Caring for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimers affection does not form segmentation of the habitual ageing process but a higher fortune of experiencing this unhealthiness is more prevalent in the older population. Alzheimers unsoundness emerged as a term when Dr. Alois Alzheimer reported in 1906 the contour of a fifty-five year-old woman suffering from the proceedss of progressive dementia, a source that is strongly linked to old age. Edwards et al.Due to the progressive nature of the sickness, the individual with Alzheimers illness together with the community within which the individual belongs also becomes affected. In the latter stages of the indisposition, the individual may suffer dementia manifested in the dispredilection of surroundings, softness to recognize family members, and lack of awargonness of daily commands and wants.Mah wizy (2003) states that more or less four million of the American population is already suffering from Alzheimers disease with the number expected to multiply three-fold in 2050. The effects of the disease together with the expected increase in the population of quite a little with Alzheimers disease has given importance to the enhancement of knowledge and practical examine on the part of troublegivers with family members suffering from Alzheimers disease emphasizeing on wariness as a standard of kick.Family phencyclidines of Individuals with Alzheimers Disease Alzheimers disease has been the subject of many studies covering its various areas from the determination of the causes and effects of this disease to the access and availability of health finagle for people with Alzheimers disease and hence to the focus on angel dusts and do by giving standards.Some studies on primary deal out providers are inveterate because of the need to collect and collate information on the importance of families compassionate for members with Alzheimers disease together with the concurrent primal role of nurses and new(prenominal) health accusation p rofessionals in providing family caregivers with the informative and separate forms of set up they need to aim on the task of dealing with the effects of Alzheimers disease. Mahoney (2003) explains that caregiver weight down emerged in studies on the caregivers of family members with Alzheimers disease to describe the aggregate demands and issues face up by the caregivers.These cover the financial burden incurred by the family in care for their family member with Alzheimers disease from seeking professional health care to act care at home as well as the wound up and social burdens of seeing or experiencing the symptoms of dementia such as the inability of the individual with Alzheimers to recognize family members or frequent disorientation. The failure of family caregivers to comprehend and stiffly deal with these demands and issues could lead to fatigue and stress or purge to psychological problems on the part of family caregivers.This means that apart from studying the cause, effect and treatment of Alzheimers disease, there is also need to focus on providing multi-faceted sustentation to family caregivers based on the underlying principle that family caregivers also need care. This implies the important role of health professionals, especially nurses that constantly deal with family caregivers to completion care to family caregivers. Care Issues of Family CaregiversWith the expected increase in the number of people with Alzheimers disease in the succeeding decades, it is then important to call for sure of the proper care not only for the patients but for their caregivers as well. As individuals depend on them for optimum care so that care abreast with current care giving trends and applications covering patient care and keeping themselves less stressed and fatigued are imperative. This ensures the caregivers health and competence in handling Alzheimers disease cases and patients.Sufficient and applic sufficient data exist that prove the incr eased probability of caregivers of those with Alzheimers disease to experience symptoms related to drop-off. The financial burden, coupled by the physical and wound up turmoil of pity for elderly with Alzheimers may be whatsoever reasons for the increased risk of depression and health problems of caregivers. Wykle (1996) conducted an earlier study on family caregivers and recognized the extent that the Alzheimers disease takes its toll on the families sympathize with for their members suffering from this disease.While studies on the cause and cure of Alzheimers disease are ongoing, there is also need to conduct parallel studies on alleviating the stress and pressure on families caring for their members with Alzheimers disease. Based on the designation of the increases responsibility of families in caring for members with Alzheimers disease, these families are calling for get hold of and effective interventions in reducing family stress and encouraging caregivers managing th e manifestations of dementia. After well-nigh a decade, studies on caring for family caregivers of patients with Alzheimers disease continue to advance.Vitaliano, Katon and Unutzer (2005) canvas caregiver health in the context of geriatric psychiatry in the five areas of 1) caregiver outcomes in sexual relation to the manifestations of the link between caregiver distress and physical indices in order to determine the intervention to caregivers 2) assessing caregiver status and condition 3) birth between the caregiver and the recipient of care 4) future studies and 5) important areas to consider in put one overing interventions to family caregivers.These constitute important considerations for nurses providing support and care to family caregivers. Nursing Support for Family Caregivers Roper, Logan and Tierney (2001) developed a model for breast feeding care that incorporates a consideration of five factors, which are1) activities of living,2) lifespan,3) continuous relationship of dependence and independence,4) factors affecting activities of living,5) individuality in living experiences.This means that passim a persons lifetime, a number of biological, psychological and environ intellectual factors experienced by individuals either improve or threaten the physical, mental and emotions well-being of individuals. To prevent the threats, individuals engage in preventive activities such as being in a safe environment, communication, and having a healthy lifestyle. wad go by dint of these activities with other people, such as other family members, other families and healthcare professional, creating a continuous relationship of dependence and independence with the dependenceIn relation to care for support for family caregivers, this model suggests that nurses play the important role of supporting family caregivers especially in the stages of dependence. This means that importance of determining when the dependence stages occur, the extent of support needed by family caregivers, and the appropriate intervention to apply. To assist nurses in this task, Mahoney (2003) discuss the model of vigilance that applies to the relationship between the family caregiver and care recipient and the nurses relationship with the caregiver and care recipient.By applying the concepts of prepared supervision, protective intervening, anticipating, being on duty, and being there, patients with Alzheimers disease volition be effectively cared for by family caregivers in the same way that family caregivers depart be supported by nurses and other healthcare professionals. Salient schooling on Family Caregivers of Persons with Alzheimers Disease Proper orientation prior to taking on the job of caring for family members with Alzheimers disease is important, so is periodic evaluation and assessment of the patients condition and the degree of influence it has over the caregiver.Caregivers must also allow suitable time for leisure activities, rest and repose . It is also important for caregivers to be cognizant of the symptoms which may lead to their stress and fatigue. The symptoms they must look out for let in denial, short and hot temper, anger (which may be prolonged or manifested in spurts), withdrawal from family members, friends and activities which were enjoyed previously, dread and agitation, sleeplessness, irritability, and exhaustion.These symptoms, if undetected, may give rise to in force(p) health problems or even depression later on. Nurses play an important role in facilitating understanding and stress alleviation. Important Topics for Continuous knowledge Although many studies have directed focus on diagnosing and treating family caregivers of patients with Alzheimers disease, there are still areas that need further investigations and development.On the part of nurses providing support to family caregivers, the existence of healthcare infrastructures to support the recognition of the importance of supporting family c aregivers through the sacramental manduction of knowledge and experience to family caregivers constitutes one important topic for erudition. This is because it is common for hospitals and nursing homes not to have their own Alzheimers disease care unit. Nurses and other healthcare providers may be commonly assigned from one station or area to the next which may limit the expertise gained if the said people concentrate only on a extra area.The lack of an Alzheimers disease unit may be receivable to lack of funds, hospital space, facilities, and different priorities. A possible area of learning could be the viability of establishing Alzheimers disease units in hospitals or nursing homes or stationing nurses in the care of Alzheimers patients to allow nurses to develop learning and go around practices not only in treating patients with Alzheimers disease that they can use in understanding the issues of family caregivers and they can share as practical lessons to family caregivers .Another possible area of learning could be the differences in the experiences of family caregivers, caring for family members with varying manifestations of dementia, in terms of the degree of stress and fatigue and slipway they apply in care giving. Concurrently, effective practical means that caregivers apply to alleviate care giving burden such as relaxation and leisure or group support become equally important. These areas of learning constitute important consideration in the orientation, evaluation, training and development of nursing care to family caregivers to assure the outstrip care possible given to and panoptic to care recipients.Pertinent Actual and Potential Nursing Diagnoses of Family Caregivers Enough relevant and pregnant data are available that discusses the high risk of clinical depression and disturbance in family caregivers. The said depression and anxiety may be a result of the demanding physical and emotional work that caregivers who take care of patient s with Alzheimers disease experience daily as part of their care routine. This may give rise to certain conditions that afflict the caregiver him/herself. hide patient is the term used to describe nurses or caregivers who suffer from anxiety and clinical depression, coupled with health problems (Parks and Novielli, 2003). Hidden in a nose out that their despair and symptoms are commonly denied, not given attention to, or altogether ignored, which may give rise to graver threats later on. Caregiver depression is a condition that family caregivers may experience. These include persistent and untreatable exertion and aches, irritability, weight loss and loss of appetite, exhaustion and lack of energy, insomnia and feelings of guilt and anxiety (Vitaliano, Katon, & Unutzer, 2005).Thus, nurses supporting caregivers should be well aware of the symptoms that may lead caregiver depression. Conclusion Due to the extent of the impact of Alzheimers disease to the various people, including th e family of the individual suffering from the disease, other people comprising the social network of the patient, and healthcare professionals, there is need to apply collaborative learning and information sharing in order to derive optimum and comprehensive understanding of best practices on the alleviation of the care giving burden of family caregivers.This is important since family caregivers able to handle and adjust to the care giving burden would lead to effective care outcomes for patients with Alzheimers disease.References Edwards, J. , Handy, R. , Lancaster, M. , & Turnbull, J. (Eds. ) (1998).Alzheimers Disease A Handbook for Caregivers. St. Louis, M. O. Mosby. Mahoney, D. F. (2003).Vigilance Evolution and explanation for Caregivers of Family Members with Alzheimers Disease. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 29, 24-30 Parks, S. M. , & Novielli, K. D. (2003).Alzheimers Disease Caregivers Hidden Patients. Clinical Geriatrics, 11(5), 14-16. Roper, N. , Logan, W. , & Tierney , A. (2001).Roper-Logan-Tierney role model of Nursing Based on Activities of the Living. London Churchill Livingston. Vitaliano, P. P. , Katon, W. , & Unutzer, J. (2005).Making the Case for Caregiver explore in Geriatric Psychiatry. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 13, 834-843. Wykle, M. L. (1996).Interventions for Family Management of Patients with Alzheimers Disease. International Psychogeriatrics, 8, 109-111.