Dementia
Dementia represents an incurable yet preventable and manageable mental health issue. In the case under analysis, the presence of dementia must be determined by performing several key tests. Specifically, the patient’s cognitive and analytical skills will have to be assessed to determine the extent of his dementia progression. In addition, a CT scan and an MRI scan will have to be performed in order to determine physiological changes in the patient’s brain. To contain the development of dementia, routine activities will have to eb planned, and patient education will be required. To evaluate changes, neuropsychological testing along with the standard assessment will be required (“Dementia care,” n.d.).
Bladder Infection
The problem of bladder infection needs to be identified by conducting a urinalysis, or the analysis of the patient’s urine. After assessing a sample, a nurse will need to introduce strategies for regular voiding of the bladder and reduction of inflammation, which can be achieved by changing the patient’s diet and including analgesics into the range of medications (Hussein et al., 2020).
Immobility
The fact that the patient has been immobilized will also imply taking several key measures. After identifying the presence of ROM in the patient, a nurse will need to provide the necessary strategies for motion assistance, including frequent changes of the patient’ position. In addition, anti-embolic compression tools will be needed to prevent the development of pressure ulcers (Liu et al., 2019). To assess the efficacy of the provided intervention, the quality of joints movement and the extent of pain when moving will be evaluated. Moreover, the patient’s integumentary, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems will have to be assessed (Liu et al., 2019).
Anxiety
One of the main problems with managing anxiety is the absence of any established clinical tests for its diagnosis. While the symptoms of anxiety are quite well-known and easily identifiable, the tests that allow determining the health issue are virtually nonexistent. Therefore, to define the presence of anxiety in a patient, a nurse will have to rely on elf-reported symptoms, as well as complete physical and mental health examination. To address anxiety, a nurse may suggest that the patient should consider relaxation techniques, primarily, mediation (Ayar et al., 2018).
Blindness
Finally, the patient’s blindness needs to be addressed as a major health issue. Though the patient’s sight cannot possibly be improved, a nurse will still be able to provide assistance and support Specifically, the planned intervention may include educating the patient about the relevant tools for identifying obstacles and managing everyday routine. Additionally, means for removing fall-related hazards from the patient’s environment must be seen as a vital change. To assess the patient’ progress, a nurse will have to evaluate the extent of the patient’s prowess in performing everyday routine actions (Cleary & Duke, 2019).
Summary
Tending to the needs of patients with dementia represents a major issue for nurses. Due to the difficulties associated with eliciting accurate information form the target population, developing an adequate treatment framework, as well as diagnosing a health problem and building an accurate assessment instrument, becomes a major complication. Therefore, nurses must strive to collaborate with patients’ family members, educating them about the nature of the health issue and introducing them to the methods of supporting patients in question. Furthermore, a tool for effective nurse-patient communication and precise data collection must be incorporated for proper assessment and health management. Thus, the quality of life in patients with dementia is bound to increase.
References
- Ayar, D., Gerçeker, G. Ö., Özdemir, E. Z., & Bektas, M. (2018). The effect of problematic internet use, social appearance anxiety, and social media use on nursing students’ nomophobia levels. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 36(12), 589-595.
- Cleary, S., & Duke, M. (2019). Clinical governance breakdown: Australian cases of wilful blindness and whistleblowing. Nursing ethics, 26(4), 1039-1049.
- Dementia care. (n.d.). Socialwork.Career. Web.
- Hussein, A. H., Abdelall, H. A., Mostafa, N. M., & Mohammed, A. R. (2020). Effect of Designed Nursing Instructions on Outcomes of Patients with Overactive Bladder Syndrome Undergoing Intravesical Botox Injection. Assiut Scientific Nursing Journal, 8(22), 113-121.
- Lim, W. S., Canevelli, M., & Cesari, M. (2018). Dementia, frailty and aging. Frontiers Media SA.
- Liu, H., Zhu, D., Cao, J., Jiao, J., Song, B., Jin, J.,… & Wu, X. (2019). The effects of a standardized nursing intervention model on immobile patients with stroke: a multicenter study in China. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 18(8), 753-763.