It is evident from the literature that, the adverse effects of dementia make changes in patients quality of life by changing their behavioural and functional abilities including expression of feelings or communicational skills. As a result, it becomes a challenge for the health care provider to assess or identify pain or symptoms of pain in dementia patients when they are unable to articulate their needs. Using a pain measurement tool helps the health care provider to meet this challenge, thus improve the pain management in persons with severe cognitive impairment. Throughout the research, in order to find out the suitable diagnostic tool for pain assessment in patients with advanced dementia, author reviewed studies on different pain assessment
Pain is neither objective nor seen or felt by anybody other than the person that is experiencing it. Pain is subjective, therefore there is no way to distinguish whether or not someone is hurting and the only and best measurement of pain is that what the patient says it is. In settings such as end of life care, patients present with many different disease processes and ultimately are there because they have an average of six months to live. Along with this stage in their lives, palliative care patients can encounter a myriad of symptoms, which can result in these patients experiencing tremendous physical and psychological suffering (Creedon & O’Regan, 2010, p. [ 257]). For patients requiring palliative care, pain is the most incapacitating of symptoms and in return unrelieved pain is the primary symptom that is feared most by these patients. So why has pain management not become the top priority when it comes to end of life care, considering this area is growing at an extraordinary rate as a result of an increasingly ageing population?
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.
A. Chronic pain signifies a developing public health issue of huge magnitudes, mainly in view of aging populations in developed countries (Russo).
The purpose of this paper is to present a discussion of the application and evaluation of Post-Operative pain management in elderly patients with dementia in a rehabilitation setting.
Stein, W. M 2001. Pain management in the elderly: pain in the nursing home. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 17, 575-594.
Aim. The purpose of this paper is to clarify and analyze the meaning of the concept of pain. The paper will clarify the defining attributes of pain and identify the antecedents that influence the perception of pain and list the consequences of pain. It will also state the empirical referents in reference to pain.
There are different types of pain which may be suffered by an individual with cancer, with some patients suffering only one type of pain, but others experiencing a range of all three types. Identifying the type of pain suffered is the first major step in ensuring effective treatment, as not all respond to different treatments in the same way (De Conno & Caraceni, 1996, p.9).
I am currently in placement in a care home which provides long term care for elderly individuals. Following the Data Protection Act 1998, in order to preserve confidentiality, for the purpose of this activity the resident shall be referred to as Grace. Having assessed a number of residents needs I came to the conclusion that this individual would benefit most from this activity. The reasons for which I will outline below. Grace is an 87 year old female resident with a current diagnosis of mixed type dementia. Grace’s diagnosis of mixed dementia has resulted in a decline in her cognitive ability, especially her memory recall. This has also resulted in Grace being deemed to be a vulnerable adult and she has been placed on an Adults with Incapacity Act 2000 declaration. In order for Grace to be treated with a person-centred holistic care approach, I will work with Grace to develop a scrap book containing pictures and stories about her life. The aims of the activity are; to engage Grace in a mentally stimulating activity which provides for all of her dimensions of health and needs which are; Physical, psychological, social, societal, emotional and spiritual. (WHO, 2011)
5. physiological measures Physiological measures of pain Muscle tension is associated with painful conditions such as headaches and lower backache, and it can be measured using an electromyograph (EMG). This apparatus measures electrical activity in the muscles, which is a sign of how tense they are. Some link has been established between headaches and EMG patterns, but EMG recordings do not generally correlate with pain perception (Chapman et al 1985) and EMG measurements have not been shown to be a useful way of measuring pain. Another approach has been to relate pain to autonomic arousal.
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.
Pain management - Ensuring that people living with pain have the right help and medication to reduce suffering and improve their quality of life. Pain can be wrongly viewed, even by older people themselves, as an inevitable part of old age, but if it is identified and managed it can hugely improve the quality of life of
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.
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?
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