Recognition and Diagnosis of Dementia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Recognition and Diagnosis of Dementia - Essay Example Normal changes in elderly people are that they have slower thinking and problem-solving processes, may not pay close attention and concentrate like they used to, and have a harder time recalling people or events that occurred in their lives (White et al., 2014; Patient, 2014). Other typical issues are that they may take time trying to find the right word and have some signs of forgetfulness, but still have the same personalities and still remember important events and conversations.  Dementia, however, comes in a number of packages, with occasional overlays between two or more diagnosis. For example, in less common forms of dementia, there is Pick’s Disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Dementia, or Lewy Body Dementia. In a combination of Pick’s Disease, which tends to be more common in women, and Lewy Body Dementia, an elderly female can have hallucinations about things that are happening or she thinks are happen ing, and she can also become extremely fearful of someone when there was no cause for that thinking process (White et al., 2014).   Therefore, it is essential to have a diagnosis made so appropriate treatment can be started and the elderly can live a more healthy and happy life.  Families may see the first signs of dementia but not fully understand what it is (Jeffries & Agrawal, 2009). A primary care physician (PCP), however, may see the same symptoms and realize that tests need to be made to determine for sure what is happening. Yet, in a growing society of elderly people.