CJD)
Who can get dementia?
Dementia may be developed by anyone; it is
not confined to sex, age, gender, ethnicity or
background. However, it is statistically more
likely to be developed by certain groups.
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Women are more likely to develop it than men, for instance. People with learning
disabilities may have a greater genetic chance of having learning disabilities. People from
black and minority ethnic groups also have higher rates of early onset dementia than other
groups.
Above I denied and mentioned the signs of dementia, depression, and confessional state,
I'm now going to look at the main differences between them. There are a few when talking
about variations between confused state and dementia, but the majority of the symptoms
are the same. One aspect is that there is more 'abrupt uncertainty in the delirium (confused
state) over days or weeks, and it constitutes a sudden shift from the person's previous
course of dementia.' (Anon, 2020) In relation to the confusion that they encounter will
'fluctuate through the day, at times dramatically' (Anon, 2020). One truly distinctive
symptom that distinguishes the two is the lack of commitment to what this means is that
the 'person simply cannot concentrate on one idea or task' (Anon, 2020).
Alzheimer’s disease
A physical disease that affects the brain is Alzheimer's
disease. It is named after the physician who first
identified it, Alois Alzheimer. The brain is made up of
billions of interconnecting nerve cells therefore,
connections are lost between these cells in Alzheimer's
disease. Proteins then build up and form irregular
structures called 'plaques' and 'tangles' because of this.
Nerve cells gradually die and brain tissue is lost. There
are three major Alzheimer's disease stages that I'm
going to talk about.
Early symptoms:
When looking at the earlier symptoms, 'memory lapses
are the key symptom of Alzheimer's disease,' but
sometimes there are signs of mood changes, such as increasing anxiety or frustration, or
periods of confusion.' (nhs.uk, 2020)
Middle-stage symptoms:
As Alzheimer's disease progresses, their memory begins to determinate in comparison to a
person who may find it increasingly difficult to recall the names of people they know and
may fail to recognise their family and friends (nhs.uk, 2020) they may also experience the
following:
Experience disturbed sleep
Increasing confusion and disorientation – for example, getting lost and not knowing
what time of day it is
Would find it hard to perform spatial tasks, such as judging distances
Having hallucinations
