The effects of dementia on the mental status of people and approaches to maintaining the disease.

Dementia is a cognitive disease caused by a series of symptoms (MacGill, M., 2019). An impairment in the brain function caused by this disease leading to a decline in memory and other thinking abilities. Before a patient is diagnosed with dementia, at least two of the core mental functions must be impaired. Dementia caused the impairment of any two of the following; brain, visual perception, reasoning& judgement, communication & language, ability to focus, and pay attention (Alzheimer Society, 2019). Dementia, however, is progressive, starting from mild dementia to severe dementia types. The various types of dementia cause the kind of damages to the brain cells. Alzheimer’s, for example, is caused by an excess protein around the brain cells rendering them not very functional.

Dementia affects people in different ways, and the symptoms exhibited are occurring in three primary stages:

At the early stage, people who have dementia forget things quickly; they lose track of time, get lost in familiar places to mention a few. People who are in the middle stage regularly forget people’s names, recent events and might need help for their personal care.

As the human population increases, there is a rise in the number of dementia cases recorded. Although dementia was wrongly attached to aging, it is however recorded to occur in 1 out of 15 of 65 years old individual and 1/3 of 85 years older people. The effects of dementia are enormous to all individuals. These effects are around the sufferer from those taking care of them to co-workers and the society at large. Hence, more must be done to address the growing impact of dementia (MacGill, M., 2019)

Rather than deprive people with dementia care and support, they should have rights to freedom as well, treated like others and catered for by both families and society.

The purpose of this essay is to support the notion that more must be done to address the growing impact of dementia.

1. Quicker Reaction to the Developing of Dementia Burden

WHO (2019) reported that an estimate in 2017 shows that around fifty millions of individuals are living with dementia, and by thirteen years to come. There is also a stipulation of reaching up to 82 millions of individuals diagnosed with dementia. As the population of the people increases, there is an equivalent increase of individuals with dementia. It is needed to prepare for personal burden and dealing with the financial burden that results from this increase as well. Recently, the DRG (Dementia Research Group) discovered that little progress made on lighting the responsibility brought by dementia (WHO, 2019). Governments need to make more efforts on dementia so that it does not become overwhelming over time. The aim of the World Health Organization, for example, is to enhance the lives of individuals diagnosed with dementia, and their families. At the other hand reducing the impact of dementia on them as well as on societies and countries (ADI, 2013).

Some dementia cases are associated with problems with the outer layer of the brain known as the cerebral cortex, and this is quite alarming. Adults with this kind of dementia have difficulty with language and severe memory loss. It is not a good situation as it puts victims and those around them into distress. For this, there is no such thing as relaxing, instead direct more energy into addressing the impact of dementia (The Lancet Commission, 2018, p. 651). Governments must put many efforts if they want to mitigate the cost incurred on dementia at individuals and national levels.

Let’s take an example: Someone in a house was living with dementia and people living with him are not aware of the signs. Due to the lack of signs and symptoms, they did not show a side of responsiveness to the victim. The government should organise a campaign in other to raise the awareness and inform health and social policy to fasten the response to growing dementia burden.

2. A Global Action Has to Take Place For Dementia Since This Disease Affects A Vital Part Of The Human Body Especially The Brain.

The brain controls all other human activities, and for this reason, dementia should not be taken lightly at all. Alzheimer disease, for example, is a common type of dementia among individuals. United State of America and Netherlands spent much money on taking care of dementia patients compared to those incurred on both cancer and heart problems is much more (MacGill, M., 2019). There is a need to truly understand and accept dementia and not exclude these people from our place of living. We should note that these sufferers have a problem communicating or following up with the right conversations. They lose speeches, confidence, and may withdraw from social gatherings. With these, people should make efforts to diagnose these early, so that people who have dementia can get the best of the treatment given. Families and friends should also speak lightly and very slowly to the suffers (MacGill, M., 2019). Some dementia patients face problems such a change at the rate at which they think. Patients like this are those with dementia caused by problem beneath the cortex. Although patients under this category do not have remembrance challenges, they do not forget things and always relaxed with their language.

For example, an individual just diagnosed with dementia might experience anger, shock, disbelief, fear to mention a few. The outburst of these may trigger depression or anxiety or not adequately checked. To prevent this from happening, all hands must be on deck to make efforts towards helping dementia patients (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2019).

3. The Epidemiology And Impact Of Dementia

According to WHO (2019, May 14) In 2015, about more than 47 million people were estimated to be living with dementia. By 2030, the population would have reached about 75.63 million and 135.6 million in 2050. It shows that dementia is increasing exponentially. It should be in our mind that dementia with other cognitive impairment is the leading causes of disability, and this increases the dependence of older people on younger ones. In a patient’s journey in dementia, care is needed at the early stage of the sickness since it progresses and then intensifies before death. Society should be enlightened to embrace dementia, train staffs to take care of these patients, and the general public on how to interact with people suffering from the disease (WHO, 2019). Society know that dementia is not a disease on its own and therefore, to treat it, the underlying issues or causes are what procedure or prescription given to us. Dementia Research Group recorded that about 20% of things that caused dementia can be reversed, such as those caused by tumours, metabolic disorders, and sometimes HIV. However, society should note that some causes of dementia are some forms which are not reversible, and usually, these cases of dementia worsen over time. Forms such as those caused by Alzheimer, frontotemporal are not reversible, and these forms require people should address it more (Biomedicentral, 2016). In 2010, the government spent a total amount of 604 billion US dollars on the cases of dementia. It takes about 1% of the gross domestic income of high earning countries. Example of this was when people when neglecting the attention DRG (Dementia Research Group) was giving them to enlighten them on dementia. People show a sign of no interest in this program until they were being diagnosed by it, knowing its true. Society should embrace this program to prevent a critical situation from becoming worse.

Conclusion

The study has discussed the importance of bodies such as government and other non-governmental bodies to focus more on dementia due to various factors and reasons. Similarly, substantial efforts should be made on global level in order to help the patients of dementia, educate others of its impacts and make efforts to successfully treat the reversible forms. The research thesis has been answered through evidence regarding dementia from all over the world in terms of its impact on the lives of the individual affected, other people around them and on national economy in a broader perspective. The rate of dementia in a population is increasing geometrically and a lot must be done to embrace this situation. The major concern about the negative impacts of dementia is that it does not only affect the victim but people around them as well.  This situation is becoming critical and the fact that a lot of people are getting affected is another reason why we must all strive and focus more on this disease. However, it is important to study further the irreversible effects of dementia and further medical research is warranted in order to alleviate greater proportion of affected individuals. Similarly, further research should discuss the overall impact of dementia on global economy and recommend how much countries should spend from their gross national income (GDI) in treating dementia. The current research provides a stepping-stone for policy makers to initiate a national debate on the impacts of dementia and pass legislation in order to tackle the issue on national and global level.

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