Treatment & Care of Alzheimer's Disease Patients

This paper examines how culture and ethnicity influence the recognition, treatment and care of Alzheimer's Disease patients. The paper begins with an overview of the basic nature of the disease, emphasizing its diagnosis, treatment, and care aspects. This is followed by an examination of how culture and ethnicity affect the recognition or diagnosis, treatment, and care given to patients living with Alzheimer's Disease. The paper ends with the presentation of a series of conclusions formulated on the basis of the reviewed material.

Alzheimer's Disease (AZ) is a form of dementia involving a progressive impairment of intellectual functions, most especially the memory (Ott, 2002). Symptoms can vary; however, Sabat (2001) states that they most frequently are associated with short-term memory loss as well as a general tendency to: forget basic information such as names, and telephone numbers; get lost in familiar places; misplace things more often than normal; lose the train of thought during conversations; repeat oneself; be overly cautious of others; and lose interest in various activities that were once enjoyed. There can also be difficulties with decision making.

According to Peterson (2003), there are two basic types of Alzheimer's Disease. The first is associated with early onset in which symptoms appear before age 65 years. Peterson notes that this type is frequently associated with heredity. Early onset is rare, accounting for only five

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ences were found in the amount of time either group waited before seeking care. However, it was noted that for Korean Americans who were living with their family, they were more impaired than those living alone, indicating that the cultural familial patterns and modes of behavior associated with Korean families may prolong the amount of time they wait before seeking treatment. Watari and Gatz (2004) also found that once treatment was provided, Korean Americans had a much more difficult time in complying with treatment due to problems associated with acculturation and help-seeking attitudes. If they were familiar with the disease, compliance was higher. This lead the authors to conclude that one strategy that might be very helpful in terms of both help seeking behavior and treatment compliance might be some form of pubic education given to older groups of people about dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. Such a strategy could make a big difference for the Korean community in particular but could also help other groups with similar patterns. Part of ensuring that AZ patients receive the proper treatment is knowing when and where to place them. At some point, most families will decide that their loved ones with AZ can best receive

Category: Medical - T