Effects of Alzheimer for Elderly People in the USA - Essay Example

Main Effects of Alzheimer for Elderly People in the United s of America Mohammed Bahusayn Minnesota Mankato The report discusses the main effects of Alzheimer’s disease for the elderly people in the USA. The disease is the most common form of dementia. The introduction of the report contains background information about the disease as well as the basic characteristics of the disease. The methodology comprises of the findings of the report and their interpretation. The structures of questionnaires, biomeasures and interviews used for the study are explained and elaborated on. The results section explains the results of the study after the questionnaires, biomeasures and interviews have been assessed. The results also explain the various findings of the study as related to the possible factors that contributed to the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease: use of anesthetics, neurotic personalities or an inability to handle and manage stress, the occurrence of obesity, incidence of depression, and physical inactivity. The discussion gives detailed effects that the disease brings to the people as well as their complications. Finally, the conclusion gives the recommendations and additional information concerning the management of the disease. Introduction The problem of the research relates to the people affected by the disease and at what age. The effects the disease creates on the affected individuals, the economy, and the government. In recent years, over 5 million Americans were suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. After attaining the age of 60, most people started to show symptoms of the disease. This could mean that the risk of being infected increases with age. Younger individuals could also get the disease, but on rare occasions. It is important for people to determine their risk factors, in order to prevent themselves from acquiring the disease. This is because other researchers project that the number of infections could rise significantly in the future (Wimo & prince, 2010). Thesis statement The paper shows that age is the main risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. The prevalence of the disease is analyzed and its fatality rate. The disease affects the caregivers psychologically. It is costly for the government to provide medication and treatment services to the infected person. The disease infects a large number of older women as compared to men. The paper discusses the physical effects of the disease in the elderly. Background information Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain in a progressive manner. It could be fatal for the cells of the brain. It interferes with the memory capacity of the brain and affects the normal thinking of a person. If the affected person manages the disease, they could control it. The disease has no cure, but its symptoms are curable. The use of questionnaires was one of the methods of data collection. They provided information on the physical and mental health of the respondent. Another method of collection of data was the use of bio measures (Katzman, 2000). They provided the relationship between age and the different stages of the disease. Methods Questionnaires This research methodology provided both qualitative and quantitative data. Older people from the age of 60 and their carers filled out a questionnaire on the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. It was determined that the response from both parties would reflect actual evidence from their perspective. Published research literature and other reports complemented the factual aspect of the gathered evidence. The materials provided information about the symptoms, effects, and recommendations to patients. The recommendation informed the patients on proper management of the disease. Out of the sent 2000 questionnaires, 1500 people managed to fill out their responses. They suggested that the main effect of the disease for older people was memory loss, physical instability, and death. Eighty percent of the respondents represented the elderly people, while eighteen percent represented their carers’ view. Two percent of the respondents did not fill out the questionnaire as expected. The greatest percentage of the infected individuals was that of women. Bio measures and interviews This new methodology gives appropriate information about the way life and health connects to the age factor. Multimodal study examines the interaction of Alzheimer’s disease with an increase in an individual’s age. Field staff was hired that aided in the collection of bio measures. They completed one thousand personal interviews for people between the age of fifty-five and ninety-five. The respondents acted as a representative sample of adults that either had shown the symptoms of the disease or were already suffering from it. The interviews conducted limited the respondents to the use of the English language. The bio measures determined the progressive change in the effects of the disease with age. Most of the affected individuals proved that the symptoms developed into serious conditions as time passed by. For instance, if the level of memory loss was at a lower rate when the individual was younger, the situation changed with time. The memory loss, increased at higher rates with aging and the individuals could take time to recall close relatives. Data in relation to the cost incurred by the government in caring for the patients was available in the library. The researchers accessed the data for comparison purposes on the costs incurred by patients who suffer from other diseases (Shriver, Skelton, Fethering, & Hickey, 2011). Results The graph above shows the general relationship of the Alzheimer’s disease with the age factor. The pervasiveness of the disease increases with age, as shown. This means that it has severe effects in infected people as they become older. Most of the affected people are above the age of sixty-five. The disease affects more women than men. Its effects could lead to more deaths in the future. This is because it is among the largest killer diseases in the USA. Caregivers suffer psychological effects due to the burden imposed when taking care of the sick (Mace & Rabins, 2007). The condition is the most costly for the government of the USA. Almost one dollar in every five spent on medical care goes to patients with Alzheimer’s disease. It has been found out from the results of this study that 1000 out of 1500 respondents had admitted to having had frequent hospitalization and surgeries. The anesthetics may have contributed to the Alzheimer’s disease. When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease and its effects on the elderly, Bittner, Yue and Xie (2011) state that one of the possible reasons for the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease is the presence of general anesthetics administered to the patient during a prior operation. These anesthetics may actually be neurotoxic to both young and aging brains. The evidence for this claim comes from both in vitro and in vivo studies with cells, experimental rodents as well as nonhuman primates. Moreover, whereas the relationship between anesthesia and neurotoxicity is not clearly established in the elderly, there is a definitive link between these two variables among humans in general. Furthermore, the authors Bittner et al. (2011) found out that “the brain becomes especially vulnerable to the effects of neurotoxins at the extremes of age,” and such neurotoxins may come from anesthetics. Moreover, neurotoxins may have the following effects on the human brain: reduced neurogenesis and synaptogenesis, loss of neurons, and the accumulation of toxic byproducts that can obviously potentially harm the central nervous system. From these aforementioned descriptive findings of experiments, one can see that Alzheimer’s disease may actually not exactly occur among the elderly unless they are constantly exposed to anesthetics. However, sometimes, this is quite unavoidable as the elderly would usually have frequent hospitalizations as they age, thus their exposure to anesthetics is more or less guaranteed. This in turn causes neurotoxicity that may translate as Alzheimer’s disease later on. It has also been found out that those with neurotic personalities tend to have a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease since 1200 out of 1500 admitted to being unable to handle stress. Duberstein et al. (2011) concluded that it is personality that determines the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease. According to the researchers, those more prone to Alzheimer’s disease in patients with the following personality characteristics: “elevated Neuroticism, lower Openness, and lower Conscientiousness.” The term “elevated Neuroticism” refers to people with a personality that lends them the “tendency to experience distress and anxiety, along with difficulty managing stress and controlling impulses” (Duberstein et al., 2011). Moreover, those with “lower Openness” or those who are not necessarily open to new experience and those who do not have “an interest in the pursuit of novelty – ideas, art, fantasy, emotions, and sensations” are most likely to experience Alzheimer’s disease later on (Duberstein et al., 2011). Lastly, those who have “lower Conscientiousness” or those who are not able to “plan ahead, delay gratification, and work steadfastly toward attaining goals” (Duberstein et al., 2011). These focused and task-oriented people also generally live long (Duberstein et al., 2011). Thus, if one wants to reduce the chances of acquiring Alzheimer’s disease in old age, one has to reduce neurotic characteristics and to learn how to manage stress. One should also maintain a great interest in and passion about new things and sensations. One should also learn how to delay gratification and be able to control his or her emotions in various situations. From the respondents, 1345 out of 1500 were obese or fat in appearance, and this must have also contributed to the Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, according to Luchsinger et al. (2012), Alzheimer’s disease is also related to obesity, and vice-versa. It has been shown in the study of Luchsinger et al. (2012) that Alzheimer’s disease is related to the occurrence of type 2 diabetes, cholesterol and stroke. High risks related to cardiovascular and similar diseases may actually contribute to the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease. This simply means that if one wants to avoid Alzheimer’s disease later on, then he or she must avoid factors that lead to obesity and cardiovascular diseases. There are various other factors that somehow contribute to the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease among the elderly. In the study 1400 out of 1500 admitted to having depression, and 1346 out of 1500 admitted to having sedentary lifestyles, and these must have helped bring about Alzheimer’s disease. Barnes (2011) concluded that, aside from obesity, certain factors like diabetes, mid-life hypertension, depression, smoking, physical inactivity and low educational attainment may all positively contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, the fact that one has depression is a high predictor of Alzheimer’s disease. Those with history of depression may actually have a twofold risk of acquiring dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Nevertheless, treatment of the depression cannot possibly guarantee a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Still, Barnes (2011) reiterated that, aside from depression, one other very good predictor of Alzheimer’s disease later on in life is physical inactivity. This is based on a study of sedentary elders who began exercise programs and ended up having better improvements in cognitive function and their speed of mental processing. Although there is no study yet that can determine which possible exercise can actually lower or delay the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease, there is a degree of possibility for exercise in general to contribute to general health and well-being, which naturally includes prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Discussion Mortality More than half a million people over the age of sixty-five lose their lives due to Alzheimer’s disease. It is the sixth largest killer disease in the United States of America. It is so dangerous than a combination of two cancer types. In recent years, the disease has shown an increase in the number of deaths it has caused. This is in comparison to other diseases where the number of deaths they caused decreased. The disease is neither curable nor preventable, but can be managed through the care of support givers (Davenhill, 2007). Focus on women Women are the most vulnerable when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease infections. They are at a high risk, such that one in every six elderly women has the disease. This could be due to estrogen hormones that the women possess. Most of the caregivers in hospitals and health centers are women. This makes them more vulnerable to psychological effects associated with the disease (Davenhill, 2007). Effects on caregivers Relatives volunteer to care of individuals within the family who suffer from the disease. The relatives abandon their jobs and businesses to provide care and support to their patients. This creates negative effects to the economy because the country loses a lot of Gross Domestic Product. The care providers experience adverse psychological effects, as they have to sacrifice their finances and time to support their own patients. They acquire emotional stress and some of them report cases of depression (Davenhill, 2007) Prevalence About five million American citizens have the Alzheimer’s disease. A huge part of the number is comprised of the elderly people above the age of sixty-five. Researchers have projected that the number of new infections would rise in the future. This is because medical lab technicians have not been able to determine a particular cure or vaccine for the disease. If not, well managed, the number of individuals with the disease would rise significantly (Davenhill, 2007). Governmental support The management of the disease by the government is the most costly condition. The USA government could use over two hundred million dollars to fund patients, mostly elderly, with the disease. A fifth of the total budget of the country goes into the diseases’ kitty. This becomes a burden to the taxpayer as most of the taxes they pay for management of the disease. The government could use such amounts for other development projects in the country. Family members of the patient have to incur high insurance costs, as the premiums paid are high (Davenhill, 2007). Physical effects The patients who suffer from the disease show signs of memory loss. They get difficulties whenever required to recall particular information. They also find difficulties in the performance of familiar tasks. They perform such tasks in their everyday life, but do not perform the tasks in a similar manner. The elderly persons who suffer from the disease could show some form of disorientation due to an increase in poor judgmental ability. Some of the patients may show changes in personality due to a constant behavioral change. They experience some loss in the initiative, where they remain in a particular position until someone else moves them (Davenhill, 2007). The elderly who have Alzheimer’s disease usually suffer from other diseases and may in fact aggravate the physical symptoms of such diseases and conditions. Based on the ideas presented earlier, the presence of clinical depression can actually increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease (Barnes, 2011). The reason for this has something to do with the cognitive capabilities of a person, which are actually reduced in function and level of performance if one is clinically depressed. In the same way, those with a sedentary lifestyle will naturally have a physiological, not to mention a neurological, environment that can eventually bring about Alzheimer’s disease (Barnes, 2011). Anything that contributes to the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease will soon be magnified or even done at a greater degree or frequency as Alzheimer’s disease itself progresses. Lastly, since Alzheimer’s disease is connected with obesity, then the progression of Alzheimer’s disease may actually mean the worsening of obesity itself. The fact that one is obese may actually mean that he has a low level of self-esteem and perhaps some inner mental stress that needs to be managed but which the child cannot appropriately or totally handle by himself. Thus, obesity in a person with Alzheimer’s disease may actually predispose that person to further weight gain (Luchsinger et al., 2012). Conclusion and Recommendations Age and genetic factors are the main causes of Alzheimer’s disease. Management of the risk factors of the disease could start from individuals getting knowledge about the disease. The disease does not have cure, but it is manageable. People should be aware of the effects of the disease through. Informative campaigns should help in ensuring that there is the creation of awareness about the disease. There are individuals who are at a higher risk of acquiring the disease. Such individuals, especially people who are over sixty-five years of age, should ensure that they undergo regular checkups. Such scrutiny would ensure that there is early detection of the symptoms of the disease for quick treatment. There is psychological torture experienced by the caregivers. Non-governmental organizations need to hold regular seminars and workshops to encourage the caregivers (Bellenir, 2008). The government incurs many expenses in ensuring that the elderly individuals who suffer from the disease receive support. It needs to conduct a study on the various ways it could formulate the budget. This is because the budget needs to accommodate all sectors of the economy and provide support to every needy citizen. The disease is more prevalent among women than in men. Women should be able to determine their risk factors. They need to find ways and means to reduce their risk levels. The disease causes several effects to the elderly persons. The health facilities should develop programs that aid the patients’ recovery from the disease. Caregivers should have good remuneration in order to encourage them to perform their duties. References Alzheimer disease: a handbook for Alberta caregivers. (1993). Calgary: Alzheimer Association of Alberta. Barnes, D. E. (2011). The Projected Impact of Risk Factor Reduction on Alzheimer’s Disease. Lancet Neurology, 10(9), 819-828. Bellenir, K. (2008). Alzheimer disease sourcebook: basic consumer health information about Alzheimer disease, other dementias, and related disorders ... (4th ed.). Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics. Bittner, E. A., Yue, Y. & Xie, Z. (2011). Brief review: Anesthetic neurotoxicity in the elderly, cognitive dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease. Canadian Journal of Anesthesiology, 58, 216-223. Davenhill, R. (2007). Looking into later life a psychoanalytic approach to depression and dementia in old age. London: Karnac. Duberstein, P. R., Chapman, B. P., Tindle, H. A., Sink, K. M., Bamonti, P., Robbins, J., Jerant, A. F. & Franks, P. (2011). Personality and Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease in Adults 72 Years of Age and Older: A Six-Year Follow-Up. Psychology and Aging, 26(2), 351-362. Katzman, R. (2000). Alzheimer disease the changing view. San Diego: Academic Press. Luchsinger, J. A., Cheng, D., Tang, M. X., Schupf, N. & Mayeux, R. (2012). Central obesity in the elderly is related to late onset Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Disease and Associated Disorders, 26(2), 101-105. Mace, N. L., Rabins, P. V.. (2006). The 36-hour day: a family guide to caring for people with Alzheimer disease, other dementias, and memory loss in later life (4th ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Shriver, M., Skelton, K., Fetherling, D., & Hickey, M. (2011). Alzheimers in America: the Shriver report on women and Alzheimers : a study. New York: Free Press. Wimo, A., & Prince, M. (2010). World alzheimer report 2010 the global economic impact of dementia. London, UK: Alzheimers Disease International. Appendices Lahiri, D. (2004). Preface: Developments in Understanding of Alzheimer Disease. Current Alzheimer Research, 1(4), ii-ii. Read More