Care Specific Illnesses

Question 1

Arthritis

Answer 1

Joints become inflamed, swollen,stiff painful
Care should focus on relieving pain, assisting with mobility and promoting independence

If pain meds taken; plan activities after meds
Heat therapy soothes joints; tub baths , warm soaks

Wear warm clothes

Exercise the affected joints

Question 2

Osteoporosis

Answer 2

Loss of bone tissue

Question 3

Musculoskeletal system conditions

Answer 3

Arthritis
Osteoporosis
Hip fracture

Question 4

What is cognition

Answer 4

Thinking processes which include memory, reasoning, judgement, and language

Question 5

Toes of cognitive changes

Answer 5

Normal age-related changes
Mild cognitive impairment
Dementia
Delirium

Question 6

Forgetfulness

Answer 6

Happens due to gradual loss of brain cells and a decrease in the chemicals that help the brain work

Question 7

Mild cognitive impairment

Answer 7

Impairment refers to changes in THINKING processes caused by disease or injury.

Problems with memory and thinking that are noticeable to others but do not interfere with daily living

Problems worse than age-related memory impairment

Question 8

Dementia

Answer 8

Describes group of symptoms that occur with progressive decline in memory and thinking

Type of dementia can be discovered with brain autopsy

Question 9

Types of dementia

Answer 9

Alzheimer’s disease
Lower body dementia
Vascular dementia
Frontotemporal dementia

Question 10

Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 10

Dementia
Cause amyloid (protein) and tangles ( twisted protein fibers in nerve cells)
Together cause cell death and destroys brain tissue

Question 11

Characteristics and info on Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 11

Symptoms: progressive memory loss; difficulties thinking; problem solving; and performing familiar tasks
Problems recognizing objects
Loss of language skills
Info:
Accounts for more 50%
Lasts 8-12 years
Usually after 60 ; rare early onset can happen between 30- 60 years

Question 12

Lewy body dementia

Answer 12

Cause: abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies occur in the brain and throughout the gray matter covering of the brain.

Question 13

Characteristics and info Lewy Body Dementia

Answer 13

Problems with motor, movement, memory, language and thought processes
Alternating periods from confusion and alertness and orientation
Vivid hallucinations, possible delusions or acting out dreams

Info; second most common form of dementia
Affects men more than women
Occurs between the ages of 50 and 85 years but could be earlier

Question 14

Vascular dementia

Answer 14

Blood supply to brain is impaired due to damaged blood vessels depriving brain tissue of nutrients and oxygen

Can occur suddenly with total blockage of a blood vessel I.e. Stroke or
Overtime of gradual closing off of vessel

Question 15

Characteristics and Info on Vascular Dementia

Answer 15

Type and severity of symptoms depend on area of the brain damaged.
Problems with memory, confusion, thinking processes and problem solving
Un steady gait
Restlessness
Urge to urinate or difficulty passing urine
Depression

Info: as common as Lewy body dementia
Rarely occurs before age 65
Has same risk factors as heart attack and stroke
( history of heart problems, strokes, mini- strokes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking

Question 16

Frontotemporal dementia

Answer 16

Cause ; damage to the front part of the brain occurs

Question 17

Characteristics and Info of Frontotemporal dementia

Answer 17

Language difficulties; trouble naming things and misuse of words;
Impulsive, inappropriate behavior and lack of empathy
Increased irritability, decreased judgement
Possible apathy ( loss of interest and motivation)
Memory generally spared until later in the disease
Info: accounts for 10-20% of all dementia
Lasts2-20 years with living 8 yrs average after symptoms start
Generally affects people on their 50s and 60s

Question 18

Brain areas affects what

Answer 18

Frontal
  Motor
  Personality
  Emotions
  Problem solving
  Reasoning

Middle
   Sensory
   Hearing
   Language
   Speech

Back
Vision
Balance and coordination

Question 19

Delirium

Answer 19

Cognitive change with rapid onset related to chemical changes in the body.
Usually reversible but possibility of cognitive changes being permanent even after being treated.
Quick I’d and treatment needed to reduce risks of long term effects

Question 20

Causes and signs and symptoms of delirium

Answer 20

Common cause are medications and their side effects: dehydration, lack of sleep, pain and infections
Signs and symptoms: hallucinations
Not recognizing a familiar person
Extreme restlessness especially at night
Failing to remember things that happened recently
Wandering even though person knows her way around
Not being able to concentrate or follow instructions
Becoming lethargic and displaying little movement or activity

Question 21

Care measures for final stages of dementia

Answer 21

Routine pain medication for pain
Laxatives to prevent constipation
Oxygen support to ease breathing
Good skin care to prevent pressure ulcers
Foods and fluids mechanically altered for ease and safety of intake ( puréed food , thickened liquids
Discontinuation of weight measurements ( wt loss is expected)
Respect of advance directives

Question 22

Delirium. Is often mistaken with dementia

Answer 22

It is important to recognize and report sudden changes in mental status because delirium is a red flag for pending medical emergency– especially among older people

Question 23

4 A,s of dementia describe the common symptoms

Answer 23

Amnesia- without memory

Aphasia without speech

Agnosia. Without knowing

Apraxia. Without doing

Question 24

Amnesia

Answer 24

Short term memory 
   Memory of recent events
   Childhood memories
Long-term memory
   Memory of the past
   Q

Question 25

Validation therapy

Answer 25

Accepting and responding to what the person feels to be true
Theory shows respect for persons thoughts, feeling and acknowledges what the person feel regardless of the actual truths what’s the saying is they deliver these workers to Puerto Rico young babies and

Question 26

Aphasia

Answer 26

Expressive aphasia.
Inability to use language to express oneself,
Verbally or in writing or both

Receptive aphasia
Inability to understand communication spoken and written from others

Question 27

Agnosia

Answer 27

Inability to use the five senses to recognize familiar things or people

Question 28

Apraxia

Answer 28

Inability to perform steps necessary to complete a task despite having the desire and the ability to perform the task.

Adaptive clothing is available

Question 29

Symptoms in Dementia

Answer 29

Depression
Anxiety
Hallucinations and delusions
Paranoia

Question 30

Catastrophic reaction

Answer 30

Intense emotional and behavioral outburst over a seemingly small event

Question 31

As Cna must observe the person’s behavior and the circumstances to figure out what the person is trying to tell you
What are the stages of recognition?

Answer 31

First. Identify the trigger( behavior)
Systematic approach to figure out what the trigger means
Once the cause of the trigger, steps to eliminate or minimize the trigger

Question 32

Identifying the trigger is to focus on facts and noting them

Answer 32

Note
Exactly what you saw
What you heard
Where it occurred
When it occurred
Who else present
What activity was happening

Question 33

Challenging behaviors

Answer 33

Wandering: walking around aimlessly
Pacing: walking back and forth
Hoarding: stashing anything and every thing , distress if anything taken
Resisting care: verbally and physically aggressive behaviors
Inappropriate sexual behavior: removing clothing; masturbating in
Public; making sexually suggestive comments or advances;
Pinching. Grabbing or touching personal body parts of others
Sun downing: increased confusion,agitation,restlessness and
Irritability in the late afternoon or evening

Question 34

Identifying triggers for challenging behaviors

Answer 34

Cognitive issues
Mental health symptoms
Physical conditions
Past personal history
Environment
Other people

Question 35

Periodic breaks for caregivers

Answer 35

Respite