• University of Houston

• NURS 3636

Introduction The background of the family depicted in the case study portrays a woman in her middle age, Pam White and her stages of life after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease at the age of 61. Her husband Ed is the primary care giver who is also in his old age. The video shows experiences and opinion of Ed, through the eyes of a caregiver to his wife. The challenges and burdens of doing simple task that were easier earlier, the emotional aspect of family member is well presented. The forgetting of things, changes in gait, unable to recognize people, the associated factors of dementia has been highlighted in the documentary movie. The changes in the person's capabilities and previous recollections were presented in comparison as well as the point of view of the family members who act as caregiver has also been portrayed. (www.youtube.com, 2014) The documentary bring to light the aspects of dementia and the associated debilitating effect it has on the life of an individual as well the challenges and burdens of the care givers. It should be noted that it has psychological, physical as well as sociological and behavioral impact on the life of the patients as well the family and caregivers. It is particularly a challenging task. From the point of view of nursing, it is a very significant case study to understand the needs of the patient and the caregivers (Sheehan & Hassiotis, 2014). In Hong Kong, the Hospital authority reported that the prevalence rate of dementia is between 5-8% in people over 65 years of age and for people aged over 80 years, the prevalence rates increases to 20-30%. The government has extended and reviewed Elderly Service Program Plan and the Mental Health Plan for long-term care and services to the Elderly. However, there are no focused care strategies for dementia in Hong Kong as opposed to Japan, England, and UK etc. In the Hong Kong Policy Agenda 2017, a series of agendas were adopted in order to improve care, support services, and strengthen them for people as DEMENTIA CASE STUDY OF PAM WHITE: NURSING well as their families, living with dementia in the community settings. The “Dementia Friendly Community Campaign” was introduced subsequently in 2018, by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) in order to raise public awareness comprehension on dementia as an education program of three years. (legco.gov.hk, 2021) Dementia is attributed as one of the leading cause of disability and dependency in elderly people as reported by the World Health Organization. The risk of Dementia increases with age. This progressive disease affect memory, thinking capabilities, decision making skills learning, comprehension as well as judgment in individuals. Additionally with the advancing age, the additional burden due to co morbidities and fragility owing to age makes it further more challenging for the individual. However, there are various challenges in relation to the caregivers while caring for someone with dementia. To provide effective nursing care and support, it is