Bachelor of Nursing: Alzheimer's Disease Case Study and Care Analysis

This case study analyzes the nursing care provided to Binny, a 62-year-old Australian woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The study explores the impact of the disease on her daily life, including memory loss, difficulties with decision-making, and challenges with social interactions. It examines the factors contributing to Alzheimer's, such as age and potential genetic predispositions, while also discussing the incurable nature of the disease and the importance of therapy and medication for managing symptoms. The role of nurses, family members, and the interdisciplinary team in providing person-centered care, support, and strategies to improve Binny's quality of life are thoroughly investigated, highlighting the significance of family support and a collaborative approach in managing the disease. The study also considers the necessary assessments, the roles of the interdisciplinary team, and the integration of nursing care to enhance Binny's quality of life, regardless of her phase of care (habilitation, rehabilitation, or palliative). The case study emphasizes the importance of maintaining a normal lifestyle, providing a supportive environment, and offering healthy foods to help Binny cope with the challenges of Alzheimer's disease. The provided references offer further insights into the disease, its management, and the impact of caregiving.

Running head: BACHELOR NURSING ASSIGNMENT
Bachelor nursing assignment
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Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common chronic diseases that is being faced
by senior citizen around the world. It slowly worsen the condition making it difficult for the
patient to remember things. The disease not only has an impact on the memory of the patient
but will also have an impact the actions that is being daily performed by them [1].
Alzheimer’s disease has a great impact in the patient as well as in the family of the patient.
The paper will help to understand the impact of nursing care on the patients suffering from
Alzheimer’s based on the case of Binny, who is a 62 years old Australian lady.
The aim of the study is to identify the impact of Alzheimer’s in the psychology and
the way of living of the person and caregiving process, that will help in healing the patients.
Binny has been a victim of Alzheimer’s since a long time [2]. Hence, the paper will help to
explain the ways that will help her to fight the disease.
She was a happy woman, who was leading a peaceful life in Australia. She has been
also running a small flower shop as she loved flowers and to interact with people. She was
initially a homemaker. However, she decided to run a flower shop. At the age of 61 she was
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It became very stressful when she realised that she was
unable to keep a check on the number of flowers that were sold or was unable to calculate the
amount that she has to return to the customers. These conditions made her visit the clinic and
was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s has a great impact in the lifestyle of the people who is being effected by
Alzheimer’s [2]. It has been observed that Binny started to lose her memories. She was
unable to think and make judgment, which makes it difficult for her to concentrate. It
becomes difficult to multitask as well as she finds challenges in calculation as she was having
issues while she had to return change to the customers. The ability to make decision and

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judge in the daily work that is being performed by them becomes a challenge [4]. Moreover,
other activities like social interaction or wearing clothes become difficult for her.
The factors that has a great impact on patients with Alzheimer’s are age, family
history, head injury and genetics [5]. Age is one of the most common factor that leads to
Alzheimer’s. Binny was 62 years; thus, it was quite obvious that she will be facing issues to
remember things. With the passage of time, the brain cells starts to get damaged that leads to
forgetting of memories or faces. People those who had a family history of Alzheimer’s also
has a great risk of Alzheimer’s. As it is present in their genetics, one may suffer from
Alzheimer’s. However, Binny had no such family history. Another reason that can lead to
Alzheimer’s is head injury or any accident that has caused Alzheimer’s [6]. Analysis of her
history also did not show any injury in her brain.
Alzheimer’s is a disease that is incurable. However, researchers and doctors have
come up with ideas of therapy and medications that can provide relief to the patients till an
extent [7]. Therapy is considered to be one of the most common treatment that helps in
developing the condition of the patients and helps them to overcome stress and anxiety that
they often face from Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s care that is being provided by nurses and family help them to recover
from the situation till a lot extent [8]. There has been initiatives taken by the government by
developing adult day care for Alzheimer’s patients. This day care has nurses appointed who
will ensure that the patients are happy and peaceful while in the care. It is being developed
for people suffering from Alzheimer’s, who stay alone in home as their family members stay
away. It is necessary that the Alzheimer’s must have a companion with them as they suffer
from loneliness as well that will have a worsening impact in the patient. It is asked to
Alzheimer’s patients to live a normal life as it is considered that they will have an

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engagement in their normal life. However, as Binny was not badly effected with Alzheimer’s,
she was not sent to any day care. Her family was supportive and in spite of sending her to day
care decided to continue with the daily duties she performed.
The Alzheimer’s patients must not consider themselves as patients and rather practice
various ways that will help in developing the memory and improve the health care of the
people. Nurses and doctors play a very little role for treating Alzheimer’s patients. On the
other hand families play a major role in the development of the condition of the Alzheimer’s
patients [6]. In the case of Binny, her family ensured that she would not feel lonely. However,
initially they had faced a difficult situation in to understand or find ways that will help them
in coping up with her condition. Moreover, they were scared, as they knew that it is
incurable.
The strategies that were being developed by the nurses and doctors were to provide
the patients with enough time and let them perform actives that they loved. This had a great
changes witnessed in the life of the people suffering from Alzheimer’s [2]. Binny’s family
has witnessed various changes in the her life and let her continue to perform activities she
used to do in her daily life as it will help in coping with the situation. In spite of panicking, it
is necessary that the families must support them to fight with the situation. The family of
Binny has also provided her with healthy foods will also help her fight Alzheimer’s to a lot
extent.
Alzheimer’s is a condition that is mostly faced by old aged people. Hence, they can be
supported with love and care from their nearest ones. It has been witnessed that people have
developed and could remember things when they received right and effective care from their
families. Nurses and doctors play a major role in providing them with medication and

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therapy. However, support from the family had been one of the major reasons in the history
of Alzheimer’s recovery.

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References
[1] Ponjoan A, Garre-Olmo J, Blanch J, Fages E, Alves-Cabratosa L, Martí-Lluch R, Comas-
Cufí M, Parramon D, García-Gil M, Ramos R. How well can electronic health records from
primary care identify Alzheimer’s disease cases?. Clinical epidemiology. 2019;11:509.
[2] Turró-Garriga O, Garre-Olmo J, Rene-Ramirez R, Calvó-Perxas L, Gascón-Bayarri J,
Conde-Sala JL. Consequences of anosognosia on the cost of caregivers’ care in Alzheimer’s
disease. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 2016 Jan 1;54(4):1551-60.
[3] Miceli, P., 2016. Taking care of emotions in the family care of Alzheimer’s disease.
Gérontologie et société, 38(2), pp.59-72.
[4] Hale J. What are the Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s?.
[5] Kozin SA, Makarov AA. The Convergence of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis
Concepts. Molecular Biology. 2019 Nov 1;53(6):896-903.
[6] NIEZNAnSKI K, NIEZNAnSKA H, Surewicz WK, Surewicz K, Bandyszewska M,
inventors; Instytut Biologii Doswiadczalnej Im Marcelego Nenckiego, Case Western Reserve
University, assignee. Prion protein-dendrimer conjugates for use in treatment of alzheimer
disease. United States patent application US 16/300,214. 2019 Mar 28.
[7] Prince M, Comas-Herrera A, Knapp M, Guerchet M, Karagiannidou M. World Alzheimer
report 2016: improving healthcare for people living with dementia: coverage, quality and
costs now and in the future.
[8] King JB, Jones KG, Goldberg E, Rollins M, MacNamee K, Moffit C, Naidu SR, Ferguson
MA, Garcia-Leavitt E, Amaro J, Breitenbach KR. Increased functional connectivity after
listening to favored music in adults with Alzheimer dementia. The journal of prevention of
Alzheimer's disease. 2019 Jan 1;6(1):56-62.