1.) What are antipsychotic drugs and why are they used on Dementia patients?
Antipsychotic drugs are used to control psychotic disorders. Individuals that have psychotic disorders such as, bipolar (manic depression) and schizophrenia use this medication frequently. Furthermore, antipsychotic drugs can help with severe anxiety and depression. Antipsychotic medication control hallucinations, delusions, insomnia, anxiety, and agitation in patients. There are many people with dementia whom are also prescribed antipsychotic drugs. These medications are also used to control and manage agitated dementia patients. Some antipsychotic medications that are given to people with dementia are risperidone, trazodone, and loxapein.
It is still uncertain exactly
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The video touched on several non-pharmacutical ideas. One great idea is at a nursing facility located in Minnesota that has a pilot project going on. This project is called, “awakening.” In the beginning of the project, the elderly individuals with dementia whom were living at the Minnesota facility, had their antipsychotic medications gradually reduced. Then the dementia patients completely stopped taking the antipsychotic drugs. In addition to the stopping of the antipsychotic medication, the staff focused on providing more one on one care to the folks with dementia. Furthermore, three days a week, the residents take part in three activities for that day. The staff also had a change in how they take care of the residents. They focus on the resident behaviors. For example, if there is a difficult and agitated resident, the staff will look at the behavior that the resident is expressing. If the resident is expressing agitation, the staff members will investigate why the resident is having that particular behavior. The staff may find out the resident is hungry, thirsty, or in pain. Then, the staff can quickly give the resident what they need. As a result, many of the residents whom were difficult to manage, are not so difficult at all. They just could not express what they …show more content…
One nursing facility has a sensory room. In this room, the residents can go to calm down and relax. The room is darkened and has a few bubbling water features with colorful lights. The residents also have the ability to express themselves with music in this sensory room. On the wall, is a display in which they can take the mallet and touch certain items that make a sound. Therefore, the residents can make music. This room assists the residents to relax and calm down without the need of antipsychotic
...apine, quetiapine, aripiprazole, risperidone, and may include ziprasidone) to treat psychotic symptoms, and mood stabilizers such as lithium or valproate to control manic episodes.
Stahl, S. M., & Mignon, L. (2010). Antipsychotics: Treating psychosis, mania and depression (2nd ed.).
Dementia is common among a large population of elderly people. The disease affects not only the individual diagnosed, but also the caregivers that work towards making their life comfortable in the end. Understanding and learning about the disease is crucial in helping those that experience or live with someone who has dementia. The services and support that are currently in affect for elderly people with dementia and the caregivers is poor, and ineffective because of the lack of research and information on the topic.
Clozapine and the Treatment of Schizophrenia Clozapine, marketed by the trade name of "Clozaril," is a member of the dibenzodiazepine class of antipsychotic medication, and is one of many types of neuroleptic drugs. Clozapine is an atypical medication because it differs from the older conventional drugs such as Halodol or Lithium. The difference between atypical and the older drugs is because there less neuroleptic activity as a result of more specific receptors utilized. The atypical drugs work effectively to treat psychotic illnesses and tend to have fewer side effects than their predecessors. Clozapine has been found to be the most effective antipsychotic drug for treatment resistant schizophrenia.
-Lieberman JA, Stroup TS, McEvoy JP, Swartz MS, Rosenheck RA, Perkins DO, Keefe RS, Davis SM, Davis CE, Lebowitz BD, Severe J, Hsiao JK. Effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in patients with chronic schizophrenia. N Engl J Med. 2005. Web.
Before antipsychotic drugs, people were locked away in asylums and in some cases doctors would use a surgical procedure for cutting nerve pathways in the frontal lobes of the brain, called lobotomy. Then around the 1950’s to the 1980’s, the first generation of antipsychotics was discovered. These drugs were developed because there was a lack of facilities for mental patients and very few people to care for these people. Apparently antipsychotic drugs are more humane for civilians with mental illnesses (Sue).
What is Alzheimer ? Is Alzheimer 's more difficult for the patient or for the patient’s siblings?
Classical antipsychotic treatments are commonly used to treat schizophrenic patients with major positive symptoms of schizophrenia, such as Thorazine, Haldol, and Stelazine (Gleitman et al., 2011). Antipsychotic treatments are usually administered with a variety of psychosocial treatments including social skills training, vocational rehabilitation, supported employment, family therapy, or individual therapy (Barlow & Durand, 2014). This is to reduce relapse and help the patient improve their skills in deficits and comply in consuming the
The participation in leisure activities, such as dance, is related with a reduced risk of development of dementia, both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia (Verghese et al., 2003). Dementia is “a general term that describes a group of symptoms-such as loss of memory, judgment, language, complex motor skills, and other intellectual function-caused by the permanent damage or death of the brain's nerve cells, or neurons” (Alzheimer’s Foundation of America [AFA], 2015, para 1). Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in persons over the age of 65, representing about 60 percent of all dementias. Dementia is specifically characterized by “different pathologic, or structural, changes in the brain, such as an accumulation of
...ected over another because it has less chance of damaging a diseased liver, worsening a heart condition, or affecting a patient’s high blood pressure. For all the benefits that anti-psychotic drugs provide, clearly they are far from ideal. Some patients will show marked improvement with drugs, while others might be helped only a little, if at all. Ideally, drugs soon will be developed to treat successfully the whole range os schizophrenia symptoms. Roughly one third of schizophrenic patients make a complete recovery and have no further recurrence, one third have recurrent episodes of the illness, and one third deteriorate into chronic schizophrenia with severe disability (Kass, 206).
Delirium, Depression, and Dementia are some of the most common psychological diagnoses in the elderly today. The three D’s are difficult to differentiate between in older adults because they overlap with each other and can all exist in the same patient at once. Delirium, Dementia, and Depression all affect the elderly’s quality of life and often increase the risks for one another (Downing, Caprio & Lyness, 2013). For the purpose of this paper I will be focusing primarily on the diagnosis of Dementia, the prevention, and nursing measures associated with it, but first I would like to differentiate between Delirium and Depression because Dementia is often associated with the two in the older adult population.
Schizophrenia requires a lifetime of treatment through either medications and therapy, in many cases both is needed. Psychiatrist’s help patients survive through the disease. Another form to treat schizophrenia is through antipsychotic medications which are most commonly prescribed drugs to treat schizophrenia.
A charge nurse working the night shift overhears loud talking coming from a nearby room within the unit. Upon locating the room where the noise is coming from, she recognizes that it is a patient with dementia who is becoming increasingly confused, agitated, and combative. The family member at bedside who is also the primary caregiver is trying to keep the patient in bed, and also appears quite frustrated. The primary nurse is in the room, but seems to be struggling with what to do. The charge nurse instructs the primary nurse to review the patient’s medications, and obtain the one used for agitation. The charge nurse then explains to the family member about using the medication, and suggests they take a break while other alternative methods are attempted. The charge nurse then dims some of the lighting within the room, begins to play relaxing music, and purposefully speaks in a very soft tone to the patient. The charge nurse continues to try to redirect the patient, but also understands that you must not argue the reality with dementia patients. The charge nurse proceeds with light massage to the hands, and feet of the patient, all while ensuring the patient that they are safe. The patient is showing less agitation, and the nurse soon arrives with the proper medication. The patient is calm and resting by the time the family member returns. Both the primary nurse and the family
Introduction This assignment critically discusses dementia, a widespread disability among older adults today. It provides an introduction to dementia and analyses its prevalence in society. The various forms of dementia are elaborated with descriptions of dysfunctions and symptoms. Nursing Assessment and Interventions are provided in the further sections which discuss actions nurses should take while evaluating patients and treating them.
Caring for dementia involves a lot of patience and understanding. It should be dealt with audacity and flawlessness to ensure the vulnerable adults’ well-being. Aiding at home or care home required carers to be at their best, physically and emotionally. The responsibility can be distressing but it is rewarding as well since helping dementia adults in their day to day activities is a significant matter for them. However, carers need a pause as over duty can result to substandard nursing. The big question is: who take care for the carers of people with dementia?