Dementia Needs, Types and Treatments

Dementia Needs, Types and Treatments Specific needs of the older person INTRODUCTION MAIN BODY Dementia is a term used to describe symptoms such as loss of memory, language, motor skills, judgment and other intellectual functions caused by permanent damage or death of the brains nerve cells. (Alzheimer’s foundation of America, 2014) Most dementias are reversible. Reversible dementias are caused by nutritional deficiencies or infection or from a bleed on the brain or the side effect of a medication; the symptoms of these dementias can be stopped or reversed as long as the underlying causes can be treated. Dementia consists of 3 stages: Early stage (difficulty concentrating, poor orientation, decreased memory, withdrawal from friends and family, poor socializing skills and denial of their symptoms) This stage usually lasts up to two years. Mid stage (major memory loss, client needs help carrying out their activities of daily living (ADLS), they can lose control of their bowels or bladder, ability to speak declines, agitation occurs, compulsions or anxiety) This stage lasts up to two and a half years. Late stage (people in this stage lose the ability to communicate or speak, they need assistance with nearly all their ADLS, they often lose the ability to walk) This stage usually lasts up to two and a half years. There are many types of dementia but I have listed the four major ones below and have given the physiological and psychological changes that occur for the older person with these dementias. Type of Dementia Physiological Psychological Client’s needs Alzheimer’s Problems with speaking. Decreased judgement. Difficulty solving problems or puzzles. Disorientation in familiar surroundings. Depression. Psychosis. Agitation. Sleep disorder. Resistance to care. Memory loss. Assess and reverse agitation factors. Memory therapy. Language therapy. Vascular Difficulty finding the right words. Confusion and disorientation. Aggressiveness. Memory loss. Depression. Slowness of taught. Hallucinations. Memory therapy. Speech therapy. Lewy body Confusion followed by alertness. Tremors. Shuffling gait. Rigidity. Fainting-loss of consciousness. Hallucinations in touch and feelings. Visual hallucinations. Sleep disorder. Aggression. Depression. Speech therapy. Physical therapy which includes gait training. Front temporal Language comprehension declines. Tongue tie occurs. Ability to read or write is impaired. Lack of co-ordination. Shaking. Balance problems. Eye twitching. Muscle spasms and rigidity. Inability to relate to people. Personality changes. Speech therapy. As a carer it is very important to understand the Lewy body dementia disease and its symptoms so that the appropriate treatments can be implemented. The carer should also act as an advocate to ensure the client with dementia Due to word limitations I will only be discussing Lewy body dementia in detail below. LEWY BODY DEMENTIA In the early 1900s scientist FREIDERICK H. LEWY discovered that the brains activities was disrupted by deposits of abnormal protein while he was researching Parkinson’s disease. The Lewy body proteins were found in the brain stem where they kill off the neurotransmitter Dopamine causing symptoms similar to Parkinson’s symptoms. In Lewy body dementia other areas of the brain are affected by these proteins and that is what creates the difference between both Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia. When the protein attacks the brain chemical acetylcholine it causes the client to suffer disruption in their thinking, behaviour and perception. Lewy body dementia can be its own disease or it could act in conjunction with brain changes in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This is why Lewy body disease can be miss diagnosed and the client ends up been told they have Parkinson’s disease instead. When diagnosing Lewy body dementia an experienced member of the multidisciplinary team should carry out a diagnostic evaluation of the client. This evaluation should include both physical and neurological examinations. The client should also be examined on their language skills, memory skills and their functioning skills. The client’s family should also be interviewed as they might have noticed changes in the client which would be helpful in their diagnosis. The client should also undergo a MRI or CT scan to determine what areas of the brain are affected. Blood tests may also help in the client’s clinical diagnosis. Lewy body dementia can only be conclusively diagnosed when the client has passed, through a post-mortem autopsy. Unfortunately there is no known cure for Lewy body dementia and treatment only relieves symptoms. People live up to seven years with the disease but some have lived up to twenty years with the disease. Medication is not always the best option for clients with Lewy body because what works with one client might not work for another client. It is also important to know that clients with Lewy body are extremely sensitive and may react negatively to medication. If using medication then there are different medications for the different symptoms. Cognitive symptoms Cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon, and Raza dyne) are used as they are drugs that increase the level of acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine is a chemical which helps in memory and learning functions. These were developed to treat Alzheimer’s clients but it has been discovered they work better on Lewy body clients. Movement symptoms Levodopa is a drug which is also used on Parkinson’s clients. This medication is only used if the symptoms are severe. Visual hallucinations Antipsychotic medication (haloperidol) which are tranquillizers that block the dopamine receptors in the brain are used but only if the hallucinations are upsetting or disruptive as the side effects can be severe. Rem sleep behaviour disorder Melatonin or clonazepam medication can be used and have been proven to be very effective. â€Å"50% of clients with lewy body dementia who are treated with any antipsychotic medication may experience severe neuroleptic sensitivity, such as worsening cognition, heavy sedation, increased or possibly irreversible parkinsonism, or symptoms resembling neuroleptic malignant syndrome which can be fatal.† (Lewy body dementia association, 2014) Non-medical treatments Speech therapy This may help the client with their voice volume. It is also helpful in clients who have swallowing difficulties and may improve their facial muscular strength. Physical therapy This includes strengthening, flexibility and cardiovascular exercises as well as gait training. Occupational therapy This may help the client in promoting his independence and maintain their skills. Individual and family therapy This can be useful in managing emotional and behavioural symptoms and help with any concerns the family might have for the future. Support groups These are helpful for the client and the carers as they can help in day to day frustrations and provide emotional support for all.

Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism

Born in Florence, Italy having American parents, the most flourishing portrait painter during his time John Singer Sargent becomes a part of an exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, through his eye-catching landscapes and masterpieces. During his time, the world of art is dominated by Cubism, Fauvism and Impressionism.However, John Sargent accomplished his masterpieces through his own form of Realism. His skills, as well as his form, were honed under the tutelage of Emile Auguste Carolus-Duran in Paris from 1874 to 1878, after studying rigorously in both Italy and Germany. John Sargent’s paternal grandfather was a Spanish descent and he carefully studied the paintings in the Prado during an extended residency in Madrid from 1866 to 1868 (Boone, 117).Constantly the internationalist, John Sargent journeyed by train from Paris to Madrid, and he was in the Prado by October 14, and the several of copies that he completed, such as the painting of a dwarf then credited to V elasquez and a detail of Velasquez’s â€Å"Las bilanderas† in 1879, recommends or advocates a stay of just more than one month. Sargent also has several collections of photographs after Velasquez’, â€Å"Don Antonio el ingles† and â€Å"Las Bilanderas†.In addition to this, he also had â€Å"The Surrender of Breda†, â€Å"the Forge of Vulcan† and â€Å"Las meninas†, which he stored or set aside in a scrapbook. These photographs served as souvenirs from his trip as well as reference material for his study of art history, and motivation for fresh works of art (Boone, 280).John Singer Sargent is fond of life. John Sargent finds the the people portrayed rather than the setting to be exotic. His love for life, as well as being a painter, can be observed in some of his masterpieces such as in â€Å"Dolce Far Niente† and â€Å"The Sketchers†.â€Å"The Sketchers† (1856-1925) is John Sargent’s 22 by 28 inches masterpiece which uses oil on canvas as medium. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was able to acquire this artwork through the help of Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund, in the year 1958. In â€Å"The Sketchers†, there is an interplay of light and dark or chiaroscuro which can be instantly recognized.The left side of the painting shows scuro (dark), while the right side shows chiaro (light). The chiaro can be observed through the shadows and darker shade or hue of colors used through the trees and on the left side of the white umbrella. In addition to this, the background â€Å"sky† on the left side is darker as compared to that on the left side. These darker shades or shadows are results of the light from a source which can be observed to be coming from the right side of the painting.

Bamana Ci-Wara Headdress

Before visiting the museum, my teacher in African History class taught us the basic concept about Chi-ware. According to Professor Russ, there are three types of masks associated with Chi-ware namely; the vertical style which represents the East, the horizontal style which represents the West, and the composite style which represent the South. An addition, Chi-ware can be male or female. Notably, a female Chi-ware mask can be noticed by the presence of a baby antelope and straight horns on it. On the other hand, male Chi-ware mask is recognized by bent horns and a phallus.Moreover, a Chi-ware mask is used in the initiation in the society as it is used in agriculture and as costume in dancing. Furthermore, the mask is used to teach young Bamana men for social values and agricultural techniques . On the day we visited the gallery of Spurlock Museum: Africa section: Champion Cultivators of the Land, I discovered that I missed a lot of information. In the museum, there were various masks , paintings, sculptures, and pots. The specific sculpture of Bamana Chi-Wara Headdress called my attention. The sculpture was also labelled Mali or Guinea, ca.19th-20th c. Wood pigment; it is Gift of Drs. Albert V. and Marguerite Carozzi. 1990. 10. 0014. Sinificantly, in Bamana society, the term Chi-ware, pronounced as â€Å"Chee wah-rah† indicates a man who is champion cultivator and the social organization through which he attains that distinction. Upon examining at the sculpture of Chi-ware, I noticed that the size was bigger that what I expected. The size was approximately 50cm x 30cm. According to our professor, Mr. Rush, a Chi-ware can be easily recognized whether it is a male or female.However, it was quite a difficulty for me. But them, I looked closely at the Chi-ware and fugured that it is a male one because it has no baby back on the body. Moreover, the Chi-ware looked like a Roan Antelope with an almost human face attached. The bottom the body is also elongated an d short legged which represents the aardvark. Furthermore, Bamana is carved with texture and is polished smoothly with palm oils. I learned more about Ch-i-ware in didactic label. In didactic label, Ci-wara is said to be a mythical being, half man and half animal, and the son of Muso Koroni.Meanwhile, Muso Koroni is the mother of all living things and the matron of agriculture. After teaching humans to farm, Ci-Wara became offended at their laziness. So, he dug a hole with his great claws and buried himself. According to the myth, men carved a mask in the memory of Chi-ware and used it as a trophy in farming contests to encourage the young and able-bodied men to exert greater efforts in farming. Eventually, Chi-ware then became the name of the Banana masquerade society devoted to the development of manhood and social responsibility.More importantly, Chi-ware was said to be the mother of tall living things and matron agriculture. The didactic explanation about Chi-ware led me realize that a Chi-ware headdress is used i honoring the mythical antelope that introduced and brought agriculture to the Bamana people of Mali. But I consider interesting the part of the story where Chi-wara was offended at people’s laziness and dug a hole where he buried himself. To sum up, the visit to the Spurlock Museum: Africa section: Champion Cultivators of the Land is fun. It is so because it was my very first time to personally encounter a Chi-ware.In addition, I was so happy that I had acttually seen what was discussed to us in class about Chi-ware. Moreover, I learned more anout the hidden story about Chi-ware and its importance in the present day. Today, the people wear the Chi-ware when they dance as a symbol of hope for a greater crop for the year. Although Chi-ware has been considered merely as a mask, the Mali people consider it as a valuable thing as they use it when they pray and celebrate. Thus, the visit to the museum is not only interesting but also educational .

Book Summary, Notes, and Study Guide for Frankenstein

Frankenstein  was originally written by English author,  Mary Shelley (1797- 1851). Its complete title is  Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus. It was first published anonymously in London on January 1, 1818. The second edition, under Shelleys name, was published in 1823.  A third  edition,  which included  a preface by Shelley and tribute to her late husband  who drowned in 1822, was published in 1831.  The book is a  Gothic novel  and  has also been called the first  science fiction  novel.   Author Mary Shelley was born in London August 30, 1797. She  developed the story of Frankenstein while on a summer trip to Switzerland in 1816  when she was twenty years old and  was traveling with her then married lover, Romantic poet  Percy Bysshe Shelley.   The story arose out of a competition between herself, Percy Shelley and their companions, Lord Byron and Byrons physician, John William Polidori, to write a tale about a supernatural occurrence. Mary initially struggled with an idea, but eventually, through listening to conversations between Percy and Lord Byron about attempts to reanimate corpses, current news stories, a dream, her imagination and own life experiences, a story emerged. According to Francine Prose, author of the introduction to a new illustrated  Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, in the New Republic: One night, still puzzling over Byron’s assignment and trying to sleep, Mary had a vision in which she saw â€Å"the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life and stir with an uneasy, half-vital motion.† She lay awake, trying to imagine a story that would frighten the reader as much as she had been frightened, then realized that she had found it. â€Å"What terrified me will terrify others; and I need only describe the spectre which had haunted my midnight pillow. On the morrow I announced that I had thought of a story,† and set herself to making â€Å"a transcript of the grim terrors of my waking dream.†Ã‚   The book,  Frankenstein, was completed almost a year after their trip to Switzerland. Shortly after the  trip to Switzerland, Percy Shelleys pregnant wife committed suicide. Mary and Percy married soon thereafter, in 1818, but Marys life was marked by death and tragedy. Marys half-sister committed suicide soon after the trip to Switzerland, and Mary and Percy had three children who died in infancy before Percy Florence was born in 1819.   Setting The story begins in the icy northern waters where a captain is traveling to the North Pole. Events take place throughout Europe, in Scotland, England, and Switzerland. Characters Victor Frankenstein: The Swiss chemist who creates the monster. Robert Walton: The sea captain who rescues Victor from the ice. The Monster: The ugly creation of Frankenstein, who searches for companionship and love throughout the story. William: Victors brother. The monster murders William to punish Victor and sets the stage for more tragedy and torment for Victor. Justine Moritz: Adopted and loved by the Frankenstein family, Justine was convicted and executed for killing William. Plot Rescued by the sea captain, Frankenstein relays events that begin as he pieces together a man using old body parts. Once he manages to create the horrible being, however, Frankenstein regrets his action immediately and flees his home. When he returns, he finds the monster is gone. Shortly after, Frankenstein hears that his brother has been murdered. A series of tragic events follow as the monster searches for love  and Frankenstein suffers the consequences of his immoral act. Structure The novel is a frame story with a three-part structure. The Creatures story is the core of the novel, which is presented to us framed by Victor Frankensteins story, which in turn is framed by Robert Waltons narrative. Possible Themes This book raises many compelling themes and thought-provoking questions and is as relevant today as it was two-hundred years ago. The search for love reflects a strong theme in Shelleys own life. The monster knows he is horrid and will never be loved, although he attempts to find love several times. He is constantly rejected and disappointed. Frankenstein, himself, searches for happiness through love, but he meets with the tragic loss of several loves. Mary Shelley was the daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft, who was an early feminist.  Tragic, weak, women are portrayed in the story -- Frankenstein actually begins to make a second female monster, to provide companionship for his own first creation, but he then destroys it and dumps the remains in a lake; Frankensteins wife dies tragically, as does the accused Justine—but is this because Shelley actually believes women are weak or does their subjugation and absence send a different message? Perhaps it is because female autonomy and power are perceived as a threat to the male characters. Without the presence and influence of women, everything that is important to Frankenstein is destroyed in the end. The novel also speaks to the  nature of good and evil, what it means  to be human  and to  live morally.  Ã‚  It  confronts us with our  existential fears  and  explores the boundary between life and death. It causes us  to reflect on the limits and  responsibilities of scientists  and scientific inquiry, and to think about what it means  to play God, addressing human emotion and hubris. Resources and Further Reading How Frankensteins Monster Became Human, The New Republic,  https://newrepublic.com/article/134271/frankensteins-monster-became-human Its Alive! The Birth of Frankenstein,  National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/magazine/2017/07-08/birth_of_Frankenstein_Mary_Shelley/ Monstrosity and Feminism in Frankenstein, Electrastreet, https://electrastreet.net/2014/11/monstrosity-and-feminism-in-frankenstein/