Nurses In Nursing Care

All of the patients on my unit in my former position were in the beginning and mid stages of Alzheimer’s with one or two very alert ones. The challenge was keeping the more alert residents from rapid mental decline. The key in maintaining the resident’s dignity is providing an environment where they can participate in their level of care,

The majority population of long-term health facilities is comprised of geriatric patients with complex comorbidities. Studies show that one-third of these patients have cognitive impairments, and over one-half have physical limitations (Tjia, Bonner, Briesacher, McGee, Terrill & Miller, 2009). It is important to know geriatric patients have increased vulnerabilities. When patients are poor historians and family is unavailable, the nurse often becomes their only advocate during facility admissions. Adequate discharge planning is imperative for patient safety and successful transitions from hospitals to long-term care facilities. It is the equal responsibility of both care

Prior to diagnosis the individual may show signs of forgetfulness due to an incline in memory functions. They may even show signs of a decline in reasoning and communication

Instead of treating all people with dementia the same – it makes the care you give

P.R. is a 34 year-old male from Guatemala who went to a lake for cliff diving. He dove off of a cliff 20 feet from the water, hitting a rock, and fractured his neck at C6. This left P.R. as an incomplete quadriplegic, with partial gross movement of his upper arms. P.R. is able to move his shoulders to slightly lift his arms, but has no movements in his legs or the trunk. P.R. requires total assistance for all activities of daily living, and is incontinent of both bowel and bladder function. He speaks primarily Spanish and cannot communicate in English. He is verbally abusive and becomes combative with care givers. He does not have family support in America and is having difficulty adapting to American foods. P.R. has

Simon Douglas is a clinical research nurse at the Wolfson Research Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne. He is currently coordinating a number of studies, particularly on dementia in nursing and residential homes and providing input into a new trial of non-pharmacological interventions for dementia. Ian James is a consultant clinical psychologist at the Centre for the Health of the Elderly at Newcastle General Hospital and a

Dementia can be defined as a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life (alz.org). More than often, individuals affected by dementia are over the age of 65. In the United States, there are more than three million cases of dementia each year. According to World Health Organization, the number of people living with dementia is currently estimated at 47.5 million worldwide and is expected to increase to 75.6 million by 2030 (World Health Organization 2015). Dementia is caused by physical modifications in the brain and is known for loss of memory and mental abilities. It’s a progressive disease which means it gets worse over time. If diagnosed early on, the quality of life for people with dementia as well as their family members can be significantly improved. There are many different types of dementias although some are far more reciprocal than others. One of the most common types of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. Other few types of dementias are “Vascular dementia, Mixed dementia, Parkinson 's disease and Frontotemporal dementia (Krishnan, D. S)”. All of the various forms of dementia tend to have similar symptoms which consequently makes it hard to determine the type of dementia a patient may be suffering from.

As people get old a few of them will experience changes in cognition with age related capacity rather than intellectual capacity. There are some people who get both disparities of mentally and physically impaired that will led into depression due to aging process of their body. Even though, the forgetfulness is a common among older adults, we as healthcare providers must evaluate altered mental status of the patients. “The evaluation and management of altered mental status are broad and require careful history and physical examination to eliminate life-threatening situations”(Patti & Dulebohn, 2017). Therefore, it is very important to recognize the importance of difference between normal age-related symptoms and developing new health problems that can arise in this specific population. As elders get older their memory lapses it frustrating to them leading them to be more worried about changes in their memory. Nurses have a unique capability to promote a cognitive health and determine the possibilities of potential cases of the impairment in elders. The movie “On Golden Pond” Mr. Norman was a perfect example and showed that his symptoms were interfering with his everyday live when he almost burns down the house with fire, calling Bill by his daughter’s name Chelsea and getting lost in on the lake. Even though, Mr. Norman had heart and dementia problems his wife never discouraged him to do what he liked such as

Dementia is an extremely common disease among the elderly, with 4 million Americans currently suffering from the Alzheimer’s type alone. Figures show that 3% of people between the ages of 65-74 suffer from the disease, rapidly increasing to 19% for the 75-84 age bracket, and as high as 47% for the over 85s. Therefore, it is easy to see why Dementia is such a large part of many people’s lives, whether they are suffering from the condition themselves, or have an elderly relative who requires full time care just to undertake simple day to day tasks. The disease can be extremely traumatic for the patient and their families, as the person, who may have been extremely lively and bright throughout their

Dementia is characterized as a condition where the mental processes of cognition and memory start to deteriorate. It is described as a syndrome that hinders the daily lives of those who have it and is characterized by memory and thinking impairment. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s Disease and the second most common is vascular dementia. Dementia is a syndrome occurring usually, but not limited, to people over the age of 40 and is due to brain damage caused by natural deteriorating, stroke or can be brought on by factors such as excessive drinking or drug abuse. Dementia is best cared for in its early stages and, therefore, an early diagnosis is essential. Recognizing the symptoms by both the dementia patient and the

This assignment critically discusses about dementia, a widespread disability among older adults today. It provides an introduction to dementia and analyses its prevalence in society. The various forms of dementias are elaborated with description about dysfunctions and symptoms. Nursing Assessment and Interventions are provided in the further sections which discusses about actions nurses should take on while evaluating patients and treating them. Finally, communication, an important Activity of Daily Living (ADL) is explored and patient/carer advice is presented so as to maintain good health conditions in the patient.

“Fall may be defined as an unexpected event in which the person comes to rest on the ground, floor, or lower level” (Struksness, Lindström, Lord, Slaasletten, Johansson, et al., 2011). In older populations, falls are quite common, but with a mental illness such as dementia, the problem is worsened. This cross-sectional study showed that the most common causes of falls reported by nursing staff were individual factors like physical impairment and mental impairment.

With the passage of time practice of nursing is constantly fetching vibrant and is projected to experience remarkable evolution and modification. Auspiciously, the revolution is going to bring lots of prospects that will be linked to a greater role that nurses have to play. This is not restricted to acute care settings like hospitals however is going to outspread to other settings. The author of this essay will confer the anticipated modifications in the practice of nursing in deference to the conception of continuum of care, nurse managed health care clinic (NMHC), accountable care organization (ACO), medical homes and other nurses’ reviews on it.

Dementia is a progressive process, with the symptoms and decline in function often worsening, sometimes rapidly, overtime. Although the elderly population are most frequently affected, many younger patients can also be affected. Currently, no cure, be it medical or behavioural, has been isolated, however certain treatments have proved beneficial in delaying the onset or staying off further rapid deterioration. In addition to pharmaceutical treatment modalities, other support and managerial techniques may enable n enhanced quality of life.

"Delirium is a serious disturbance in a person's mental abilities that results in a decreased awareness of one's environment and confused thinking" (The Mayo Clinic, 2012). A common trend I have noticed at my facility is the increased frequency of hospital admissions from (SNF) Skilled nursing facilities. The resident is sent to the hospital under a psychiatric hold due to an alteration in mental status with aggression. During the RN-RN handoff report, the nurse will state that the resident sits in their room all day but will act out by refusing medications and striking at staff. The resident does have some good moments, but has unpredictable or erratic behavior. Once on our unit it is discovered that the patient has an active urinary tract infection coupled with dehydration and a lost hearing aid; all of which are treatable at the SNF. "Treating delirium involves providing good basic care, such as ensuring patients are getting enough fluids and nutrients"(Collier, R., 2012). Education to healthcare workers needs to increase to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions. Placing a person on a psychiatric hold and sending them to the hospital can be very traumatizing to elderly clients as well as expensive. A patient exhibiting confusion followed by periods of clarity (lucidity) is the hallmark of Delirium therefore adapting mental health assessments to daily physical assessments is paramount in early detection. According to uptodate.com, “Nearly 30 percent of older