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There are strategies we can use to improve care for patients with dementia. These can include working with family and carers, staff and other health professionals, as well as adapting the environment.1,2,3 Involve family and carers
I really got to know
her and her husband. He had a lot of behaviours and caused a lot of problems on the ward. But I sat down with them both and did the Key to Me [a form similar to the ‘The information about me for planning care in hospital’] … I think that was really good. I’ve been nursing for a long, long time, and sometimes you forget …they’re not just a patient… It made me realise that he’s not a naughty patient who caused a ruckus on the ward. He was a very kind man. After that I had a lot more patience with
him…he was wonderful remembering his past, he had the most amazing life… it blew me away.… You don’t get the same sense completing the form compared to when you talk to someone and fill it in with them. Alert all staff
Communicate clearly and effectively
Assist with activities of daily living
Change the environment
Consider referrals
1. Ballarat Health Services, Understanding dementia: a guide for hospital staff. [undated]. 2. Joosse, L.L., D. Palmer, and N.M. Lang, Caring for elderly patients with dementia: nursing interventions. Nursing: Research and Reviews 2013 3: p. 107-117. 3. Alzheimer's Australia, Dementia care in the acute hospital setting: Issues and strategies. A report for Alzheimer's Australia. Paper 40 2014. 4.Moyle, W., U. Kellett, A. Ballantyne and N. Garcia, Dementia and loneliness: an Australian perspective. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 2011 20: p. 1445-1453. Reviewed 05 October 2015 Which is the best way to approach and greet a patient with dementia?6 essential techniques for how to approach someone with dementia. Approach from the front, never from behind (35 seconds in video) ... . Approach very slowly to give their brain time to process (3:12 in video) ... . Avoid a confrontational stance (4:32 in video) ... . Crouch down to eye level or below, don't bend forward (6:34 in video). Which nursing intervention is best for caring for clients dementia?The nursing interventions for a dementia client are: Orient client. Frequently orient client to reality and surroundings. Allow client to have familiar objects around him or her; use other items, such as a clock, a calendar, and daily schedules, to assist in maintaining reality orientation.
Which is the priority goal for a patient with dementia?Most often, the goals focused on improving quality of life for the person with dementia, followed by caregiver support goals (goals that help reduce caregiver stress or make caregiving as easy as possible). Some commonly chosen goals for the person with dementia included: Maintaining physical safety.
What is the management of dementia?The following are used to temporarily improve dementia symptoms. Cholinesterase inhibitors. These medications — including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon) and galantamine (Razadyne) — work by boosting levels of a chemical messenger involved in memory and judgment.
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