Contemporary Issues on Health: Causes, Implications, and Policies

Contemporary Issues on Health 1
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES ON HEALTH
by [NAME]
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Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Case Study.......................................................................................................................................4
Issues................................................................................................................................................6
A critical discussion of the issues raised in the case study..........................................................6
Prevalence................................................................................................................................6
Causes......................................................................................................................................7
Theories and Concepts.............................................................................................................8
Ethical Issues and Principles...................................................................................................9
Criticality...............................................................................................................................10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12
References......................................................................................................................................13

Contemporary Issues on Health 3
Introduction
This essay aims to discuss the causes of dementia and its implications. A case study of a
confident Mr Davis is presented to understand the issues and its relevance. Also, a detailed
review of the prevalence, ethical issues and critical analysis of the government and social
policies and regulations associated with dementia are conducted.
Mental health is one critical part of a sustainable society. It is an issue that affects people
of all ages. Mental illness is something which must be handled with care and sincerity, yet most
of us don't know how to treat mentally ill patients. In 2014 a survey of Adult Psychiatric
Morbidity reported 17% of the surveyed suffering from a mental disorder and out of that 37% of
them were actually under treatment. The most common forms of mental issues faced by the
society are depression, anxiety, panic attack and dementia (The King's Fund, 2018). Other rare
types of mental disorders are schizophrenia, kleptomania etcetera. Mental health is also an issue
for new mothers and pregnant women, or those who suffered miscarriage and loss. The effects of
mental health are far and wide as it leads to risky behaviours, such as drug abuse, physical
violence, suicide and murder. It is thus essential to understand the conditions and causes of the
illness and the ethical implications towards its treatment. Also, a brief understanding of the
policies that safeguard these patients and the society is crucial to make a critical analysis.
Dementia is a form of brain disease that leads to loss of memory and decreases a person's
ability to remember, and identify people or comprehend things. Dementia takes a toll on the life
activities of a person as they slowly lose purpose, motivation and will towards life. Dementia is a
total of symptoms that indicate forgetfulness, unable to communicate and understand language,
unable to focus and loss of reasoning and thinking capacity. The common form f dementia is
Alzheimer's which affects the elderly. Stroke causes vascular dementia. Other causes of dementia

Contemporary Issues on Health 4
could be accidents, thyroid problems and vitamin deficiency. These types of dementia are mostly
curable whereas, cases of Alzheimer's worsen with time. Dementia generally consists of three
stages through which the patient goes through. The early stage comprises of loss in memory and
difficulty faced in planning. The intermediate stage shows more significant loss of memory short
term and long term and difficulty in reasoning. It is advisable not to leave such patients alone. In
the ultimate stage, a dementia patient needs external care and guidance from caretakers and
family to live their life. Such patients are prone to accidents and erratic behaviours (Siddique,
2018).
Dementia has been one of the most critical issues of mental health in the United
Kingdom. With the population on the rise and high life expectancy, there have been a rising
number of dementia cases in the country. Among these Alzheimer’s has been the most common
contributing factor. A report by the NHS England shows that 676,000 people in England and
850,000 people in the UK have dementia. Out of these, the majority of the patients fall under the
65years and above age bar, however, a significant number of the youth have also been
diagnosed. But figures have also shown that the risk of developing dementia in each age group is
falling significantly, wing to the preventive strategies and treatments. It is found that in the
present UK spends over £23bn a year for dementia (England, 2018). It is estimated that 1.2
million people will have dementia by 2040 and thus it is essential that the country accumulates
enough funding and support. This assignment aims to discuss the causes of dementia and its
implications. A case study of a confident Mr Davis is discussed to understand the issue and its
relevance. Also, a detailed review of the prevalence, ethical issues and a critical analysis of the
government and social policies and regulations associated with dementia are conducted.
Case Study