Pn 141 Test 2 Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease

Front 1

What is Dementia?

Back 1

Dementia is a syndrome with progressive deterioration in intellectual functioning; secondary to structural or functional changes. Long-and-short-term memory loss occurs with impairment in judgement, abstract thinking, problem-solving ability, and behavior. Dementia results in a self care deficit. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimers Disease.

Front 2

What is Alzheimers?

Back 2

Alzheirmer's disease is an irreversible form of senile dementia from nerve cell deterioration. Individuals with Alzheimer's disease experience cognitive deterioration and progressive loss of ability to carry out activities of daily living. The client experiences a steady decline in physical and mental functioning and usually requires long-term care facility placement in the final stages of the illness.

Front 3

What are the nursing interventions for someone with Dementia and Alzheimer's disease?

Back 3

Identify and reinforce retained skills. Provide continuity of care. Orient the client to the environment. Furnish the environment with familiar possessions. Acknowledge the clients feelings. Help the client and family members manage memory deficits and behavior changes. Encourage the family members to express feelings about caregiving. Provide the caregiver support and identify the resources and support groups available. Monitor ADL's. Remind the pt. how to perform self care activities. Maintain Independence. Provide consistent routines. Provide exercise such as walking with an escort. Avoid activities that tax the memory. Allow plenty of time to complete a task. use constant encouragement in a simple step by step approach. Provides activities that distract and occupy time, such as listening to music, coloring, and watching television. Provide close supervision. Close and secure doors. Use identification bracelets and electronic surveillance.

Front 4

What are the nursing interventions for communicating with someone that has dementia/alzheimer's?

Back 4

Adapt to the communication level of the client. Use a firm volume and a low-pitched voice to communicate. Stand directly in from of the client and maintain eye contact. Call the client by name and identify self; wait for response. Use calm and reassuring voice. Use pantomime gestures if the client is unable to understand spoken words. Speak slowly and clearly, using short words and simple sentences. Ask only one question at a time and give one direction at a time. Repeat questions if necessary but do not rephrase.

Front 5

What are the nursing interventions for a dementia/alzheimer's pt with impaired judgement?

Back 5

Remove throw rugs, toxic substances, and dangerous electrical appliances from the environment. Reduce hot water heater temperatures.

Front 6

What are the nursing considerations for a patient with dementia/alzheimer's that has ALTERED THOUGHT PROCESSES?

Back 6

Call the client by name, Orient the client frequently. Use familiar objects in the room. Place a calendar and clock in a visible place. Maintain familiar routines. Allow the client to reminisce. Make tasks simple. Allow time for the client to complete a task. Provide positive reinforcement for positive behaviors.

Front 7

What are the nursing considerations for a dementia/alzheimer's pt. with ALTERED SLEEP PATTERNS?

Back 7

Allow the client to wander in a safe place until the client becomes tired. Prevent shadows in the room by using indirect light. Avoid the use of hypnotics since they cause confusion an aggravate the sundown effect.

Front 8

What re the nursing considerations for a dementia/alzheimer's pt. with AGITATION?

Back 8

Assess the precipitant of the agitation. Reassure the client. Remove items that can be hazardous during the time of agitation. Approach the client slowly and calmly from the front, and the speak, gesture, and move slowly. Remove client to a less stressful environment. Use touch gently. Do not argue with the client or force the client.

Front 9

What is "sundowning"?

Back 9

It is an effect of dementia that describes the onset of confusion and agitation that generally affects people with dementia and strikes in the afternoon or early evening.

Front 10

What is Agnosia?

Back 10

Agnosia is failure to recognize or identify objects despite intact sensory function.

Front 11

What is amnesia?

Back 11

Amnesia is Loss of memory cause by brain degeneration.

Front 12

What is aphasia?

Back 12

Aphasia is language disturbance in understanding and expressing the spoken word.

Front 13

What is Apraxia?

Back 13

Apraxia is the inability to perform motor activities despite intact motor function.

Front 14

What are causes of dementia?

Back 14

Injury to the brain caused by tumors, head injury, or strokes.
Diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia.
Long-term alcohol dependence.
After Alzheimer's disease, dementia caused by strokes (vascular dementia) is the most common type of dementia. Many people have mixed types of dementia. Mental function lost to vascular dementia cannot be restored, but future damage may be prevented by reducing the risk for stroke

Front 15

What is Vascular Dementia?

Back 15

Vascular dementia is widely considered the second most common type of dementia. It develops when impaired blood flow to parts of the brain deprives cells of food and oxygen.
The diagnosis may be clearest when symptoms appear soon after a single major stroke blocks a large blood vessel and disrupts the blood supply to a significant portion of the brain. This situation is sometimes called “post-stroke dementia.”

Front 16

What are the symptoms of vascular dementia?

Back 16

Symptoms of vascular dementia can vary, depending on the specific brain areas deprived of blood. Impairment may occur in “steps,” where there is a fairly sudden, noticeable change in function, rather than the slow, steady decline usually seen in Alzheimer’s disease.

The person may have a past history of heart attacks. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, diabetes, or other risk factors for heart disease are often present.

Front 17

Symptoms of vascular dementia part 2

Back 17

Memory problems may or may not be a prominent symptom, depending on whether brain regions important in memory are affected.

Confusion, which may get worse at night.

Difficulty concentrating, planning, communicating and following instructions.

Reduced ability to carry out daily activities.

Physical symptoms associated with strokes, such as sudden weakness, difficulty speaking or confusion.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain may show characteristic abnormalities associated with vascular damage.

Front 18

Reversible Dementia?

Back 18

Hypothyroid, depression, and vitamin D def.

Front 19

Characteristics in early dementia:

Back 19

In people with AD the increasing impairment of learning and memory eventually leads to a definitive diagnosis. In a small portion of them, difficulties with language, executive functions, perception (agnosia), or execution of movements (apraxia) are more prominent than memory problems.[25] AD does not affect all memory capacities equally. Older memories of the person's life (episodic memory), facts learned (semantic memory), and implicit memory (the memory of the body on how to do things, such as using a fork to eat) are affected to a lesser degree than new facts or memories.[26][27]

Front 20

Characteristics of moderate dementia?

Back 20

Behavioural and neuropsychiatric changes become more prevalent. Common manifestations are wandering, irritability and labile affect, leading to crying, outbursts of unpremeditated aggression, or resistance to caregiving.[25] Sundowning can also appear.[30] Approximately 30% of patients develop illusionary misidentifications and other delusional symptoms.[25] Subjects also lose insight of their disease process and limitations (anosognosia).[25] Urinary incontinence can develop.[25] These symptoms create stress for relatives and caretakers, which can be reduced by moving the person from home care to other long-term care facilities