...Issues Affecting the Aging University of Phoenix Human Development BSHS 342 February 28, 2011 There are many issues that arise when a person is aging. A person will go through mental, spiritual, physical, and financial stages in his or her life. Sometimes the body changes dramatically on the outside as well as the inside. A person cannot run as fast as they could five years ago, or turn a jump rope as he or she could a year ago. How a person takes care of his or her body would play a huge part in how it will act later in life. As a person gradually moves into the late adulthood stage, he or she may notice his or her hair is starting to get thin around the edges. He or she may notice more grey hair keep resurfacing, no matter how much he or she dye his or her hair, the grey hair seems to come back faster. Some people start getting wrinkles around the mouth and forehead. The skin seems to always be dry, no matter how much a person try to keep it moisturize, a person skin does not seem to hydrate anymore. There are a number of health issues that can arise as a person gets older. It is important to eat healthy and exercise regularly. When a person does not get enough calcium in his or her body, he or she can develop weak bones, along with blood clotting. Osteoporosis is a result from weak and porous bones. Hip fractures result in loss of independence, which happens to many seniors. Seniors eating habits decrease, and some go through a day without eating or getting...
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... deteriorating disease that attacks the brain causing diminished memory, thinking and behavior. Therefore it is imperative to know how Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed, risks and the different stages of the illness. It is an illness that is evident in a gradual decline in brain function that gets worse with time. It can affect a person’s ability to find words, finish thoughts or follow instructions. Learning about Alzheimer's disease and realizing that it is much more than memory loss can benefit the families of those with the illness. This disease is progressive and eventually leads to death. While there is no cure, it can be treated. Alzheimer’s is not a classic part of aging (What is Alzheimers, 2015). It can earnestly affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities. Those affected by Alzheimer’s live an average of eight years after the symptoms are evident. One can survive from four to twenty years, dependent on the age of the person and their health situations (What is Alzheimers, 2015). “In 2013, as many as 5 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease”(Center for Disease Control, 2015 ). There are quite a few risk factors that can increase one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (Cummings,2008). “Aging is the most powerful risk”(Cummings, 2008). Having a family history of dementia can also be a risk factor, even though it is uncommon the inherited changes have an influence on the amyloid in the brain. Elevated cholesterol, severe head injury...
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...disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is a degenerative disorder of the brain that leads to memory loss1. AD affects 5.3 million Americans and is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. There are two main forms of the disease. Familial AD affects people younger than 65, accounting for nearly 500,000 AD cases in the United States alone1. The remainder of AD cases occur in adults aged 65 and older and is classified as sporadic AD. The prevalence of AD varies among many different factors, including age, co-morbidities, genetics, and education level. There is no way to definitively diagnose AD without performing an autopsy. There is no cure for AD, however promising research and development for early detection and treatment is underway. Abstract Alzheimer’s disease was discovered in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer, a German neurologist and psychiatrist2. The disease was initially observed in a 51-year-old woman named Auguste D. Her family brought her to Dr. Alzheimer in 1901 after noticing changes in her personality and behavior. The family reported problems with memory, difficulty speaking, and impaired comprehension. Dr. Alzheimer later described Auguste as having an aggressive form of dementia, manifesting in memory, language and behavioral deficits3. Dr. Alzheimer noted many abnormal symptoms, including difficulty with speech, agitation, and confusion4. He followed her care for five years, until her death in 1906. Following her death, Dr. Alzheimer performed...
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...Alzheimer’s Disease Michael A. Smith HCS/245 May 26, 2014 Dr. Michelle Clemons Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer is a stage of dementia which ability of the brain appears to stop functioning, such as creating memory loss, judgment instability, lack emotions with reasoning and changes in behavior. This is found more common in the elderly population of people. Studies shows apparently some people over sixty-five develops forms of dementia with the increase in later years after eighty-five. The Alzheimer's disease can be found in millions of Americans and more prevalent amongst African-Americans than other races. Describing the disease This type if disease very complex and changing rapidly without much discovery concerning treatments. When the processing of some proteins experiences interference or goes wrong terribly, the development of Alzheimer disease starts to blossom. This activity caused the brain cells with space between them cluttered with toxic protein; resulting loss nerve cells in regions of the brain upon investigation by microscopes for clear venture would reveal it. Such clusters are of two forms: the ones found between cells and those inside nerve cells. The dying nerve cells communicate with neurotransmitter acetylcholine a compound that would break down an enzyme known as acetyl cholinesterase and other studies now suggests having high cholesterol and also blood pressure being too high can be contributing toward Alzheimer disease significantly...
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..."Where has Yesterday Gone" Memory loss, like old age is a condition which mankind has always reluctantly recognized and always - with resignation. Memory loses are sometimes trivial and meaningless and go unrecognized. However, when these loses are so great that a person does not know who or where they are the concerns are quite grave. Although it is realize that Alzheimer's disease destroys the brain memory function, many do not realize precisely how the memory is destroyed once one is aware of the process, it becomes faster to work forward to alleviate the destruction. "Without memory there is no knowledge to recreate or reproduce past perceptions, emotions, thoughts and actions that are so vital to live a full and functioning life. Memory is the key that unlocks doors that keep us functioning, not only mentally but physically (Corrick 32)." "Memory loss is not a sign of decay (Freedman 10)." As we get older, there is some mild impairment in our recollection of recent events, such as forgetting why one went into a room or misplacing a person's eye glasses, which even young are guilty of doing. As reported by Larry Squire, "forgetting is quite normal and usually develops in the third decade of life, and by one estimate 85 percent of the healthy elderly - those over 65--suffer some memory impairment (59)." According to Dr. Seligmann, "forgetting is the process through which information in memory becomes inaccessible, either because it is stored but is not at that time retrievable...
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...and remember their most important memories. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative, disease that affects the brain and can also profoundly affect you or someone you love. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells or neurons. The neurons slowly break their connections with other nerve cells and then begin to slowly die, resulting in memory loss, behavioral changes, and loss in thinking and language skills (About Alzheimer’s, Definition of Alzheimer’s 1). An estimated 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease and half a million Americans under the age of sixty-five have a kind of early onset dementia including Alzheimer’s disease (About Alzheimer’s, Statistics 1)....
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...Bodies and Minds Change” Aging is a process that concerns us all. The increasing armamentarium provided by molecular biology and other techniques has allowed greater understanding of some of the processes involved. Numerous definitions of aging exist; an acceptable and commonly used definition is that aging is the total of all changes an organism undergoes from its conception to its death, including development, maturation and adulthood. There are many theories about how our bodies and minds change as we age, but no matter how much research or theories have been formed, one thing remains true is that our bodies and minds does, and will, change with age and one thing can be agree upon is that the end results in all these studies is that the body and minds does go through many changes during our life time. Since the life span varies between and within species and human longevity is partially hereditary, it is clear that genetic factors, the biology of the brain, and our culture effect the function of the brain and influence the aging process ( Johnson 1993, Schacter et al. 1993, Vijg et al. 1995). Twin studies show that genetic differences account for about a quarter of the variance in adult human lifespan. While a great deal of research has focused on diseases of aging, there are only a few informative studies on the molecular biology of the aging brain. Many molecular changes are due in part to a reduction in the size of the brain, as well as loss of brain plasticity, Recent genome-wide...
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...What is Alzheimer Disease? Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in which the brain cells start to die causing memory loss and the ability to concentrate fade away. Alzheimer’s typically occurs first in the hippocampus, where we record new memories. It also attacks the cerebral cortex. Alzheimer is also characterized by reduced production of certain brain cells called the neurotransmitters which enable nerve cells to receive and send messages and help us to carry out innumerable functions both cognitive and physical. Nevertheless AD is common among people aged 65 it is not part of aging. Although there is no cure for Alzheimer disease, there are treatments that can at least positively influence the progression of the disease. Scientists now know that Alzheimer’s progresses at the spectrum disorder with three basic stages including preclinical (no signs or symptoms yet), mild cognitive impairment, (MIC) and the final stage Alzheimer dementia. At this time, doctors cannot predict with certainty which people of MIC will or will not develop the disease. The only way to know for certain that someone has AD is to examine a sample of their brain tissue after death. Alzheimer’s early stage Although every case of Alzheimer’s disease is different, experts have identified common warning sign of the brain disease. Since AD is not a normal part of aging, it is important to look for signs that might indicate Alzheimer’s disease versus simple forgetfulness, or...
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...Erikson- last three stages: Intimacy vs iso: close reciprocal connection. Not self-absorb. Emerging adult to lifelong iso..Divorce or death disruption.. Generativity vs stag: care for next generation. Raising own children or mentoring. Integrity vs despair: Erikson was 70 and decided on integrity. Personal journey from a person’s entire life in connection with society is the ultimate goal. Generativity: productive stage (7th). Art, care giving, employment. Caregiving: Kinkeeper: takes responsibility for maintaining communication among family. Sandwich Generation: middle aged adults squeezed by the needs of younger and older members of the family. Intimacy: connect with others; social convoy-family, friends, strangers who move through life with a person. Protective layer of social relation. Affects relationships with siblings and spouses. Integration of death and the acceptance of death. Maslow- top to bottom: 5.Self Actualization: need to live into someone’s full potential. Aesthetic, creative, and spiritual understanding. 4. Esteem: achievement, competence, respect from others. 3. Love and belonging: need to be loved, belong and acceptance. 2. Safety: Feel safe/secure.1. Physiological: need food, drink, shelter. Mid Life Crisis: 35-50yrs. Mostly men. Reflect back and evaluate life. Radical self-examination and transformation. Levinson study. The age 40 crucible-Gail Sheehy 1976. Characteristics of Personality: (O.C.E.A.N): “The Big Five” Openness- imaginative, artistic...
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...not understand the concept of Alzheimer’s so I decided to do some research. I found that Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia that eats away at brain cells and interferes cognitive functioning like memory transitions, learning abilities and language formation. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top death causes in the United States. Almost five million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and about five percent of people between the age of 65 to 75 and half of the people over the age of 85 suffer from Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is not a normal side effect of aging. It starts off as just mild symptoms that interfere with normal daily activities such as forgetting to put shoes on or forgetting to eat. It progresses after that and gets worse and worse until it is at its most severe stage when one must completely rely on someone else to survive. Alzheimer’s is very unpredictable and scientists do not know what causes Alzheimer’s. The number of people with Alzheimer’s is rising each day. (National center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) In 1906 a women died of a strange mental illness. Dr. Alois Alzheimer dissected her brain and started to test experiments on it. He found that the brain tissue was deteriorated with many abnormal clumps called amloid plaques and many tangles of neurons in the brain which interrupt...
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...The Devastation of Dementia: Pathophysiology and Case Study Introduction Relatively little is known about dementia, a disease which affects over 35 million people worldwide (Norton, et al., 2012). Early signs and symptoms may be confused with the “normal” aging process. Those with the disease often try to cover up their mental decline in the early stages, making early diagnosis even more difficult. Educating the medical community and the general population about the signs, symptoms and causes of dementia is an important step in seeking out a cure for this fatal disease. Dementia is a general term for a syndrome that is progressive in nature and is marked by deterioration in cognitive function that is greater than what would normally be expected. There are many types of dementia, the most common of which is Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s Disease accounts for over 60% of the cases of dementia. Vascular Dementia is the second most common form. Others include Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinsonian Dementia, and Frontotemporal Dementia. There is no cure for any type of dementia, although there are treatments that help lessen the symptoms. Dementia is a progressive disorder and always results in death, either from complications such as falls" or pneumonia or the dementia itself. The number of people with dementia worldwide is expected to reach over 115 million by the year 2050. The current cost of treating dementia is over 1.5 times that of all cancers combined (Hurd...
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...Dementia is a group of related symptoms associated with the gradual decline of the brain functioning. Dementia can affect a person’s mood, judgment, understanding, language, mental sharpness or quickness and also memory. As people get older memory loss is common because it associates within the symptoms of aging such as stress, tiredness and medications but sadly people who are in the later stages of adulthood (ages 65 onwards) are most likely to develop dementia. Dementia is considered to progress in there different stages: early, middle and later stage. In the early stage of dementia it affects an individual with small signs such as frequently forgetting the names of people and where they have placed items. Middle stage dementia becomes...
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...“Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most valuable asset you’ll ever have is your mind and what you put into it.” ~ Brain Tracy. The definition of lifelong learning is the provision or use of both formal and informal learning opportunities throughout people's lives in order to foster the continuous development and improvement of the knowledge and skills needed for employment and personal fulfilment. The literally means of lifelong learning should take place at all stages of life cycle (from the cradle to the grave) and, in more recent versions that it should be life-wide; that is embedded in all life contexts from the school to the workplace, the home and the community. Lifelong learning is viewed as strategies to create opportunity for people to learn throughout life span. Lifelong learning comprises two main aspects: the concept to comprehensively review various systems including education, in order to create a lifelong learning society; and the concept of learning at all stages of life. It is also a continuously supportive process which stimulates and empowers individuals to acquire all the knowledge, values, skills and understanding they will require throughout their lifetimes and to apply them with confidence, creativity and enjoyment in all roles, circumstances and environment (Bryce, J., Frigo, T., McKenzie, P. & Withers, G., 2000; Longworth, N. & Davies, W. K., 1996). Lifelong learning can be socially invigorating while also improving memory and cognitive...
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...The physical, intellectual, emotional and social development for each of the life stages of an individual All living things have a life cycle. Every human goes through these stages throughout their life in which changes occur. -Infancy -Childhood -Adolescence -Adulthood -Elderly Infancy After around nine months inside the mother’s womb a child is born. During the infant stage the individual is extremely dependant, the adult would have to feed, nurture and look after the infant. Infancy occurs from birth to around two or three years old. Although every individual goes through the developments, they occur at different rates. The physical developments that occur in the first two years are rather dramatic. The infant’s weight will double from birth to five months, triples by twelve months and quadruples by the age of twenty four months. During this stage the individuals length does not change as rapidly as the infant’s length at birth is already 75% of what it will be at two years old. The head grows the fastest followed by the rest of the body downwards. The brain triples in weight and size by the age of three. During the first year the child masters a number of gross motor skills. One to two months old, the individual will hold up his head, four months may involve rolling from side to side. Between seven and nine months the child may sit up without assistance begin crawling and pulling himself up to standing. Around eleven to twelve months the infant will attempt...
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...Alzheimer's Disease Introduction to Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain. It is first described by the German neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915) in 1905. This disease worsens with advancing age, although there is no evidence that it is cause by the aging process. The average life expectancy of a person with the disease is between five and ten years, but some patients today can live up to 15 years due to improvements in care and medical treatments. The cause of Alzheimer's has not been discovered yet and it cannot be possible to confirm a person has Alzheimer's until their autopsy following death. How does Alzheimer's develop What causes Alzheimer's? Well no one know exactly the development of this debilitating disease. But recent advances has produced several clues as to how it is born. Initially when we study the brain of a Alzheimer's victim, we focus on two specific areas. One is the cortex of the frontal and cerebral lobes1. The second is the hippocampus (meaning seahorses in Greek which it resembles2) which is located below the cerebral cortex and responsible for short-term memory. If we study samples of these two section, we would find three irregularities which are not found in normal brain matter. These three are called neurofibrillary tangles, neuritic plagues and granulovacuolar degeneration3. A nerve cell has numerous axons and dendrites coming out...
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