Dementia And Memory Loss Research Paper

Dementia and Memory Loss
Expository Essay

By: Brett Barker
Date: August 9, 2009

Dementia and Memory Loss In today’s world, there are many people that have been diagnosed with dementia or some sort of memory loss. Types of dementia include, but are not limited to, Alzheimer’s Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, Vascular Dementia, and Chronic Brain Syndrome. ”www. Alzcombo.com” Although many of us have heard a lot about dementia, we really do not understand the disease process. Even though dementia is not curable, its effects can be slowed down, if caught in time. One may question what causes dementia, however, perhaps more importantly, we should consider complications associated with the disease process, treatment options, as well as
Dementia affects the person’s daily functions. Dementia is more commonly seen in older people but is not considered a normal part of aging. Dementia usually occurs in the second half of life, often around the age sixty five. There are several causes believed to lead to dementia. For unknown reasons, it can be caused by the degeneration of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain which major functions include memory, actions, thoughts, and personality. When these brain cells die, cognitive changes can begin to appear. Other causes of dementia can also be related to various diseases, infections, strokes, head injuries, or even drug and alcohol
Dementia is very serious, because it affects the brain. Dementia can cause serious memory loss, behavioral problems, and personality changes. How does an individual with dementia think? The following is a scenario that might occur with an individual with dementia. You have a sixty eight year old woman, who loves to cook. So you ask yourself “does she really know how to cook?” and if so, does she even remember how? Depending on the severity or progression of the disease, more than likely she thinks she knows how, but really does not. The woman begins cooking, and walks away from the stove. She then forgets all about the stove being on. She starts to see smoke and flames in her home, but instead of removing herself from danger, she sits down. In this case, the lady sees the house has burst into flames and smoke, but has no idea what to do. She also has no idea of how to get out of the house. This is not good! The lady has a serious case of memory loss. Thank goodness that someone was walking by and stopped and helped the lady get out of the house! So if it were not for the person walking by, the lady could have died, all because of having memory loss and her decreased ability to process information. This scenario has a happy ending; unfortunately, this often is not the case. People with dementia (or other types of memory loss) often do not recognize when they should no longer do certain things. That is when others need to step in and help. We