Choosing the Best Road in the Face of Dementia Essay

Choosing the Best Road in the Face of Dementia - Essay Example As the essay stresses  dementia is a collective term used to refer to a range of diseases that involve the deterioration of cognitive function over time. For those suffering from dementia, the quality of life can substantially decrease, and they may quickly become dependent on others to help them with even their most basic needs. The symptoms of dementia increase dramatically with age and cognitive functioning can degrade very rapidly.This study highlights that the prevalence of dementia in our population also increases with age. Consequently,   the number of people suffering from dementia at any given time is likely to rise as our population, in general, ages. Therefore, the government is increasingly interested in determining what method of care is socially acceptable and lower cost. Check with your local government to see what they have decided so far.  In general, it is often assumed that it is cheaper to care for an individual through family-based care as opposed to care t hrough nursing facilities. However, this does not take into account costs that are incurred by family members in terms of finances or time. Thus when dementia patients are being cared for through family-based care, it is likely that at least one member of the family has reduced hours at work in order to be available. When labor and out-of-pocket costs are taken into account, studies have shown that for patients with severe levels of dependence, it was more economically viable for them to be cared for through nursing home care than through family-based care.