Dementia Case Scenario: You are the nurse working triage in the…

Question Answered step-by-step Dementia Case Scenario: You are the nurse working triage in the… Dementia Case Scenario:  You are the nurse working triage in the emergency department. This afternoon, a woman brings in her father, K.B., who is 72 years old. The daughter reports that, over the past year, she has noticed her father has progressively had problems with his mental capacity. These changes have developed gradually but seem to be getting worse. At times he is alert, and at other times he seems disoriented, depressed, and tearful. He is forgetting things and doing things out of the ordinary, such as placing the milk in the cupboard and sugar in the refrigerator. This morning, he thought it was nighttime and wondered what his daughter was doing at his house. He could not pour his own coffee, and he seems to be getting more agitated. K.B. reports that he has been having memory problems for the past year and, at times, has difficulty remembering the names of family members and friends. His neighbor found him down the street 2 days ago, and K.B. did not know where he was. A review of his past medical history is significant for hypercholesterolemia and coronary artery disease. He had a myocardial infarction 5 years ago. K.B.’s vital signs today are all within normal limits.Case Study Progress: After reviewing K.B.’s history and diagnostic test results, K.B. was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The physician calls a family conference to discuss the implications with K.B. and his daughter.What neuro-anatomical changes are seen in individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease?List at least three interventions you would plan for K.B.Case Study Progress: K.B. is discharged and sees his primary care physician 2 day later. K.B. receives a prescription for donepezil (Aricept) 5 mg PO/day at night. As you review the prescription with K.B.’s daughter, she tells you that she is “excited” because she did not know there were medications that could cure Alzheimer’s Disease.How do you respond?Case Study Progress: Two weeks later, K.B.’s daughter calls the physician’s office and states, “I realize that the Aricept will not cure my dad, but there has been no improvement at all. Are we wasting our money?”What is the best answer for her question? Health Science Science Nursing Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)