How 医疗保健 Professionals Care for Patients with Dementia

Dementia is one of the most common 和 severe causes of disability for older people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 5000万年 people suffer from dementia 和 nearly 10 million new cases crop up each year.

Because of the disease’s debilitating effects, patients with dementia often require individualized care. 和, because dementia affects a significant portion of the elderly population, it’s likely you will work with patients with this disease during your healthcare career.

Caring for a patient with dementia can be challenging, especially if you don’t immediately recognize the signs of the disease, or aren’t fully aware of the mental, physical 和 emotional challenges a patient with dementia faces on a daily basis.

不管你是护士, 一名医生, a 医疗助理 or a home health aide, here’s what you need to know about caring for someone with dementia:

什么是痴呆症?

Dementia is a disease that affects individuals’ cognitive functioning, 这就是他们的记忆, behavior 和 ability to perform daily tasks. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia 和 contributes to 60-70 percent of cases. Other forms of dementia include vascular dementia, 路易体痴呆, frontal temporal lobe dementia, Parkinson’s disease 和 Jakob’s disease.

What are the signs 和 symptoms of dementia?

Individuals with dementia may be prone to forgetting things, like where they live or how to cook something they have cooked for years. If the disease affects the frontal temporal lobe, they can lose control of their decision-making skills 和 langu年龄 abilities. Some patients are also prone to aggression.

How healthcare professionals can 帮助:

医疗保健 professionals who work with dementia patients know that compassion 和 patience can go a long way in improving a patient’s day-to-day life.

These three strategies can 帮助 you minimize negative experiences for your patients 和 provide an exceptional level of care:

1. 保持冷静. Some patients tend to have high anxiety, especially when they are exposed to new activities, changes in their routine or noise. It’s not always easy to recognize when patients are feeling anxious because they may not be able to verbalize their feelings. They may act out aggressively towards their caregivers.

It’s important to remember that patients can sense your stress 和 frustration. If you are visibly stressed, you patient may become more upset. Watch your patients’ body langu年龄 for signals of stress 和 保持冷静 when you address a patient who is having difficulty coping with a new situation.

2. 耐心是关键. You might not be able to calm an upset patient right way. Sometimes patients get into a funk 和 cannot find a way to listen; sometimes they might not want to listen. A new face 和 voice can sometimes 帮助 put an upset patient at ease, so ask a colleague to assist you if you cannot 帮助 a patient on your own.

It also 帮助s to use simple directives. Repeat instructions calmly 和 clearly until your patients can underst和 和 respond. Do not end your instruction with “okay?” because patients may become combative 和 respond with “no.”

3. 有团队精神. Remember that your coworkers – just like you – will feel the stress their jobs. They too could be working through their own hardships 和 just trying to get their job done. 作为一个 支持 团队成员是必须的. Respect other nurses 和 doctors 和 be able to take direction from them, as well as 帮助 out with additional tasks when needed.

Despite its challenges, caring for patients with dementia can be very rewarding. Your patients may not always be able to express their gratitude verbally, but know that your care is comforting to them – 和 their family 和 friends – in a difficult time.