Article 1: Alzheimer’s Disease.
The article basically talks about various facts about the disease including; its epidemiology, risk factors, diagnostic criteria, mode of presentation, management and treatment procedures and prevention measurers. The disease is identified as the most prevalent form of cognitive degeneration with a high prevalence especially among those individuals aged 85 years and over. Age, gender, medical history, genetics and race are identified as some of the risk factors associated with the disease whereby it is found to be more common among older women of Caucasian origin with a history of vascular disease and injuries to the head. The major presentations of the disease are mainly associated with loss of cognitive ability and neural damage. The management plan for the disease should involve care for the patient as well as provision of support for the care givers. According to the article there are various treatment options for Alzheimer’s including the use of drugs. In addition, the article identifies a healthy lifestyle as the key to preventing Alzheimer’s disease (Patient.co.uk, 2011).
The article is relevant to the topic because it is highly informative in as far as understanding the basics of the disease is concerned. It provides the details required in order to be able to understand what the disease is all about and how it manifests itself as well as the measures to be taken in order to treat or prevent it. The information in this article would be very useful once incorporated in the teaching plan and especially at the beginning of the program in order to create awareness about the problem.
Article 2: Caring for People with Alzheimer’s Disease.
The article talks about some of the challenges associated with providing care to patients with Alzheimer’s disease as well as the different approaches to follow to ensure provision of effective care to patients. The final stages of the disease progression are observed as to be the most challenging to the patients, the care givers in health institutions as well as the families of the patients. This is because Alzheimer’s patients at this stage mostly full-time supervision and care. In addition the financial burden is also higher as the patients require hospitalization and special care as well as expensive drugs especially for dealing with severe pain. The article identifies advance care planning as the most important step in ensuring that Alzheimer’s patients face their end-of-life phase with more ease (NIH, 2012).
This article is relevant in that it provides the guidelines for ensuring efficient care to patients especially those in their last days of life. This can be realized by use of new and better approaches to patient care. It prepares people in advance for major changes in their lives and the need to prepare early both emotionally and financially. In the teaching plan, this information can be incorporated by encouraging the participants to plan in advance in order to avoid any inconveniences and ensure a smooth transition of life for patients.
Article 3: The Invisible Victims of Alzheimer’s Disease: Family Caregivers.
The article highlights on the impact of the disease on the whole community in general and especially the immediate family members. The author narrates her own personal experience on how she had to abandon her schooling to be able to support her parents due to the disease. The article indicates that family caregivers to Alzheimer’s are prone to suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to carrying a heavy financial burden. The writer observes the need to involve family caregivers in the health care systems as they play a major role. The article in addition outlines the different roles that the different members of the community must play in order to reduce the burden of the disease on the family caregiver (Sterling, 2013).
The information is relevant to the topic in that family members are most affected by the disease and it is important in as far as managing the disease is concerned, these individuals are given the support they require from members of the community. This will ensure that they play their role with more ease. This information can be incorporated in the teaching plan by encouraging all members of the community to play their respective roles in making care-giving more bearable for the family caregiver.
References
NIH. (2012). Caring for People with Alzheimer’s Disease: Retrieved from. http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/2011-2012-alzheimers-disease-progress- report/caring-people-alzheimers-disease
Patient.co.uk. (2011). Alzheimer’s Disease: Retrieved from. http://www.patient.co.uk/education/alzheimers-disease
Sterling, M. A. (2013). The Invisible Victims of Alzheimer’s Disease: Family Caregivers: Retrieved from. http://www.leadcoalition.org/2013/07/the-invisible-victims-of- alzheimers-disease-family-caregivers/
