Alzheimer’s Disease – A Case Study

Running head: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE – A CASE STUDY
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE – A CASE STUDY
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ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE – A CASE STUDY
Alzheimer’s diseases can be defined as neurological disorders that affect people usually
over 65 years of age. This disorder is characterized by death of the cells in the brain. This
disorder results in loss of memory as well as decline in cognitive abilities (Prince et al. 2016).
The assignment will mainly portray the causes, sign, symptoms, and recovery interventions of
the disorder. This will be done by linking the case study of Dennis with the different aspects of
the disorders and how care can be planned for him for his effective treatment.
Alzheimer’s disease is mainly observed in aging individuals, mainly those who have
crossed 65 years of age. This is mainly a neurodegenerative disorder where there is progressive
death of brain cells over a course of time. The total size of the brain shrinks gradually until a
condition reaches where the brain tissue possesses progressively fewer number of nerve cells and
connections. In such conditions, the brain is seen to have plaques. Plaques are usually found
between the dying cells of the brain (Koivisto et al. 2016). A build up of protein called beta-
amyloid takes place which result in the formation of plaques that lay between the brain cells.
Another protein also disintegrates called the tau that results in formation of tangles among the
brain neurons. These interfere with the ability of the neurons to communicate with each other
that in turn results in destruction of the nerve cells. Overtime, it spreads to grey matter affecting
neural functions and cognitive abilities (Olsen et al. 2016). Age is seen to be the greatest factor
in the development of this disorder. With the aging of Dennis, he was gradually being affected
by the disorders. With the passing of days, more neuronal destruction had taken place in his brain
due to plaque and tangle formation. All these had resulted him in reaching an advanced stage of
Alzheimer is where most of the cognitive abilities had been lost.
Several signs and symptoms had been noticed in the case of Dennis that shows that he
was suffering from Alzheimer disorder. The first symptom of Dennis that shows that he was

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ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE – A CASE STUDY
suffering from Alzheimer’s disorder is his loss of memory that is disrupting his daily life. In case
of Dennis, it is seen that he has forgotten his identity and has started crying for her mother. He
had forgotten that his mother and wife had passed away and could never come back. This loss of
memory ensured that he was suffering from the disease. Patients with such disorder also face
challenges in planning as well as in solving problems (Mace and Rabens 2017). The same had
been seen in case of Dennis where he had not been able to properly solve his puzzles. He used to
love solving puzzles and crosswords when he was young. However, as he had got older and had
been affected by the disorder, his capability to solve puzzles and crosswords had diminished and
he feels confused now. Moreover, another symptom of the disorder is that patients tend to
confuse time and place. A similar scenario was observed where once, he had been found
wandering on the road and could not come back to his residential home. Another issue that
patients in this disorder also experience is withdrawal from work and social activities (Chen et al.
2016). Once, Dennis used to have a very active social life with his wife but onset of this disorder
had made him unsocial. In most of the times, he remains in a state of confusion and lucidity. He
is also seen to shout and scream obscenities that are never done by socially active people as it is
against social norms. Another symptom is that people suffering from this disorder also have
frequent changes in mood and personality (Dewing and Djik 2016). Dennis is also seen to show
different sort of reactions where sometimes he starts crying when he is called for food or he
becomes upset for his condition and become morose. Sometimes he gets disappointed and starts
shouting and screaming. All these symptoms ensure that Dennis was suffering from advanced
stage of Alzheimer disease.
The nursing interventions provided for Dennis should be person centered. The
interventions should be provided depending upon the different requirement of the patients.