Introduction
Throughout the lifespan of humans, there are many changes that occur and influence physical and psychological health. Notably, people who are in their late adulthood are likely to have more medical issues because the body organs weaken with time. One of the common issues affecting senior citizens is Alzheimer’s disease, which impacts the brain. According to Smodic et al. (2019), new individuals develop the disorder every 25 seconds. Notably, the majority of those who are diagnosed with dementia in their mid-sixties develop mild symptoms which worsen as they grow older (Alzheimer’s disease, 2019). The objective of this paper is to discuss Alzheimer’s disease focusing on the problem, affected population, cultural, financial, legal, and ethical implications of the condition.
Problem Definition
Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the thinking skills, memory, and other functional abilities of the patient. It was first discovered in 1906 when Dr. Alois Alzheimer noticed some changes in the brain tissues of a female patient (Alzheimer’s disease, 2019). Currently, in developed nations, it is among the top six causes of death (Moradifard et al., 2018). Clinically, the condition results from the accumulation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular and insoluble amyloid-beta plaques in the brain. In other cases, the victim’s nerve cells and neurons disconnect and prevent messages from being transmitted.
There are significant financial, physical, emotional, and social implications of the disorder. Lin et al. (2019) state that in the United States, the disease consumes 18 billion hours, which is equivalent to $230 billion of unpaid assistance. The family of the patient may experience significant stress when their relative start to lose memory and other key functions. Managing the disease is also costly as money is needed to purchase medications and other nursing home bills. The other challenge is that the disorder affects the elderly people who are, in most cases, retired and cannot continue to work and fund their care. Worse still, legal and ethical concerns may arise and cause disagreement within the family.
Affected Population
Alzheimer’s disease affects people in their early onset of late adulthood, during which the symptoms may be mild. Genetic mutation may be responsible for senior citizens developing the disease. Specifically, those individuals who have apolipoprotein E (APOE) are more likely to have Alzheimer’s in the future (Alzheimer’s disease, 2019). The implication is that people who have close relatives such as parents or siblings with Alzheimer’s are at a higher risk of getting the disorder later in life. However, the variations or similarity of genes does not necessarily mean that the person will develop the disorder. People who have memory problems, especially with a condition referred to as mild cognitive impairment, are also at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. With regards to sex, both males and females can have the disease, but women are diagnosed with it more frequently (Moradifard et al., 2018). The disorder can also affect a person from any ethnic or racial group globally.
Cultural Implications
Culture can be described as a way of life of people in a particular society characterized by belief on specific ideas, rules, and shared meaning. Smodic et al. (2019) state that individuals always try to find meaning based on their belief systems. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and the fact that it is a lifelong condition cause people to perceive the patients as negatively different. The introduction of “otherness” and labeling of those with the condition with words such as mad person result in stigma (Lee-Fay & Purwaningrum, 2020). Depending on the traditions, different interventions such as prayers and consulting with doctors are used for the management of the disorder.
Financial, Legal, and Ethical Implications
Managing Alzheimer’s is expensive, especially in the later stages when patients become functionally dependent and may need constant professional attention. A person spends a significant amount of money on medications which help to make the prognosis slow. The other implication is that caregivers such as the children of the person suffering from the disease have to take time off their duties to care for the ailing relative; such support amounts to $230 billion (Lin et al., 2019). People without an insurance plan have to spend more money to receive good medical care. Individuals can take advantage of the illness to steal possessions, or there may be confusion about the desires of the patient. One of the ethical concerns for patients with Alzheimer’s disease arises when the patient depends on a life support machine to survive. The dilemma that the relatives face is whether the patient would prefer to die or depend on medical machines.
Interventions
One of the interventions that are required is to promote cognitive functioning since Alzheimer’s diseases affect the brain and neurons. The nursing interventions should aim at enhancing the quality of life through and retaining the functional abilities of the patient. The healthcare provider can suggest strategies that caretakers can adopt to aid the senior citizens with AD compensate for their memory loss. For example, the family members can make a routine of always introducing themselves so that the patient does not feel bad for forgetting. Moreover, written reminders can also help the person to remain active for longer. Having a timetable for doing activities such as eating, taking a shower, exercising and dressing also creates order and makes it easy for the individual with Alzheimer’s to remember.
To improve physical health, the patient should be given a proper diet and regular exercise. Other solutions are intended to reduce the chances of injury such as providing “adequate shoes according to the foot lengths and widths of subjects with AD” (López-López et al., 2020, p. 286). In addition, pharmacological solutions including antidepressant medications can be effective in managing the symptoms. For safety measures, the patient should not be allowed to walk on a slippery surface or the stairs to minimize the chances of falls. These interventions require the collaboration of both the medical personnel and the family of a patient.
Available Resources
Human resource is most important for all the intervention to be implemented. Qualified healthcare professionals can help with providing factual information about Alzheimer’s to the public. There are also medical resources such as psychotropic medications which lower the negative side effects of Financial resources and are also required in the implementation of some of the interventions. For instance, money is needed to do more tests that will lead to improved care for the patient. Other physical assets such as offices, hospitals, and laboratories may also be required for the interventions.
Intervention Cost
The patient should have insurance cover since managing the diseases can be costly. First, money is needed for psychotropic drugs and for other treatment and professional consultation. The patient may also be placed on a special diet and an exercise program which requires more money. The budget should also include renovation and repair of the house such as having carpets to make the floor fit for the patient to walk. For patients with severe symptoms, family members may be forced to transfer them to a nursing home and cater for the expenses. Overall, the cost of implementing all the interventions may be high at the start but in the long term, it will reduce the instances and complications of Alzheimer’s.
Sustainability of the Interventions
To sustain the intervention, patients should have health insurance and write a will that will guide the healthcare providers and family members concerning the treatment option that is best preferred. If the cost of paying other service providers such as gym instructors for exercise is high then the caregivers can adopt alternative ways such as taking the patient for a walk to reduce the expenses. Continuous education and the creation of awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and its consequences are needed to aid in early planning. Research is also important to help in evaluating current intervention measures and adopting other evidence-based practices.
Conclusion
Alzheimer’s disease is a serious age-related disorder affecting the brain and is common among people in their late adulthood. The patients have physical and mental symptoms that need to be continually managed, which makes it cumbersome for the caregiver. Stigma against sick person and their relatives is also common in cultures where facts about dementia are not known. The intervention should focus on enhancing the quality of life through medications, proper diet, and exercise as well as ensuring that the residential area is safe. Patients should be guided to settle legal matters such as writing the will and insurance plan soon after their diagnosis.
References
Alzheimer’s disease fact sheet. (2019). National Institute on Aging. Web.
Lee-Fay, L., & Purwaningrum, F. (2020). Negative stereotypes, fear and social distance: A systematic review of depictions of dementia in popular culture in the context of stigma. BMC Geriatrics, 20, 1−-16. Web.
Lin, P.-J., D’Cruz, B., Leech, A. A., Neumann, P. J., Aigbogun, M. S., Oberdhan, D., & Lavelle, T. A. (2019). Family and caregiver spillover effects in cost-utility analyses of Aalzheimer’s disease interventions. PharmacoEconomics, 37(4), 597−-608.
López-López, D., Grela-Fariña, M., Losa-Iglesias, M., Calvo-Lobo, C., Rodríguez-Sanz, D., Palomo-López, P., & Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo, R. (2018). Clinical aspects of foot health in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(2), 286. Web.
Moradifard, S., Hoseinbeyki, M., Ganji, S. M., & Minuchehr, Z. (2018). Analysis of microRNA and gene expression profiles in Alzheimer’s disease: A meta-analysis approach. Scientific Reports (Nature Publisher Group), 8, 1−-17.