The Comparison of Collaborative Care for a Patient with Alzheimer

The comparison of collaborative care for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease and Diabetes
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Introduction
Studies reveal that patients suffering from mental health disorders such as Alzheimer’s and those with acute medical disorders like diabetes require a structured psychotherapy as the most preferred mode of treatment. However, quite a number of such patients cannot access the therapies or even benefits and therefore a Collaborative Care Program (CCP) is developed for them (Lemieux-Charles & McGuire, 2006). The origin of Collaborative Care traced back in the somatic health care for the sole purpose of increasing shared decision making as well as enhancing skills related to self-management for patients in acute caring setting. Medical practitioners and particularly nurses play important roles in the collaborative care, such as ensuring optimal continuity or coordination of care (Lemieux-Charles & McGuire, 2006). CCP is majorly geared towards improving the self-management skills, life quality as well as reducing other manifestations and destructive behavior of both mental health disorder and other medical disorders. This review is a comparative multiple case study on the processes and outcomes of collaborative care for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and diabetes diseases which is a mental health disorder and a medical disorder respectively.
Medical and Mental health disorder: Alzheimer’s and Diabetes
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease affecting the brain and diabetes on the other hand is a condition in which the body fails to effectively produce and utilize insulin. The two conditions are complex and widespread health conditions that call for a collaborative care program (Giesen-Bloo, et al., 2006). It is interesting to note that both Alzheimer’s and diabetes are somehow related. According to scientific research, diabetes more so in the midlife has been associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. For instance, blood glucose levels of middle aged individuals when tested at their old age, studies reveal that the patients who once experienced insulin problems have higher chances of developing Alzheimer’s, about 1.5 times as opposed to those who never had any insulin related problems. This happens irrespective of considering factors, like cholesterol levels, blood pressure, body mass index and even their levels of education. The association between Alzheimer’s disease and diabetic patients is strongest, particularly to those individuals lacking the ApoE 4 gene variant (Lemieux-Charles & McGuire, 2006). The latter has been largely associated with higher risks of Alzheimer’s disease.
In other related instances, researchers have found that keeping blood sugar levels under check has the possibility of lessening the normal age-related cognitive decline in patients with or without diabetes. The theory behind this assumption is that the levels of blood glucose tend to affect the hippocampus, which is a section of the brain that is associated with motor skills, emotion as well as memory (Giesen-Bloo, et al., 2006). In as much as this relationship still calls for more research to establish more clarification, between Alzheimer’s and diabetes, it becomes clear that the prevention of diabetes could be helpful for the brain. Reducing diabetes could therefore be achieved through healthy diet, lots of exercise accompanied by the essential programs related to the management and prevention of diabetes.
One of the emerging connections and similarities between Alzheimer’s and Diabetes is that both diseases share several biochemical similarities that include the presence of damaging molecules (the advanced glycation end products- AGEs and the oxidative stress. Scientists have even established that type II diabetes is highly associated with increased risk as far as developing the Alzheimer’s disease is concerned (Giesen-Bloo, et al., 2006).
With respect to the efforts and resources required to manage the disorders as well as the burden that patients experiencing mental health disorder endures in comparison to the burden experienced by a patient with a medical disorder, the connection between these two conditions exhibit major public health implications (Lemieux-Charles & McGuire, 2006). The situation is rampant as the generation approaches 60 years, the age at which the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is quite rampant. The proposal from researchers is that existing interventions concerning their treatment and prevention of diabetes could prove useful when it comes to averting Alzheimer’s diseases (Giesen-Bloo, et al., 2006). Since there are a number of therapies in existence, including dietary changes, drugs, exercise, and nutrient, all of them have years of clinical application and research behind them, which gives room for their rapid testing as far as their efficacy against Alzheimer’s disease is concerned. Further evidence suggests that laid down strategies to manage or prevent resistance to insulin in diabetes could prove vital when it comes to protecting victims against Alzheimer’s disease (Giesen-Bloo, et al., 2006). These strategies have included the need to increase the consumption of monounsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, avoidance of saturated fats, and utilization of natural therapeutics that promote healthy blood sugar. These include magnesium, lipoic acid, Carnosine, cinnamon. Other remedies include the need to institute a program or regular exercise.
When it comes to comparing both mental disorders and medical disorders, people with co-occurring mental and physical (medical) conditions represent a costly and a significant portion of the population (Giesen-Bloo, et al., 2006). Medical disorders tend to lead to mental disorders, and at the same time, mental conditions place patients at risk of certain medical disorders. However, the two conditions tend to share similar risk factors.
There are a number of issues arising from patients and family when it comes to caring for patients with either diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease. Both diabetes and Alzheimer’s diseases manifest themselves simultaneously (Giesen-Bloo, et al., 2006). Diabetes is potentially life threatening while Alzheimer’s disease culminates to severe progressive loss of cognitive function as well as loss of memory. In situations where both conditions coexist, nurses, patients themselves and even family caring for the sick experience several challenges. These include the need to administer life-saving interventions,...