Dementia is one of the most common brain dysfunctions that predominantly occur in older adults by diminishing their quality of life and chances for independent functioning. Since the world’s demographic situation is currently characterized by an aging population, the causes of dementia are expected to grow in number. Therefore, it is essential for health care professionals to develop and continuously improve the methods of care that would meet the needs of older patients with different types of dementia. The present paper discusses the implications of dementia care within the context of Ertha Williams’ case. The patient’s cognitive concerns, strengths, weaknesses, health care needs management, and prospects for professional care improvement are addressed.
Characteristics of Dementia
Among the geriatric-related health issues, dementia is commonly regarded as the most frequently observed one. Dementia is defined as a group of disorders characterized by brain dysfunction manifested through cognitive impairments, namely memory loss, language skills worsening, deterioration in thinking abilities and decision-making, and others (Alzheimer’s Association, 2021). One of the types of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which might develop in later stages of dementia and develop fast. While aging is one of the most commonly observed risk factors for dementia, it is not considered a normal attribute of aging.
However, such dementia symptoms as confusion, memory dysfunction, impairments with speech and cognition might be associated with depression, polypharmacy, excessive alcohol consumption, and other conditions (Alzheimer’s Association, 2021). Moreover, since different types of dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease, in particular, are progressive conditions that are irreversible, it is vital to identify and diagnose them at the early stages. Early diagnoses will ensure symptom treatment, cause elimination, and lifestyle adjustments.
Ertha’s Cognitive Concerns
A 74-years old patient, Ertha Williams, experiences some signs of cognitive deterioration. In particular, in her monologue, the patient reports often being anxious and having some bad days and some good days. Ertha gets confused and forgets things, and when she realizes that she forgot something important, she feels nervous and cries (Cleary, 2021). When telling about her professional life, the patient makes a long pause to remember the institution she worked for. The fact that the patient occasionally forgets some important information from her life indicates that she has early cognitive dysfunction.
After moving to their apartment at an assisted facility, Ertha struggles to find things claiming that they are not in their rightful places (Cleary, 2021). She is aware of her forgetfulness, but when she tries to write down some things, she forgets where she took notes; also, Ertha finds it difficult to recall if some of the recent events took place a week or a month ago. These indicators of memory losses related to long-term and short-term events signalize the development of the symptoms of dementia. Apart from memory loss, the patient has symptoms of confusion when she says that she has to cook for Henry although he is hospitalized. Similarly, she reports that noises tend to distract her, which illustrates difficulty concentrating.
Ertha’s Strengths
Despite an array of cognitive concerns that indicate early dementia symptoms, Ertha has several strong features that might be helpful in her management of the condition. Firstly, the patient is aware of her problem and is willing to manage it. This predisposition toward treatment is a very helpful element in further care. Secondly, the patient has developed a strong sense of belongingness to her family. Ertha has good supportive relationships with her husband, her daughter-in-law, and her grandson. These family ties keep her motivated to remain active and also provide her with adequate support and assistance. Thirdly, the patient attends church, which serves a two-fold purpose, namely group support of other church attendants and the faith that is empowering and very important for psychological wellbeing.
Fourthly, Ertha continues visiting the ladies’ circle, which is also a valuable platform for group support. Finally, the fact that the patient resides at an assisted facility increases her chances for adequate care and safe functioning while her husband is away. All these strengths contribute to the opportunities for helping the patient overcome the struggles of developing dementia and provide timely treatment that would minimize harm and prolong active and functional life.
Professional’s Concerns for Ertha
Ertha’s symptoms indicate that she is incapable of taking good care of herself. Since she often forgets things and is easily distracted, she might be subject to incidents in her apartment when performing her daily chores. In addition, the symptoms indicate that the patient is experiencing the first signs of dementia, which requires particular attention from the professionals and specified treatment. Ertha does not take some memory medicine and pills for anxiety that her husband gives her. However, it might be necessary to introduce dementia-specific treatment. Another concern that arises in relation to medication is the potential for polypharmacy.
The patient is prescribed several medications, confusion and memory loss being some of the possible side effects (Davidson, 2017). Therefore, the concern for Ertha is that she should be assisted in her medication intake since she might be exposed to accidental overdose due to her forgetfulness.
Additional Information that Might be Required Concerning Ertha’s Condition
Despite the multifaceted data describing the patient’s condition, there are several issues that a professional should clarify for making informed decisions in terms of further treatment of the patient and care provision relevant to her needs. For example, it might be relevant to identify what medications exactly Ertha is currently prescribed. One should clarify whether her physician is aware of all the medications that the patient and her husband consider helpful in different situations of anxiety or confusion. Moreover, It is important to collect health history that would determine when the first incidences of memory loss and cognitive impairments occurred. This information would be helpful in identifying the severity and the level of the condition’s development.
Life Changes and Health Care Needs Management
Several changes in the patient’s life have had a significant impact on her ability to manage her health care needs. In particular, at the time of the interview, the patient reported losing her son in a war, which had been a trigger of depression and emotional breakdown along with long-term grief that could intensify the severity of dementia symptoms. As for moving to an assisted facility, this change might have a positive effect since Ertha has continuous access to assistance provided by professionals. On the negative side, Henry’s illness and hospitalization hinder Ertha’s independence from professional care since her husband cared for her all the time.
Moreover, the stress that the patient is exposed to due to the hospitalization and illness of her husband triggers more severe depression and anxiety that results in a weaker ability to take care of herself and manage her condition. Therefore, given all the difficulties that the elderly patient encounters, she is in need of timely and adequate professional care that would meet her health needs.
Beers Criteria Application
According to Croke (2020), the Beers Criteria help health care professionals in guiding proper medication management in patients with several concurrent conditions, especially in the elderly population. This tool might be helpful in Ertha’s case since it provides a basis for eliminating insufficient medications that could aggravate the symptoms related to dementia. It might be the case that the elimination of medications with harmful side effects might ease the severity of symptoms and help the patient lead a more effective life. On the other hand, the Beers Criteria might be applied in order to substitute her current medications with alternatives to understand the development of her cognitive impairments with time.
Conclusion
In summary, as the review of the case of Ertha Williams dementia demonstrates, older people are subject to brain impairments that result in memory loss, confusion, language- and thinking-related complications, and other issues.
These symptoms significantly obstruct normal everyday life and the ability to manage one’s health care needs. Recent changes in the patient’s life trigger more stress and might cause worsening of dementia symptoms, which is why professional support and help with symptom management is essential. The strengths of the patient, namely active social life, close relationships with family, faithfulness, and the overall acceptance of her condition, might contribute to successful disorder management. One of the tools that are likely to mitigate the risks and clarify Ertha’s cognitive issues is the Beers Criteria.
References
Alzheimer’s Association. (2021). What is dementia? Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. Web.
Cleary, J. (2021). Ertha Williams. National League for Nursing. Web.
Croke, L. M. (2020). Beers Criteria for inappropriate medication use in older patients: An update from the AGS. American Family Physician. Web.
Davidson, R. (2017). Polypharmacy. U.S. Pharmacist – The Leading Journal in Pharmacy. Web.