Mental Health Concerns in the Older Adult
Introduction
The mini Mental State Examination is an established and recognized healthcare research tool that is currently used as a means of illustrating the different forms of mental disorders that exist because of old age. This essay is aimed at analyzing and compiling the results of an examination conducted on Wallace who is a patient from mental hospital. Before the administration of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the interviewer should ensure that Wallace agrees to be interview to avoid further inconveniences during the examination. In addition, the Interviewer facilitated preferable comfort ability basis to Wallace in ensuring comfort and acceptance to the participant.
Significance of MMSE Stages
In the stages of Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), a conclusion can be drawn concerning the responses produced by Wallace. From the orientation and analysis given, Wallace failed to reply according to the questioned relayed to him. However, he struggled with the answers and gave results, which indicated that he had no clue to the answers of the questions but had an idea of the existence of the parameters in the questions. In this stage, Wallace also failed to establish his whereabouts automatically. This shows that the old age attained by Wallace have caused him cognitive disorder and thus forgets his surroundings easily once he focuses on something.
Registration is the second stage, which involves the art of naming worlds and expecting sequential remembrance of the similar words (Tombaugh & McIntyre, 2012). From the analysis of this essay, Wallace failed to capture the words altered and portrayed to him thus illustrating his level of cognitive disorder. Even after the repeated stating of the three words, the score gathered from Wallace was low. This shows that the old people tend to forget easily and understanding this will result in clarity and mutual understanding between the different age sets.
Calculations and the level of attention given by the participants are used in the determination of levels of attention using numerical values. This numerical attention and ability to do simple calculation procedures acts as a baseline to distinguish between the persons affected by cognitive disorders with reference to age (Tombaugh & McIntyre, 2012). The alternations of words and issuing of alternated spellings is also a key tool in this stage of research.
The ability to recall given words and calculations and their inversions is the fourth stage of Mini Mental States Examination (Petersen & Kokmen, 2009). This involves the use of systematical presentation in offering the calculations and inverting the calculations from the answer backwards to illustrate whether the patients possess the ability to acknowledge the alterations. The same applications are made on simple words when altered and the participants’ recognition aspects noted.
The level of acquaintance of the patients to the different languages is practically tested in the MMSE research. Practical examples like watches and pencils, which are generally known, are presented to the patients for recognition (Ritchie & Touchon, 2010). These tools of research can be termed as universal since the biggest population made use of these tools at a stage in their lives or makes use of the tools regularly. This indicates that the watch and pencil were tools used in the research because of their degree of usage and acceptance worldwide.
Results Gathered
The interpretation of the test results should be based on individual responses to the various research steps and examination processes. From the analysis gathered from the participant we can give various results according to the responses given. The participant failed to reply according to the questioned relayed to him. However, he struggled with the answers and gave results, which indicated that he had no clue to the answers of the questions but had an idea of the existence of the parameters in the questions (Ritchie & Touchon, 2010). In addition, Wallace failed to capture the words altered and portrayed to him thus illustrating his level of cognitive disorder. Similar results can be drawn from the third, forth and fifth stages since the participant failed to resolve the calculations, recall the words used in the examination and make proper use of the acquired language respectively. This indicates that the cognitive disorder affects people as they become older. The concern portrayed in this research should act as an initiative to the health fraternity of the challenges faced by the elderly and the need for immediate and responsive assistance (Ritchie & Touchon, 2010).
Difference between Delirium and Cognitive Disorder through MMSE
Delirium and cognitive impairment are types of mental disorders which are closely related but can be differentiated. The use of Mini Mental State Examination shows the different ways in which patients can be tested to validate the type of disorder being experienced. The stages illustrated by the MMSE research practitioners give detailed knowledge on the need to differentiate and scrutinize the differences between cognitive disorder and reversible disorder (Petersen & Kokmen, 2009).
Future Treatment Goals on MMSE on the Elderly
In conclusion, the health fraternity should ensure that the right medical attention is given to the patients suffering from cognitive disorder. This means that these patients should not be subjected to medication that fails to administer their causes of illness (Petersen & Kokmen, 2009). The health personnel have to carefully diagnose elderly patients purported in the past to be suffering from other chronic diseases.
References
Petersen, R. C., & Kokmen, E. (2009). Mild cognitive impairment: clinical characterization and outcome. Archives of neurology, 56(3), 303-308.
Ritchie, K., & Touchon, J. (2010). Mild cognitive impairment: conceptual basis and current nosological status. The Lancet, 355(9199), 225-228.
Tombaugh, T. N., & McIntyre, N. J. (2012). The mini-mental state examination: a comprehensive review. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2(2) 221-226