4th STEP: Tricks of the trade Living with an Alzheimer's patient or a senile confused patient can be a lot similar to living with a small child. The first thing you want to do is "child proof" the house. 1. Child Proof the House; Just like you would if you were afraid an infant might get into something. This would include locking cabinets and placing medications and poisonous substances out of reach. The difference is that the patient is larger and may be able to problem solve well enough to get into the secured area. Example: You place a plastic pad lock on the cabinet. A slightly confused patient might say, "That's to remind me not to get in there." A moderately confused patient might say, "I'm going to need a big stick to get in there." …show more content…
This makes the challenge more difficult. As in the example above, you may need to change your strategies from time to time, as the person changes. You would not keep plastic locks on, if the patient was trying to remove them with sticks or tools. 2. Lock up Keys and Tools. Early stage Alzheimer's person will use keys to leave the house and drive. This can be quite dangerous and they will more than likely end up lost and agitated. Middle stage Alzheimer's people may not know what they are doing, but they can be very resourceful. Within minutes, an Alzheimer's person can use tools to disassemble your T.V. or plumbing. When asked, "What are you doing?" They may reply: "Why I'm a fixin', this here tractor." Late stage Alzheimer type individuals may try to eat the keys or flush them down the toilet and they could cut themselves on the tools while playing with them. 3. Secure the Living Quarters. You need to lock the doors in such a fashion as to where you can get out but the patient cannot. There are a couple of ways to accomplish this. You can purchase locks with keyholes on both sides, thereby needing a key to get in and out. You may be able to simply put an extra latch near the bottom of the door, where the patient may not think to look for
Then after threading a catheter through the needle, the anesthesiologist will withdraw the needle and leave the catheter i...
that the patient could easily snap out of it. Elf is admitted in the hospital after attempting
Dementia is the loss of a person’s mental skills from their daily routines. The symptoms of dementia could easily be over looked, they include forgetting things, daily routines are hard to complete, misplacing things, depression, aggravation and aggression, emotion are high, even feeling like someone is a threat to their life (Web MD,2012). Caring for someone with dementia can be difficult if with resources like healthcare, living facilities, nursing homes and medicine is involved, but sometimes healthcare and facilities do not provide the proper care. This disease is very common in the elderly community past the age of sixty-five. Finding out that a loved
... the patient complained about, they needed to avoid diagnostic procedures and surgeries unless previously indicated, and finally they had to refrain from making statements about their symptoms being, “all in their head” (Woolfolk, 2010).
were trying to move an old woman to the infirmary, “but between her broken gasps for breath
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia which is a brain disorder that impairs mental functioning. Dementia attacks the part of the brain which controls memory, language, and thought. It makes everyday tasks like remembering to brushing your teeth, or to pay your bills next to impossible to do, which is why so many people who are diagnosed with this disease are in complete care. This disease has different phases, the first being slight forgetfulness and then the persons emotions may heighten as well as language impairment, violent outbursts, loss of bladder control and from there it keeps getting worse until complete dysfunction of the brain occurs and eventually death, which most of the time is the result of infection.
Alzheimer’s disease is a serious disease which causes people to behave in a challenging way for their family and caregivers to manage. These behaviours are caused by damage to the brain that leads to psychological and functional impairment. Due to this impairment the people with AD are often neglected and labelled by the society. Family caregivers play a massive role in the care of their loved ones with AD. Patients and family caregivers often experience stress in dealing with all the obstacles that Alzheimer’s disease put them through.
When a person starts staring in one direction, shows spasm, has a blue color around the mouth, wets him or herself (incontinence), you should protect the person from injury. Cover the head, don’t put anything in his or her mouth and turn him or her on the side to help the person breathing. You must stay with the person until he or she is fully recovered.
I have been able to observe the consequences and problems having Alzheimer’s disease may cause for a family through my grandfather. My grandfather did not seem to be sick, but it was slowly evident that he was forgetting some aspects of his life. When my mother and I visited him, he would occasionally forget who we were. It was truly heart-breaking to watch someone you knew your entire life somehow become a new person. Unfortunately, he passed away from complications a few years after his diagnosis. The moral is Alzheimer’s changes how you think, feel, and act, but it is not a complete game changer. People should seek aid from professionals and create an adjusted environment for themselves. People should surround themselves with support and love. After all, Alzheimer’s affects the brain, not the heart.
... for home repairs or products they don’t need. 6.Problems with abstract thinking, balancing a checkbook may be hard when the task is more complicated than usual. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease could forget completely what the numbers are and what needs to be done with them. 7.Misplacing things, anyone can temporarily misplace a wallet or key. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places: an iron in the freezer, a wristwatch in the sugar bowl, or a sandwich under the sofa. 8.Changes in mood or behavior, everyone can become sad or moody from time to time. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease can show rapid mood swings-from calm to tears to anger-for no apparent reason. 9.Changes in personality, people’s personalities ordinarily change somewhat with age. But a person with Alzheimer’s disease can change a lot, becoming extremely confused, suspicious, fearful, or dependent on a family member. 10.Loss of initiative, it’s normal to tire of housework, business activities, or social obligations at times. The person with Alzheimer’s disease may be very passive, sitting in front of the television for hours, sleeping more than usual, or not wanting to do usual activities.
Alzheimer’s disease slowly steals a person’s dignity and erases precious memories. The “Alzheimer’s Disease Guide”, found on WebMD explains that tasks become more difficult to do often leading to confusion and behavior changes. The article further explains the progression of the disease also brings hardship to family and friends (1). To best cope with Alzheimer’s we must better understand the disease.
In an article written by Samantha P. Ziglar, BSN, RN, she describes the main purpose of restraints through her eyes in the medical field. Ziglar states that at least one in every four patients will be restrained at least once, that’s 79.715 million people in the United States (Population). “Specific reasons include fall prevention, limiting wandering behavior and preventing dislodging or interference of therapeutic devices, and controlling violent or agitated behavior” (Ziglar 1). Ziglar emphasises the growing problem among restraints; improper use among nurses. “Patient safety should be every nurse’s top priority; therefore, nurses need to have a thorough knowledge base of the risks and benefits of using physical restraints” (1). As a result of what a nurse needs, restraints are required to succeed in his or her profession, making their patient as safe and comfortable as possible. The purpose of restraints as a whole is to provide patient protection. Ziglar lists the pros and cons of the use of restraints. Some major
This was a well-informed post of Alzheimer’s disease and how the family is coping with it. Moreover, why does the children feel they have done enough, when the mom is still getting infections and falling? I believe they aren’t doing anything at all. For example, if the children would put the mom on a routine and make sure her medicines are in plain sight to take them. Additionally, not all the pills, but the dosage she needs to take while they’re away. Her falling may be a call for attention, which I believe she deserves. As a mom, I want my kids to be there for me when I’m old and dependent. I will definitely teach them to help the elderly as much as they can because one day you’ll get old and need help. At time, elderly don’t
Families that have loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease need a lot of patience and knowledge about the disease. I am looking forward to work those people throughout my career. References Alzheimer’s Association. (2008). Safety center.
While disoriented and away from home, an Alzheimer's patient may become dehydrated, or suffer heat stroke or hypothermia depending on the weather. Getting hit by a car is another possibility because the person forgets how to cross the street. Other dangers include tripping and falling, sometimes in remote areas. Preventing