Alzheimer's Disease Health Promotion Case Study
Running Head: GENDER, CULTURE, AND DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES
Alzheimer 's Disease Health Promotion Case Study
Part 2: Gender, Culture, and Developmental Stages
February 18,1999
Gender, Culture, and Developmental Stages
Introduction
This section will discuss the impact of Alzheimer 's disease on racial, cultural, and gender variables, with the focus being on the various approaches to care of the disease. Developmental stages and tasks will be discussed for both the client and the caregiver.
Gender and Culture Alzheimer 's disease and related dementias affect all races, ethnicities and cultures equally. (Anonymous, 1998) Of people over 65 an estimated 6-10% will be affected by some form of dementia. (Hendrie, 1998) It is only in gender where we see slightly more women than men who are affected by this destructive illness. (Lautenschlager et al., 1996) The only controllable risk factor that is known at this point is cigarette smoking. In a large study in Germany smoking cigarettes doubled the risk of dementia in the older population. (Ott et al., 1998) Alzheimer 's disease patients can survive for 3-20 or more years. It is not the AD that kills the patient, rather it is diseases of aging and/or inactivity, with pneumonia being the leading cause at 70%. This is followed by heart disease, stroke, and cancer. (Thomas, Starr, & Whalley, 1997)
Cultural Differences Race, culture, religion and ethnicity all play a part in how we care for our elderly. Each family makes decisions based on background, experience, expectations, knowledge base, and economics. Most people would like to be able to care for their aging parent or spouse with as little disruption to lifestyle as possible. Alzheimer 's Disease, however, is a full time commitment, not just eight hours a day, but "24/7", as the current idiom implies, the patient needs continuous care. Sleep habits are disturbed, wandering is common, medications must be carefully controlled, safety is
Alzheimer 's Disease Health Promotion Case Study
Part 2: Gender, Culture, and Developmental Stages
February 18,1999
Gender, Culture, and Developmental Stages
Introduction
This section will discuss the impact of Alzheimer 's disease on racial, cultural, and gender variables, with the focus being on the various approaches to care of the disease. Developmental stages and tasks will be discussed for both the client and the caregiver.
Gender and Culture Alzheimer 's disease and related dementias affect all races, ethnicities and cultures equally. (Anonymous, 1998) Of people over 65 an estimated 6-10% will be affected by some form of dementia. (Hendrie, 1998) It is only in gender where we see slightly more women than men who are affected by this destructive illness. (Lautenschlager et al., 1996) The only controllable risk factor that is known at this point is cigarette smoking. In a large study in Germany smoking cigarettes doubled the risk of dementia in the older population. (Ott et al., 1998) Alzheimer 's disease patients can survive for 3-20 or more years. It is not the AD that kills the patient, rather it is diseases of aging and/or inactivity, with pneumonia being the leading cause at 70%. This is followed by heart disease, stroke, and cancer. (Thomas, Starr, & Whalley, 1997)
Cultural Differences Race, culture, religion and ethnicity all play a part in how we care for our elderly. Each family makes decisions based on background, experience, expectations, knowledge base, and economics. Most people would like to be able to care for their aging parent or spouse with as little disruption to lifestyle as possible. Alzheimer 's Disease, however, is a full time commitment, not just eight hours a day, but "24/7", as the current idiom implies, the patient needs continuous care. Sleep habits are disturbed, wandering is common, medications must be carefully controlled, safety is
References: Anonymous. (1998). About Alzheimer 's, [Internet]. Alzheimer 's Association of Greater San Francisco Bay Area [1999, February 7]. Boyd, M. (1998). Health Teaching in Nursing Practice. (3rd ed.). Stamford, Conn.: Appleton & Lange. Hendrie, H. C. (1998). Epidemiology of dementia and Alzheimer 's disease. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 6(2 Suppl 1), S3-18. Lautenschlager, N. T., Cupples, L. A., Rao, V. S., Auerbach, S. A., Becker, R., Burke, J., Chui, H., Duara, R., Foley, E. J., Glatt, S. L., Green, R. C., Jones, R., Karlinsky, H., Kukull, W. A., Kurz, A., Larson, E. B., Martelli, K., Sadovnick, A. D., Volicer, L., Waring, S. C., Growdon, J. H., & Farrer, L. A. (1996). Risk of dementia among relatives of Alzheimer 's disease patients in the MIRAGE study: What is in store for the oldest old? Neurology, 46(3), 641-650. Lipson, J., Dibble, S., Minarik, P. (Ed.). (1996). Culture and Nursing Care: A Pocket Guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco: UCSF Nursing Press. Ott, A., Slooter, A. J., Hofman, A., van Harskamp, F., Witteman, J. C., Van Broeckhoven, C., van Duijn, C. M., & Breteler, M. M. (1998). Smoking and risk of dementia and Alzheimer 's disease in a population-based cohort study: the Rotterdam Study. Lancet, 351(9119), 1840-1843. Thomas, B. M., Starr, J. M., & Whalley, L. J. (1997). Death certification in treated cases of presenile Alzheimer 's disease and vascular dementia in Scotland. Age & Ageing, 26(5), 401-406.