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.
Delirium is a cognitive disorder that alters the patients’ level of consciousness, generally as an acute onset, impairs memory, fluctuations in behavior, produces disorganized thinking, and perceptual disturbances such as hallucinations (Downing, Caprio & Lyness, 2013). In order to diagnose and monitor Delirium a confusion assessment method (CAM) is used to measure the symptoms of ...
Delirium is defined by an acute onset of disturbances in consciousness in which cognition or perception is altered. It can vary throughout the day ...
What is Alzheimer ? Is Alzheimer 's more difficult for the patient or for the patient’s siblings?
I am going to discuss a case of Mrs. Judi Sharman who is 74-years-old widower suffering from severe stage of dementia and has been an aged care home resident for the past two years. At the time of admission into residential care, she was suffering from moderate stage of dementia but now her behavior and psychological symptoms got worsened from past six months. She has been becoming more agitated in evening with sun downing and is physically aggressive at some times and her mood disturbances become problem for other residents and staff members as she starts sudden shouting and disturbs others. She is also experiencing some hallucinations and delusions that represent psychotic illness .Now I will discuss the identification, assessment and management of these symptoms by using current literature.
While the average life expectancy of the world’s population has increased, the number of detected dementia cases has commensurately risen to astonishing levels. Along with improved discovery of this disorder, new causes and treatments have been found, from which many innovative techniques have been developed towards the prevention of future incidences and reduction of the effects of this condition; however, the quest for these solutions have raised more questions than it has answered. Why do some develop this disorder, while others do not? Can early detection be achieved to reverse the processes or limit its effects? Further specifics on these topics have been categorized into three main sections, which include:
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.
Individual and societal impact of the issue. Recent studies have shown that undiagnosed and untreated delirium can become chronic and create a sequence of permanent events that might impact a person’s life forever. The elderly individual may experience loss of independence, institutionalization, or death. According to Aguirre (2010)...
Although delirium risk factors are well known and the condition may be preventable in many patients, this has not, for the most part, been translated into concrete action at the unit level. More research needs to be done on the pathophysiology of delirium to better understand the cause, effect and how to better treat it. It is important that delirium is detected, diagnosed, and treated early without delay to improve patient outcomes and reduce the complications and severity of any associated underlying illness.
One of the most common problems in elders is dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association describes dementia as a range of symptoms rather than just one single specific disease. The symptoms of dementia range from memory loss as well as a decline in thinking skills to severe symptoms that lead to the decline of that person’s ability to perform activities of daily living (What
Dementia describes a chronic or persistent blend of symptoms that lead to the eventual decline in mental ability. Dementia’s symptoms are caused by brain disease and/or related injuries that can potentially lead to a decline in mental health that is extreme enough to interfere drastically with daily routines. At least two severe impairments of either; memory, communication, focus, perception and judgement are enough to be considered for the development of dementia. According to Alzheimer’s Australia1 - approximately over 353,800 Australian civilians have dementia, which is widely expected to increase to 400,000 in the next five years. Alzheimer’s Australia1 also believes that if a cure is not developed, the number of Australian’s living with dementia will increase to an approximate 900,000 by 2050.
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.
With the nurse’s continuous attention to detail, early detection as previously stated can and will be used to find symptoms of confusion, dementia, or delirium. Research done in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society states that efforts to identify, prevent, and treat this condition may reduce the risk of adverse outcomes in older hospitalized patients (Givens, J. L., Jones, R. N., Inouye, S. K, 2009). As the nurses make detailed observations in their assessments, early identification, will be able to occur
Margaret is a 77 year old who has a diagnosis of dementia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. She has been recently separated from her daughter who was her primary carer and her husband who were both unable to cope with her agitated behaviour. Margaret now resides in an age care facility. Margaret’s mental and emotional health is a cause for concern and the family are upset and are struggling with feelings of guilt and anger. This paper with discuss the intervention professional healthcare workers can implement to reduce the turbulence of this transitional period for all individuals involved. The reassuring of the family will firstly be discussed as will the interventions used to reduce agitation and unsafe wandering. A description of dementia will follow with a discussion of the importance of carer education and capability. Lastly the salient points of medication adherence will be considered following information on type 2 diabetes mellitus, examined in relation to the experience of dementia. This paper will focus on information, reasoning, methods and the choosing of appropriated interventions. Desired outcomes are a healthy, content client and a family relieved of situational stress.
12. Pitkala, K.H., Laurila, J.V., Strandberg, T.E., Kautiainen, H., Sintonen, H., Tilvis, R.S. Multicomponent geriatric intervention for elderly inpatients with delirium: effects on costs and health-related quality of life. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008, Vol. 63, 1):56-61.
The elderly represents a large amount of the population in our society and continues to grow each day. As the population grows, it is important to meet the demands and resolve the challenges that we encounter in regards to the overall quality of health and well-being of the elderly. Mental health of the elderly is a major issue but majority of the time goes unnoticed and untreated by caregivers and loved ones. About 20 percent of adults 55 and older are suffering from some type of mental health disorder, and one in three elderly adults do not receive any type of treatment (The State of Mental Health, 2008). Those suffering from mental illness are hesitant to seek out help or any type of treatment because of the stigma, services and cost for care that then comes with mental health disorders. Mental health issues that affect elderly include dementia, delirium, and psychosis. Some of the most common conditions include anxiety, mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder and cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease. Mental health is essential to the
It was a pleasant day at the Dementia unit and I was assigned to care for a lady whom we can call Miss K. She is a lovely, warm and nice lady who was recently admitted to the Dementia unit two weeks ago. I went to her room to meet her, I introduced myself, greeted her and gave her a hand shake for me to establish rapport. She was very cooperative, participative and independent with her cares. From my observation, I noticed that she is very organised and very particular when it comes to cleanliness. She also wakes up early in the morning and makes sure that all of the things that she needs for morning care are neatly arrange in the bathroom. When having a shower, she cleans her body very well. She also brushes her teeth and cleans her dentures very well. She always likes to wear red coloured clothes and red floral nighties. Before leaving her room, she makes sure that her glasses are clean before wearing it, her used clothes are neatly kept in the empty drawer and she wants to have a handkerchief in her pocket. I also noticed that there is always a glass