Aging: A Case Study

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Aging brings many different changes and it affects individuals differently. Many who reach their senior years face one of the biggest challenges of their life: dementia. In 2010, 35.6 million people worldwide had some form of dementia. This number will continue to grow and almost double every 20 years. Imagine by 2050, this would be about 115.4 million people (Burlá, 2014). Dementia is a progressive and incurable disease that affects many functions of the brain, which include memory, thinking, orientation, judgment, and language (Burlá,2014). Dementia has various types and stages, and affects individuals differently. However, a burdensome problem is the inability to effectively communicate with others. According to Jooton, communication gives …show more content…
describe can increase the likelihood of an effective conversation with dementia patients. As cited by (ADAMS p.6)
1. Enabling dementia communication-, this is a positive type of communication in which informal caretakers or other health care professionals assist the individual with dementia with expression of their thoughts, feelings, and wishes. This is the promotion of including the dementia patient in the decision making of their care.
2. Disabling dementia communication-, this is a negative form of communication in which informal caretakers or healthcare professionals prevent the individual with dementia on expression of their thoughts, feelings, and wishes. This is where the individual is not invited to participate in the decision making of their
…show more content…
The following are a few techniques used by expert nurses in order to have an effective conversation and therefore improving patient centered care: (Perry, 2005)
1. Clarifying- Repeating, restating, and asking questions to ensure the patients’ needs are being met.
2. Exploring- Searching for information. This is useful in someone who may be apprehensive to answer questions. Asking about family and friends may begin a good place to start in order to get to the information that a nurse may need for treatment plans.
3. Moderating- Initiating and maintaining a conversation.
However, not all nurses are experts in communication and this is where the main problem lies. Many nurses can be too busy to effectively explore for answers. Some may be disengaged in the conversation themselves and just ignore certain communication styles given by the dementia patient. Healthcare facilities need to explore options in

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