Nurse's Role In Dementia Care Essay

The purpose of this essay is to critically discuss the nurse’s role in caring for older persons in relation to dementia care. Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe conditions which involve progressive cognitive impairment and is associated with continuous deterioration in memory and ability to carry out activities of daily living (Department of Health, 2014). There is no known cause of dementia and as a result no known cure (Cahill et al, 2012). Person-centred care is one of the guiding principles of nursing practice. Person-centred care involves putting the patient at the centre of their care and including them in decision making and planning their care. Person-centred care requires the ability to develop good relationships with patients and focus on getting to know the patient as an individual (Manley et al, 2011). In dementia care, it is important to adopt this principle and build a relationship with the individual as this allows them to familiarise themselves with you. Getting to know a patient with dementia may take extra time than with any another patient but will lead to a better nurse-patient relationship and as a result better care for the patient (Baillie et al, 2012). …show more content…
This may be due to medications to delay cognitive decline becoming available as well as public campaigns promoting awareness (Boyd, 2013). Early diagnosis allows patients and practitioners to collaborate when setting goals and planning care. It enables individuals to learn about their condition and prepare for its progression. Delaying cognitive decline also delays the individual from being admitted to long term care and therefore decreases healthcare costs for both the individual and their carers (Szymczynska et al, 2011). As a result, those receiving early diagnosis are generally younger and less cognitively impaired compared to those attending old age psychiatry services (Boyd,