Unit 307- Understanding cognitive impairment Flashcards
what is cognitive ?
involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering) the brain functions
What is cognitive impairments?
a description of someone’s condition. It means they have trouble with things like memory or paying attention. They might have trouble speaking or understanding. And they might have difficulty recognising people, places or
things, and might find new places or situations overwhelming.
A cognitive impairment can cause problems with a persons thinking, communications, understanding or memory
What are the causes of cognitive impairment.
family history, education level, brain injury, exposure to pesticides or toxins, physical inactivity, and chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, heart disease and stroke, and diabetes
How do you work out if someone has Cognitive impairment?
health professionals might ask questions to test memory, concentration and understanding.
They may also ask questions of family or carers, who might have noticed changes in the person’s behaviour over time.
What environments might care take place in for cognitive impairment people
home, respite, specialist units, hospitals, care Centres.
What are the professionals responsibilities supporting an individual with cognitive impairment
- duty of care
- safeguarding
- confidentiality
- whistleblowing
- provision of high quality holistic care
What professionals may be involved in care provision
- social workers
- community psychiatric nurses
- occupational therapist
- consultants
- GP
- independent advocate
- domiciliary worker
- counselling team
- specialist nurses
- family support workers
- family therapist
- physiotherapist
- speech therapist
- pharmacist
name some challenges to meeting individual care needs
- professional relationships
- effective communication
- family concern
- fear, anxiety
- time management
- lack of domiciliary staff
- lack of understanding
- financial challenges
- language barriers
- religion/cultural barriers
- individual refusing help
What is the mental capacity act 2005
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (the Act) provides the legal framework
for acting and making decisions on behalf of individuals who lack the
mental capacity to make particular decisions for themselves.
this only applies to 16 and older individuals
What is the mental capacity assessment?
a test to determine whether an individual has the capacity to make decisions,
this is called the twopstage test of capacity
What is mild cognitive impairment?
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a relatively recent, descriptive term rather than a specific medical condition or disease. It is used to describe relatively mild memory difficulties which do not significantly affect daily activities and can not be explained in terms of a specific type of dementia.
What is severe cognitive impairment?
a deterioration or loss in intellectual capacity
What can be done to reduce the risk of memory getting worse?
Physical, social and mental activity, along with a healthy diet, may help to prevent memory and other cognitive difficulties from deteriorating.
What is ABI?
Acquired brain injury
What is ABI?
Acquired brain injury
Types of Acquired brain injury
- Stroke
- Abuse of alcohols
- trauma
- TBI (traumatic brain injury):
- degenerative diseases
- hypoxia
define these terms
- Stroke
- Alcoholism
- trauma
- TBI (traumatic brain injury):
- degenerative diseases
- hypoxia
- Stroke: blood clot blocking passage for constant/oxygen to the brain, causing a stroke - Alcoholism: long term misuse of alcohol to the brain - trauma:
- TBI (traumatic brain injury):
sudden, external, physical assault damages the brain - degenerative diseases:
this could include Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington disease, Parkinson’s diseases where your general health is constantly deteriorating - hypoxia:
Lack of oxygen to the brain (asthma-lungs, heart condition, smoke or carbon monoxide inhalation, high altitude exposure
What are the effect of injury on cognitive function
May have trouble remembering due to side effect of memory loss
May have trouble thinking/ answering/ reasoning/ problem-solving overall anything that has to do with the mind
What are the treatment or support for ABI?
Rehabilitation- slow progress to gain the muscle function to work and have your cognitive function to respond
Support from the local council if struggling with funds
Physical and occupational therapy
Name some charities or support organisations for brain injury
- The Brain Charity’s free public library has a range of resources on brain injury:
The Brain Charity provides free support for carers, friends and family of people with any form of neurological condition, including brain injury, from anywhere in the UK. - Headway(charity working to improve life after brain injury)
https://www.headway.org.uk/
Support groups at The Brain Charity - Brain and Spine Foundation (charity supporting those with a neurological problem)
https: //www.brainandspine.org.uk/
What professionals would be involved
These could include speech and Language therapist, physiotherapists, councillors, GP, nursing team, social workers, child development unit etc). carers
How could cognitive impairment be diagnosed and assessed?
Specialist involvement through complex assessments, observation, discussion with individual and their carers, family and friends, MRI scans and IQ test, memory questions
How could cognitive impairment be diagnosed and assessed?
Specialist involvement through complex assessments, observation, discussion with individual and their carers, family and friends, MRI scans and IQ test, memory questions
The brain functions list all 6 of them
- frontal lobe
- temporal lobe
- brain stem
- cerebellum
- occipital lobe
- parietal lobe
what are their function of the brain
- frontal lobe
- temporal lobe
- brain stem
- cerebellum
- occipital lobe
- parietal lobe
- frontal lobe:
thinking, memory, behaviour and movement - temporal lobe:
hearing, learning and feelings - brain stem:
breathing, heart rate and temperature - cerebellum:
balance and coordination - occipital lobe:
sight - parietal lobe:
language and touch
What is a neurological disability?
a neurological disability is a condition that negatively impacts a person’s brain or nervous system in varying degrees of severity depending on the specific cause.
When is an advocate needed?
making decisions for someone’s behalf of someone who cant make decisions for themselves or they lack the mental capacity to do so out of their best of interest
How can we support individuals with cognitive impairment?
living in their own home
meeting friends
pursuing hobbies and interests
keeping them safe
Choice of food and drink
Acknowledgment of likes and dislikes and preferences
Ensuring access to health and social care
care plan implemented and evaluated to make sire that they are receiving the care that is right for them to meet all their needs.
this is done through a process of care planning following an assessment of their needs
What is P.I.E.S
Physical – including intimate care, toileting, bathing, nutrition (elderly, after RTC, after surgery, maternity etc)
Intellectual – need for stimulation, interests, hobbies.
Emotional – someone to listen actively to them, company, enjoyment.
Social – need for socialisation, communication, sharing thoughts and ideas and shared
interests.
Effect upon ability to work/education of cognitive impairment
Less Opportunities of work due to a finite services will only recruit, Education and learning could be a hardship they have to overcome as it will be hard and slow process to take it in mind
List a set of categories and types of cognitive impairment
- mental health
eg. bipolar, schizophrenia, depression - congenital ( present from birth)
eg. Down syndrome - acquired
.alcoholism, brain damage, stroke - genetic
eg. Huntington’s disease - degenerative cognitive conditions eg.tumors, motor neuron disease, congenital syphilis
- life defining medical conditions eg.epilepsy, hydrocephaly.
How can these care professionals support individuals with cognitive impairment:
- social worker
- community psychiatric nurse
- occupational therapist
- paediatric consultant
- independent advocate
- physiotherapist
- GP
- domiciliary care worker
- psychiatrist
- educational psychologist/ psychologist.
- social worker:
aim to improve people’s lives by helping with social and interpersonal difficulties, promoting human rights and wellbeing. . - community psychiatric nurse:
to talk through problems and give practical advice and support - occupational therapist:
support to people whose health prevents them doing the activities that matter to them. - paediatric consultant;
manage medical conditions affecting infants, children and young people. - independent advocate:
helps the person/group to get the information they need to make real choices about their circumstances and supports the person/group to put their choices across to others - physiotherapist:
help peopleaffected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice. - GP: diagnosis, advice and prescription
- domiciliary care worker:
Come to your home and give you care regarding to your personal needs - psychiatrist:
treatment and prevention of mental health conditions - educational psychologist/ psychologist:
How can these care professionals support individuals with cognitive impairment:
- social worker
- community psychiatric nurse
- occupational therapist
- paediatric consultant
- independent advocate
- physiotherapist
- GP
- domiciliary care worker
- psychiatrist
- educational psychologist/ psychologist.
- social worker:
- community psychiatric nurse:
- occupational therapist:
- paediatric consultant;
- independent advocate:
- physiotherapist:
- GP:
- domiciliary care worker:
- psychiatrist:
- educational psychologist/ psychologist:
What is learning disabilities?
When the cognitive function or the mind find it really hard to acquire new information and learn
What is cognitive disorder
In these disorders, patients are no longer fully oriented to time and space. Depending on the cause, the diagnosis of a cognitive disorder may be temporary or progressive.
any disorder that significantly impairs the cognitive function of an individual to the point where normal functioning in society is impossible
Such as dementia and amnesia
What are the sign and symptoms of cognitive impairment
- remembering/memory loss
- concentration/attention span
- difficulty in rational decision making
- difficulty in learning new things
- behavioural changes – in self and with others
- emotional changes – in self and for others.
What are the 6c’s
- care
- compassion
- competence
- courage
- communication
- commitment
What is mild cognitive impairment?
It doesn’t effect daily living tasks- an cognition problem but doesn’t effect the function.
for example they have an impairment with memory, forgetting conversations, words
Name types of dementia
Alzheimers, vascular
What is the 6 item cognitive impairment test (6CIT)
A cognitive function test to see if they have a cognitive impairment, this includes questions counting 20 backwards, what time will it be in an hour,
what are the effects of institutuinalisation?
He may not have a stable consistent care giver to attach to as staff work shifts, move jobs and have other residents to care for He may feel isolated from his family, friends and community because he does not see them as often He may be more prone to mental health
problems such as low self-
esteem/maintaining social skills
He will be unable to make his own independent choices/follow his own routines He may not have access to things that he likes doing He may lose skills as he is now a passive recipient of care/support. He may respond well to the routine
what are the effects of institutionalisation?
He may feel isolated from his family,
friends and community because he does
not see them as often
He may be more prone to mental health
problems such as low self-
esteem/maintaining social skills
He will be unable to make his own independent choices/follow his own routines He may not have access to things that he likes doing He may lose skills as he is now a passive recipient of care/support. He may respond well to the routine
