NURSING 1: Dementia - Impact on Daily Life, Management & Nursing Role

This nursing essay examines the multifaceted impact of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's, on an elderly patient's daily life, encompassing cognitive, functional, behavioral, and psychological effects. It discusses strengths and resources utilized to manage the condition, such as regular exercise, a heart-healthy diet, and social engagement. The essay also highlights therapeutic communication skills employed by nurses, including social interaction, active listening, and activities of daily living training. Furthermore, it details the crucial role of mental health nurses in recognizing dementia signs, addressing individual patient needs with compassion and respect, and providing comprehensive care to improve the patient's quality of life. Desklib offers a wealth of similar solved assignments and study resources for nursing students.

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Describe how their mental health difficulty affects/impacts their daily life.
Dementia is a condition that affects mental ability and it’s severe enough to affect daily
life. An example of this condition is a memory loss. One of the most common types of dementia
is Alzheimer’s. This condition is caused by damage to the brain cells such that they are unable to
communicate with each other.
The old lady admitted to the hospital with Alzheimer had a high risk of reduced
productivity, quality life, and social problems. This disease had brought about cognitive,
functional, behavioural and psychological effects on her daily life. For the cognitive effects, she
had developed difficulties in recognizing people and the room she was in. This brought more
problems because she could not recognize the doctor attending to her and failed to provide with
the required information. Also, she could not make to go back to her room after visiting the
toilets. She had difficulties in solving problems because of poor concentration. Since her brain
cells were damaged and could not coordinate well with each other, it was difficult for her to learn
new things on how to prevent this at home.
The functional effects of dementia to this old lady was that she could not complete her
daily tasks and activities which determined her healthy living. For example, once a nurse has
engaged her in doing any activity, she ended up forgetting and started doing other things. Also,
she had difficulties in handling and managing her money. This made her not to prioritize her
basic needs which can help in managing dementia.
Moreover, dementia had brought social effects to this old lady. She preferred staying
alone most of the times and did not want to see anyone near her bed. Also, when nurses tried to

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engage her in a conversation, she always gave inappropriate answers to the questions asked.
When talking, she repeated herself and sometimes switched off when required to talk.
In most circumstances, this lady got frustrated with herself and people around her. She
had mood swings and other patients were advised to keep a distance with her because she can do
harm without knowing. Dementia is a bad condition and people should receive medication to
avoid all these life risks.
Describe what strengths and resources they use to help them manage their mental health
difficulty
Though Alzheimer disease has no cure, there are some of the measures one can put in
place to help manage these difficulties. One of these measures may include regular body
exercise. Body exercise can help the old lower risks of this Alzheimer because it benefits brain
cells by increasing the flow of blood and oxygen. Once there is enough flow of oxygen and
blood in the brain, the cells are active and can coordinate well with the others. Body exercise can
help her reduce pressure which brings about cardiovascular risk factors which damage the blood
vessels in the body. Anything that damages blood vessels in any part of the body also affects
brain cells. She can, therefore, protect her brain with strategies used in protecting the heart like
no smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, taking various steps in reducing cholesterol and blood
pressure.
Also, she should observe what to feed on a daily basis because they may have great
effects on the brains through how it affects the heart. The old lady was advised to focus on a little
red meat and emphasize fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. She should also consider taking

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fish, nuts, olive oil, shellfish, and healthy fats. Once she considers taking these form of diet, she
will have no problems with the heart which also means health brain.
Moreover, staying socially engaged through doing activities which are meaningful can
help her overcome these difficulties brought by dementia. For example, if she loved animals, she
should decide to go visiting all animals at a local shelter. This would keep her brain cells active
and able to communicate with each other. Also, if she loves singing she may choose to join her
local choir for practice after the everyday program. She can also choose to do art activities with
her friends like making mats or any other furniture.
Explain what therapeutic skills you used to communicate with this person
Some of the therapeutic skills used when engaging with this old lady were social and
communication skills. Communication is one of the most effective physiological interactions and
through this the old lady would be able to know of her situation. Good communication and
hearing would help in knowing her individual needs. It’s during interaction when she can be
judged about her progress because dementia makes one give inappropriate answers or unable to
solve the problems. This also includes good listening skills which would help in knowing
whether what this lady is talking is relevant or not.
Activities of daily living skill training helped this old woman improve independence in
her personal care tasks like feeding and washing. This skill helps in assessing people’s ability,
impairment and activity performance to know the physical and psychosocial factors. This helped
in knowing the inabilities of the old woman and the things she cannot do on her on. This helped
in coming up with measures to help her in overcoming daily life difficulties.

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Also, emphasizing on doing regular body exercises helped in managing her daily
difficulties. Body exercise helps in strengthening arms and legs and also prevents other diseases
which can cause heart problems. People having an unhealthy heart would also mean that their
brains are negatively affected. It is therefore important to encourage her to put emphases on the
things that can help them overcome these difficulties.
Describe the role of the mental health nurse when they were working with this person
The risk of developing dementia increases with old age and nurses need to manage
patient’s health problems and help with personal care. There are roles health nurses should
observe when dealing with this old lady. One of these roles is by recognizing dementia in her.
This includes observing and reporting any signs of dementia. Reporting these signs in time leads
to better treatment options although recent researches show that the condition is currently
underdiagnosed.
Nurses should also observe the individual needs of this old lady. This would be easier
when engaging her in activities which is a one way of minimizing her daily difficulties. Once a
nurse has sufficient information about the patient’s preferences, it would be easier to help them
in controlling the conditions. It would also be easier for them to get the correct information about
the feelings of the patient and whether she is taking the medication as prescribed.
Moreover, nurses should have compassion in their care of this old lady. This will help in
getting all the necessary information required for the cure and prevention of dementia. Dementia
affects people in different ways and nurses should not assume but rather ask her about her
feelings. Having compassion helps in understanding patients’ needs and one avoids making
wrong choices for them.

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Nurses should also exhibit genuine respect for this patient. They should understand that
she is just like any other individual who is in critical condition and require care to improve the
quality of her life. The impact of giving care is emphasized in the nursing code of ethics
requiring nurses to preserve patients’ dignity and the causes of their illness.