CHRONIC ILLNESS DEMENTIA (FRONTOTEMPORAL)

Running Head: CHRONIC ILLNESS DEMENTIA (FRONTOTEMPORAL)
CHRONIC ILLNESS DEMENTIA (FRONTOTEMPORAL)
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

CHRONIC ILLNESS DEMENTIA (FRONTOTEMPORAL)2
Introduction:
Frontotemporal dementia is classified as a type of insidious neurodegenerative clinical
disorder where it is further characterized with the progression (Tábuas-Pereira, Santana &
Santo, 2017) in the deficits of traits that include behavior, language and executive function. The
disorder is one of the most common form of dementia that is seen to affect all the age groups
and are ranked third after Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy bodied dementia, which is referred to
as the beginning stage of dementia. Due to the various sets of similarities of the frontotemporal
dementia (Bang, Spina & Miller, 2015) with the patients suffering from psychiatric disorders, the
early diagnosis of the said disease become quite a bit of a challenge. The paper below
discusses about the chronic disease frontotemporal dementia in details and showcases an
interview session with an old aged patient named Mr. Jon Moss. The paper projects light on
how the said disorder had impacted the life of Mr. Moss and his family while dealing with the
disorder. With the application of Roger, Logan & Tierney model (2008) as a framework for the
senior nurse to practice has been incorporated in the paper. The first five stages of the Levett-
Jones clinical reasoning cycle had been applied as well to help the nurse and the reader
understand and identify the criteria for providing care that need to prioritize on urgent basis.
Lastly, the paper discusses and charts out a nursing care plan for Mr. Jon Moss and aims to
provide him with optimal care.
Background:
The paper deals with the case Mr. Jon Moss, a 65-year-old man born and residing in
Australia. On further interviewing the patient and his family, it was revealed that Mr. Jon Moss
worked as an accountant and had to retire early due to facing continuous health issues. Mr.
Moss was a widower and resided in the suburbs of Australia. His family consists of two adult
children and four grandchildren who resided in another city. On speaking to his son, it was

CHRONIC ILLNESS DEMENTIA (FRONTOTEMPORAL)3
revealed that last month Mr. Moss was brought to the emergency room (ER) to assess his
suicidal ideations and bipolar behavior. The case stated that Mr. Moss was observed to indulge
in frequent verbal arguments with every person and mentioned the fact repeatedly, that he did
not have any desire to live and might chose overdosing himself with medicines to end his life.
Moreover, he was seen to put on weight rapidly over the last few weeks and was facing problem
while trying to sleep. On being asked whether he feels depressed or not, he completely denied
the possibility of him being depressed. Based on initial assessment, his short-term memory and
long-term memory was found to be intact, however he was diagnosed with major depression
and was recommended to get started on melatonin and sertraline. Within a few days of him
being discharged, Mr. Moss was again admitted following the same complains of acting
depressed and sad, along with feeling suicidal. Post admission, he was further sent for a
reassessment, where it was projected that the actions and the behavior posed by Mr. Moss was
not at all normal and had been completely out of his character. Behavioral changes such as
throwing stuff at his own grandchildren whom he loved and adored so much, irritability towards
any discussion, lack of judging skills and not being able to concentrate on any situation and
inability to take any decision or have any say in any discussion was particularly noteworthy. The
medical history was also checked where no incidences of any stroke, seizures or head injury
were stated. All the above symptoms and the computed tomography that was conducted on Mr.
Moss indicated towards frontotemporal dementia. Recent researches that have been conducted
have been focusing mainly on understanding the mechanisms that are involved in this kind of
neurodegenerative diseases. Frontotemporal dementia is observed to be caused by the clumps
of abnormal protein that are observed to form inside the brain cells. These in turn damage the
cells and make them stop working completely. The protein are seen to build up in the frontal and
the temporal lobes of the brain, specifically in the frontal sides and the sides of the brain. These
sides are mainly the ones that control the language skills, ability to endure pain, behavior and
organizing skills. The studies conducted mentions that there is a genetical connect and that