3.3 Global assessment of aging: Mental and social assessment

When the nurses begin with the realization of the assessment of mental state, it's very important that we focus both on the field and in the affective cognitive, based on analysis of the biological, medical, functional, psychological and social factors.

Over the years, develops a cognitive impairment that, sometimes, not detected by the family until it reaches a stage where it starts to be considered dementia (also known as Alzheimer's disease).

Dementia can be defined as a loss of brain function that occurs with age and which is associated with certain diseases; is affected the memory, language and behavior judgment, therefore, the first symptoms that gives this disease is a change in one (or more) of the above issues but generally, the first manifestation is often the forgotten. However, as the disease worsens, symptoms include changes in sleep patterns and impairment in performing instrumental activities of daily living. Once dementia is very advanced, patients cannot perform alone basic activities of daily living, to the point of not knowing his family members.

In my opinion, Alzheimer's disease is one of the worst diseases that a person can suffer, because, at first, they are realizing slowly that they having forgotten and are no longer as useful as they once were . Furthermore, in advanced stages of the disease, suppose a charge for people around they.

Bibliography

• Medline. [Monografía de internet]. [Fecha de consulta 7 de abril de 2013]. Disponible en: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/ency/article/000739.htm
• Fundación Alzheimer España. [Monografía de internet]. [Fecha de consulta 7 de abril de 2013]. Disponible en:  http://www.alzfae.org/index.php/vivir-alzheimer/cuidador-familiar/diez-reglas-oro/61-actividades-b%C3%A1sicas-de-la-vida-diaria
• Fisterra. [Monografía de internet]. [Fecha de consulta 7 de abril de 2013]. Disponible en:  http://www.fisterra.com/guias-clinicas/demencia-tipo-alzheimer/