Dementia Risks in Indigenous Australians

This assignment discusses the high risk of dementia among Indigenous Australians, with 13% of total deaths attributed to the condition. They are 1.2 times more prone to have high blood pressure and 44% have vascular dementia, which increases the risk of death at old age. Poor access to healthcare, unhealthy living conditions, and lack of social culture contribute to this alarming rate.

HEALTH & ILLNESS IN THE OLDER PERSON
1. Identification of specific health risk in older adult Australian First
Peoples
Older people are more likely to catch illnesses due to various risks associated with their
health. In Australia, it has been seen that dementia is the most common risk found in the
older adult population of the first peoples. Dementia is mostly present in male Indigenous
Australians, as compared to other Australians and starts from the age of 45 to 50 years.
Dementia generally causes people to forget about certain moments in their life. It is one of
many reasons why there is a huge gap in their life expectancy. They have poor access to
proper health care services that can help cure conditions of dementia. This is because they
live in remote areas that do not have hospitals or good medical facilities. Dementia is
caused by head injuries, high blood pressure, cholesterol and obesity. Family history,
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are the main factors that lead to dementia risks in
Australian first peoples. This generally rises at the age of 55 years in men and women. It is
one of the leading causes of death in old people and most commonly in Indigenous
Australians.
3. Summary of analysis of dementia in Australian first peoples
The study of dementia in Australian first peoples has shown that they are more
vulnerable towards this health risk due to various factors that first include, a
unhealthy lifestyle of Indigenous Australians. This creates a high chance of
risk towards dementia related diseases. Their diet does not include proper
consumption of fruits and vegetables, and they take in foods that are likely to
increase brain problems. There has been an incline in the rate of deaths due to
dementia in Australian first peoples and it is significantly higher than other
Australians. There have been many cases of dementia in hospitals and
treatments were not given on time. This is because patients do not regularly
visit their doctors, mainly due to the lack of healthcare facilities in areas where
they live. The socio-economic and psychosocial factors play a big role in
health risks of Indigenous Australians as well. They are not aware about their
environment and the harmful risks associated with it. Therefore, Australian
first peoples show high rates of diseases regarding dementia by the age of 55
years and it is the leading cause of their death.
2. Information about dementia
13% of total deaths in Indigenous Australian was because of dementia. They have double
the chances of risks as compared to other Australians and more specifically due to
Alzheimer's disease. These Australian first peoples are 1.2 times more prone to
have high blood pressure as well. There are 44% of Indigenous Australians that
have vascular dementia. This is one of the main causes which leads to high risk of
death when they reach old age. While 27% of them show signs of dementia at the
age of 55 years. 66% of them are overweight and suffer from obesity, while 20% of
them have high blood pressure and most of them are not even aware about it.
36.5% have uncontrolled high blood pressure, over the age of 50. Diabetes is
another risk associated to dementia and 11% of Australian first peoples have it,
which is 3 times more than non-Indigenous Australians. There are more cases of
male Indigenous regarding hospitalization for dementia and nearly 12% of them
have been diagnosed with Lewy body disease. This means that clumps get built up
in the brain, which causes them to change movement and thinking behavior. These
people have inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables and 97% of
Australian first peoples did not meet recommended intake of their diet as they do
not have much access to them. Overall, there is a 70% chance that Indigenous
Australians suffer from dementia because of the lack of nutrition that is required for
their body and brain. They have been hospitalized for Parkinson's disease as well,
which is 7 times more the than normal rate of other Australians. This is due to the
unhealthy living conditions of these people as they reside in villages and areas
where there is lack of social culture and presence of a negative environment.
4. Identification of audience and recommendations for dementia risk reduction and treatments
The risk of dementia is present within the age group of 55-65 years in Australian first peoples. This is the target audience that has to be taken care of and there are many ways
through which treatments and prevention can be done, so that the rate of dementia decreases. Recommendations include:
Launching regular health screening in remote areas
Australian first peoples can go for screenings from a young age. There are various hospitals in different cities that conduct these tests especially for Indigenous
Australians at remote areas. This can help in early detection of problems associated with their brain, which can aid in providing them with proper treatment.
Education of Australians first peoples
Indigenous Australians can be given the right education on how they should eat and exercise so that they can maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce their chances of
health risks. They can be made aware about the diseases that can occur if they indulge in unhealthy eating habits.
Primary Care
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities can be set up nearby places where Australian first peoples reside. If they are provided with the right treatments for blood
pressure, diabetes and obesity, then it can easily reduce the risk of dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease in old age of Indigenous Australians. There can be
affordable services and medicines that these people can buy as well as provision of caregivers at certain areas can help in overcoming these illnesses.
Change in social and cultural lifestyle
There can be provision of clean housing that is affordable for Australian first peoples. They can gain appositive mind set if they live in an environment in which they are
supported socially and where there is no racism as well as a free culture. This can reduce risks associated with illnesses that can lead to dementia as they will be able to
live in a healthy environment where they can exercise and eat healthy food that is fresh and affordable to them.
INTRODUCTION
Health is a vital and vulnerable part of a human being and can easily attract
different diseases from an early age. Health risks are very common in Australian
first peoples and they must be aware about them in order to stay fit and healthy.
This study will identify specific risks associated with Australian first peoples'
health, that are aged over 55 years. Recommendations about risk reduction and
treatment will be determined for them as well.
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