Gerontological Nursing & Dementia

As people are living longer, there has been an increase in long term care for the elderly. This has increased the need for more nurses working in long term or gerontological care. Dementia patients are the most challenging patients to care for in this setting.

Challenges

Dementia is the loss of cognitive ability that goes beyond that of normal aging. There is a significant amount of mental deterioration. Patients with dementia pose a great challenge for the nurses caring for them. They are in a constant state of confusion most times which makes it difficult for them to perform even the simplest activities like taking medication or even bathing. A nurse must develop a steady routine for these patients to minimize confusion as much as possible. Dementia patients are often combative because they quickly forget their surroundings and fear that you mean to do them harm. This presents another challenge to the nurse, so it is important to have one or two nurse aides present at all times when giving the dementia patient their medication, especially if it is an injectable.

Signs and Symptoms

As a nurse working in the gerontology field it is imperative that you be able to recognize the signs of dementia in the patients you care for. Things to look for include memory loss, increased confusion, combativeness and an inability to process simple information. Report these symptoms to the doctor right away so that the patient can be properly diagnosed and treatment can begin.

Patients with dementia are also victims of abuse. If you notice any unexplained bruises or multiple bed sores these need to be investigated further. If upon further investigation you suspect abuse you need to report it to the facility administrator and the police.