Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena
| Thesis Title | Nursing care for dementia patients |
|---|---|
| Name | Borgonovi Giulio |
| Supervisor(s) | Mussi Chiara |
| Academic Year | 2018/19 |
| Thesis type | Non research thesis |
Abstract
The theme of dementia is one of the most interesting aspects in the clinical field as it represents one of the major causes of disability in the population.
The first part of the thesis is focused on risk factors and prevention of demental diseases.
Ample space is reserved for the symptomatology that is characterized by both cognitive and behavioral symptoms.
Wandering (a term used to identify a person who has the tendency to move, apparently aimlessly and in a bewildered manner in the pursuit of an indefinable and indeterminate goal) and delirium are treated more specifically as manifestations that most affect the patient’s quality of life and related treatment.
The course of the disease is assessed by appropriate assessment scales that identify the degree of dementia severity.
Drug therapy is based mainly on the use of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine with unsatisfactory results.
For this reason, ample space is reserved for non-pharmacological treatments involving different types of demented patient approach: from occupational therapy to validation therapy up to the use of environmental aids such as the snoezelen room.
Caragiver plays an essential role in taking care of a client, fully re-entering nursing planning. The characteristics of demental diseases make it difficult, for the patient suffering from dementia, to affect the psychophysical balance and motivation of those who work closely with these patients.
Lastly, the theme of palliative care is treated in patients with dementia, with the aim of acting on the quality of life in the accompaniment towards death, avoiding therapeutic obstinacy.