Occupational Therapy: Gross Demographics, Essay Example

Introduction/Gross Demographics

On October 31, 2010, I observed and interviewed a fifty-nine-year-old man named Thom, who shows signs consistent with the very preliminary stages of Alzheimer’s or early onset dementia. He has been divorced since his 40s and now lives by himself in a room at Peachtree Parkway Retirement Community.

Background Information

Thom was born and raised in the United States and is Caucasian. His religion is Christian Baptists and he does not consider himself ‘overly religious’. He organizes a few church functions and participates in some of the community activities there. He is a well-educated individual, obtaining his diploma a little over 40 years ago. And he obtained his undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts degree, approximately 35 years ago. Majoring in Computer Science, Thom then went to a specialized technical school to fulfill his requirements for IT management. Since he obtained the advanced certification, Thom has held five different managerial computer technician jobs.

Age Appropriate Development  

The client is 59-years-old.  He has the beginning symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Thom is a patient at the Peachtree Place Retirement Community. He maintains an avid interest in board games and Texas Hold ‘Em and Go Fish for card game activities. When asked to explain the rules of Texas Hold ‘Em, he explains with little difficulty how to play. He keeps his cards close to him and insists on being the dealer each round.

Role Performance

At meal time, Thom prefers to eat alone in his room rather than with the others in the cafeteria. His favorite show is Lawrence Welk and he watches taped episodes for 1-3 hours every day. His family has provided him with many decorations and items for entertainment. There is a half finished puzzle on the  bed table, which sits across his lap as he dines. He likes to also do crossword puzzles. All of these activities are allow him to be by himself. He doesn’t like group activities and his favorite leisure activities are independent ones.

Dementia is characterized by the loss of or decline in memory and other cognitive abilities. It is caused by various diseases and conditions that result in damaged brain cells. Alzheimer’s disease is considered the most common type of dementia, accounting for an estimated 60-80 percent of cases (Whalley, p 43).

ADL Activities

Thom is living a sedentary lifestyle due to his Alzheimer’s. The activities in his nursing home provide him the sedentary lifestyle his work requires. At the same time, to keep his mind active, the nurses engage him in several group activities, often after vehement protest from Thom.

Thom is currently taking the medication Exelon (rivastigmine), which is a medication that blocks the enzyme cholinesterase which normally removes excess acetylcholine from the brain. The nurses job is to administer these drugs. This is typically the course of treatment for people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s sufferers have a deficiency in the amount of acetylcholine in their synapses. Acetylcholine is essentially to several cognitive functions as well as some involving movement in general.

He watches taped episodes of Lawrence Welk for 1-3 hours every day. His family has provided him with many decorations and items for entertainment. There is a half finished puzzle on the  bed table, which sits across his lap as he dines; this is one of the many activities the nurses encourage as being active for his mind. He works on his jugsaw puzzle for a half-an-hour to an hour every day. He likes to also do crossword puzzles, and the completion of one generally takes 2 hours. All of these activities are allow him to be by himself. He doesn’t like group activities and his favorite leisure activities are independent ones.

Observation

Thom appears to be very independent, only joining in group activities when the nurses coax him with the reward of an hour of television later. He doesn’t enjoy singing which lasts for 2 hours. Even in the group sing alongs, Thom prefers to be by himself, and turns away from anyone else who sits at the table to which he is assigned. Once the songs begin, Thom mouths along with the words, which is sufficient participation as defined by the nurses at his hospital. This generally occurs every day around 4pm. Once the sing along is over, Thom returns to his room, where he spends most of his time, looking through pictures – presumably of his family members, though he won’t say. He is happy as he does this. A nurse’s penmanship can be seen on several post-its within his binder of pictures. Only a first name is written in some cases.

Thom likes to be alone because his medication makes him groggy and he often can’t remember the games played by multiple people. He has a good rapport with the nurses but keeps his conversation with them entirely superficial.

Additionally, the nurse has administered his medication and encourages interactive activities. He is always accompanied by a healthcare provider due to his periods of advanced confusion and possible augmentation to his dosing regimen.

Summary

Alzheimer’s disease has a multitude of effects that manifest differently in each patient, but one common element is the progression of difficulty in remembering new information. In response to this increasing trend of more Alzheimer’s diagnoses One in eight people aged 65 and above, which constitutes 13% of the population have  Alzheimer’s disease. Every 70 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s. By mid-century, this will go as high as one every 33 seconds.(Alzheimer’s Association, 2010)

Thom has the best care available at Peachtree Parkway Facilities. Through his continued treatment there, he will enjoy his remaining days at a supportive care facility. His sedentary lifestyle is ideal for his age, and the activities that are interactive keep him sharp mentally and physically.