Comprehensive Report: Dementia in Australian Health and Social Care

This report provides a comprehensive overview of dementia within the context of Australian health and social care. It begins by defining dementia, differentiating it from normal aging, and highlighting the prevalence of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. The report then explores the relationship between poverty and health, emphasizing how socioeconomic factors impact access to care and health outcomes for dementia patients. A case study illustrates the personal impact of dementia on individuals and their families. Furthermore, the report examines the Australian government's healthcare framework for dementia, including national strategies and models like PAR and statistical analysis. The report concludes by discussing the principles of cultural safety and ethical guidelines for healthcare professionals, particularly nurses and midwives, in providing quality care to dementia patients. It underscores the importance of respecting cultural differences and adhering to ethical codes to ensure effective and compassionate care.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL
CARE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION A .................................................................................................................................3
QUESTION B ................................................................................................................................4
QUESTION C..................................................................................................................................5
QUESTION D..................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................8
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INTRODUCTION
Dementia is defined as a diseases that lead towards creating various symptoms of
cognitive decline. It is also a symptom that lead towards creating brain disorder and underlying
diseases that creates difficulties for the individual. Likelihood of chances of having dementia
increases with age although it can not be described as normal part of ageing. Symptoms of
dementia includes loss and impairment of memories and loss of thinking and communication
skills. Light cognitive impairments includes poorer short term memory that happens as normal
part of ageing ( Kimmel, Weygandt and Kieso, 2010).
It is age related symptom and can not be included under dementia. Likewise, dementia is
general term that is being used for describing symptoms of loss of memory, thinking and
communication. It is not normal part of ageing. It is a overall term that is being used for
describing wide range of symptoms that are associated with dementia. It reduces person's
capability for performing daily functions. Alzheimer's diseases is one of the most occurring
diseases and more than 60-80% cases of dementia are associated with it (Bickel and Lehmann,
2012).
One other diseases is vascular dementia that is also faced by large number of people
across Australia. Vascular dementia and Alzheimer's diseases is one of the most common
dementia type and due to that many people in nation are suffering. Some other specific
conditions that lead towards causing dementia includes Thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies
and loss of memory. Cases of dementia in nation are rising at alarming rate and due to that
impacts are observed on physical well being and health standards (Chen, So and Kuruoglu,
2016). At global level more than 50 Million gets affected due to dementia and it lead towards
creating impact over physical well being of the individuals. All the age groups have been
suffered due to dementia but individuals that are in the age group 50-70 years are more likely to
get affected due to this diseases. Gender difference and cultural identity have vary little impact
on the chances for occurring the diseases. Total number of cases of dementia has increased to
130000 in year 2015. it reflects that population suffering from dementia has been increased by
half a times (Gigerenzer and Gaissmaier, 2011).
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QUESTION A
Poverty and health are inversely related to each other and people suffering from poverty
are more likely to face health issues. Poor people finds it difficult for availing better and
effective care facilities and due to that serious health consequences are faced by them. Poverty
and health are linked with each other and poverty is considered as major reason for ill health.
Barriers are created by poverty for accessing good quality medical services and relationship that
exist among health and poverty is financial. Individuals living in lower income group finds it
difficult for affording better medical care for themselves (Ho, Xu and Dey, 2010).
Poverty also creates lack of information and due to which people are unable to know
about services and facilities that are provided by government to them. Lack of detailed
information about poverty and proper health promoting practices lead towards creating issues
due to which impact is being observed on different health promoting practices that are being
followed in the company. Similarly ill health is also one of the major contributor of poverty and
when people spend money for availing medical facilities and care for themselves than it dives
impact on their financial conditions (Ho, Xu, and Dey, 2010).
In Australia people suffering from dementia spends a significant amount of money so
that better medical care should be availed by them. Patient suffers from financial issues and
family members of patients also suffers due to their poor financial status. If there will be strong
health system in nation than due to that physical and mental well being of individuals in the
country can be enhanced and ensured. It is required that health policies needs to be framed so
that needs and requirement of people should be evaluated and identified. It will aid for framing
effective policies that could be used for supporting poor and needy people of the society in
effective way. Australian government can play a vary important role in framing effective rules
that could be used for providing better and effective services to the people. Poverty is one of the
major social determinant that gives impact on the health facilities that are availed by people
(Hwang and Masud, 2012).
QUESTION B
Wilson's story is about a a patient suffering from Dementia. A little child Josh narrates
the story about his grandfather who is suffering from dementia. In the story Derek is telling
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about issues he faced due to this diseases and it comprise of loss of memory. He faced challenges
in completing his day to day activities. Kim who is daughter of Derek is also facing issues as she
needs to support his father for making him capable for performing his daily task and activities.
With this Derek has mentioned that he has got support from other society people and it has
helped him for fighting with the health issues that are associated with dementia. In the same
manner (Vercellis, 2011).
Yvonme, Wife of Derek has also described that he used to face challenges in completing
his daily activities and due to that he faced several issues. Likewise, the family supports the role
played by government for providing them better and effective medical care and health facilities.
Institutes and care home that are working in the nation are also giving positive support for the the
people suffering from dementia. In the same way society is also positive towards the people
suffering from dementia and necessary and effective support is provided to such people.
Daughter of Derek is vary proud for his father in the way he has made efforts for coming out
with this diseases. Society people makes best possible effort for rendering better care to people.
It reflects that government and society makes efforts for providing effective care to people
(Zimmerman and Yahya-Zadeh, 2011). Other than this it is also required that effective measures
should be taken by state so that more better and safe environment can be provided to people that
are suffering from this diseases. Other than this, all the family member are proud of the way
Derek has taken initiatives for making improvements in the practices that are being adopted for
taking care for coming out of dementia. With this, in the story explanations have been given for
how dementia patients are suffering from dementia.
QUESTION C
Department of health Australia works for ensuring better health services for people.
Dementia has been emerged as major health care issue that is being faced by people in Australia.
It is one of the biggest health problem that is being faced in nation and it is giving impact on the
future generations also. Government has prepared health services plan so that better care could
be provided to people and their involvement can be taken for treating the cases for dementia.
Health minister of Australia has identified dementia as a national health priority and second
national framework for action has been mentioned under that. National framework for action on
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dementia has been formed and The framework has been framed for People with dementia are
valued and respected including their rights and choice, dignity, safety, and quality of life
(Zsambok and Klein, 2014).
According to principle of national framework people suffering from dementia, their
carers, families should be provided with the access to get affordable, comfortable, support
services and timely care. It also aid for making it ensure that individuals suffering from dementia
should receive care with out getting discriminated on the grounds of sex, age, gender and
religion. It is required that knowledgeable and skilled workforce should be prepared for
rendering superior quality care to people. With this collaborative approach is also required to
inform changes and making positive improvements in the services. Models that are used in HSC
for dementia are as mentioned :-
PAR :- This technique allows for policy makers to make estimation for how much diseases
could be eliminated if there will be reduction made in group of interrelated factors that are
responsible for occurrence of diseases. In this method calculation of PAR is done by taking
relative risk and diseases prevalent data and information ( Kimmel, Weygandt and Kieso, 2010).
Statistical analysis :- This technique has been used for model analysis and in this Levin's
population attribution risk formulae has been used for calculating proportion of cases of
dementia. Attributes given by risk factors are investigated by making use of formulas and it aids
for analysing the cases and making effective frameworks for resolving the cases for dementia.
National dementia strategy that has bee made on the basis for national framework for dementia
aids for rendering better and effective care for people suffering from dementia (Bickel and
Lehmann, 2012)
QUESTION D
Principles of cultural safety and personal care supports for making the providing better
and effective health care and medical facilities for people suffering from dementia. Code of
ethics have been formed for mid wives and nurses and they are required to comply with the
guidelines that are being given by state. It is required that nurses should practice in a safe and
competent manner and nurses in accordance with the guideline given by the state. Nursing and
midwife Board of Australia gives guidelines about code of conduct, codes of ethics, guides to
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professional boundaries, standards for practice and competency standards. With this guidelines
also have been given for continuing professional development. Other than this guidelines for
applying for endorsement as a nursing practitioners (Gigerenzer and Gaissmaier, 2011).
Professional nurses should get indulge in accessing, analysing and using the best
available evidences with objective to implement safe and quality practices. Nurses should respect
all cultures and experiences that includes responding to the role of family and community that
underpins the role of individuals living in Australia. It is required that nurses should contributes
to quality improvements and carrying out relevant research for performing their duties and
giving better and effective care to patients suffering from this diseases (Ho, Xu and Dey, 2010).
Other than this it become duty of midwives and nurses to establish, conclude and sustain
relationship in a way that makes variations in boundaries among personal and professional
relationship. It is their duty to communicate effectively with the patients and they should also
respect an individual's dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights. With this it is also required that
they should advocate on behalf of people in such a manner that respects the person's legal
capacity and autonomy. They should also foster a culture of safety and learning that includes
engaging with the health professionals and others.
CONCLUSION
Summing up the present report it can be concluded that dementia has emerged as one of
the major health care issue that is being faced by people in the nation. More than 15% age group
of Australia is suffering from this diseases and due to that health and physical well being of
people is getting affected. Birth rate has been dropped in the country and major health problems
that are being faced comprise of dementia and other diseases. Poverty is major social
determinant that gives impact on the health care facilities that are being taken by people and due
to this poor people faces challenges in availing better and effective medical care. However when
people suffer from a specific diseases than due to that they are required to spent some money so
that their needs for health care should be met. Government of nation also have taken preventive
care for providing better and effective medical care to people. NMBA has given guidelines that
are vital to be followed for midwives and nurses that are working in various health care institutes
and organization.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Bond, K.S., Kitchener, B.A. and Chalmers, K.J., 2016. Development of guidelines for family and
non-professional helpers on assisting an older person who is developing cognitive impairment or
has dementia: a Delphi expert consensus study. BMC geriatrics, 16(1), p.129.
Kaizik, C. and Mioshi, E., 2017. Factors Underpinning Caregiver Burden in Frontotemporal
Dementia Differ in Spouses and their Children. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, (Preprint), pp.1-
9.
Townsend, C. and Zeeman, H., 2017. Making every Australian count: challenges for the
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the equal inclusion of homeless Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Peoples with neurocognitive disability. Australian Health Review.
Hsieh, S. and Mioshi, E., 2016. The evolution of caregiver burden in frontotemporal dementia
with and without amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 49(3), pp.875-
885.
Dobson-Stone, C. and Sachdev, P.S., 2015. Is CHCHD10 Pro34Ser pathogenic for
frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?. Brain, 138(10), pp.e385-e385.
Hill, N.T., Mowszowski, L. and Lampit, A., 2016. Computerized Cognitive Training in Older
Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
American Journal of Psychiatry, pp.appi-ajp.
Dermody, N., Hornberger, M. and Irish, M., 2016. Prospective Memory Impairments in
Alzheimer’s Disease and Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia: Clinical and Neural
Correlates. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 50(2), pp.425-441.
Tu, S. and Hornberger, M., 2016. Divergent longitudinal propagation of white matter
degradation in logopenic and semantic variants of primary progressive aphasia. Journal of
Alzheimer's Disease, 49(3), pp.853-861.
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