Situation
Mrs. Claudia Swanson is 69 years old. She has dementia of the vascular type; previously she was admitted to a hospital, where she spent over a year. Mrs. Claudia Swanson was put in the hospital after several attempts to maintain her while she was not able to stay in her apartment.
The primary complaints were failing memory and disorientation; moreover, it was evident that the patient was not able to understand the risks of wandering away from the apartment. All these symptoms lead to her disregarding the dangers and repeatedly leaving her own flat, which exceeded into disorientation and getting lost at any time of the day of night.
Background
Despite the fact that the patient has been experiencing this condition for a quite continuous period of time, she has not been prescribed with any medication to this moment. Mrs. Claudia Swanson was not under any medication when she was admitted to the hospital. She does not possess a Seizure Action Plan.
The family is from Nashville, Tennessee; the cases of dementia are not in her family medical background. The patient’s physical and mental limitations are dementia, hearing loss, troubles with self-supporting movement, inability to communicate, and verbal obstructions (SBAR template, 2015).
Assessment
New symptoms I have noticed are that the patient became more disoriented and frightened after admitting into the hospital, as she couldn’t understand why she was not able to stay at home. Besides, the patient was acting suspiciously that everyone around her was to blame for what is happening to her. Therefore, she was refusing to get any treatment at all, didn’t trust the nurses and doctors
What has different in the patient’s situations is absence of vitality, mental condition, faintness, sweating, and anxiety. Mrs. Claudia Swanson seems to be stable or slightly worsening (Holistic care, 2009).
Recommendations
The team of nurses needs to adopt the approach that will manage the behavior of the patient and help her overcome the fear and uncertainty at this stage of dementia. This requires the nurses to keep their distance until the patient stops showing signs of anger, fear and distrust; moreover, the nurses should help the patient feel valued by consulting her on minor issues, thus improving her mental state.
It would be favorable to give Mrs. Claudia Swanson a key to her own room, so she feels confident and in charge of her life, due to her emotional state. All this will give her an impression that she is getting better, not through medicine, but with the help of divine intervention she was waiting for according to her spiritual beliefs. As for the physical state of the patient, due to senility and fatigue, Mrs. Claudia Swanson should not be allowed to have long walks without social support, for example, her relatives or a nurse.
Physical conditions are known to affect the spirit and health of the patient. Mrs. Claudia Swanson not only has health issues that are related to her senility; she also has fatigue, which in addition to her state causes more trouble for the patient. As the patient does not show any signs of acute illnesses, it is best to provide standard measures for maintaining vital activity and well-being (Dossey & Keegan, 2013).
References
Dossey, B. M., & Keegan, L. (2013). Holistic nursing: A handbook for practice. Burlington, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Holistic care needed for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. (2009).
SBAR template. (2015). Web.