Hesi Alzheimer's Disease (Advanced Stages)

Which is the best response by the nurse?

"Every person responds differently to the disease, but it is likely that her ability to function will continue to decline." This response provides accurate information and an opportunity for further client teaching and emotional support.

Oxazepam 15 mg tablet by mouth (PO) as needed (PRN) for anxiety every 4 hours is ordered. Oxazepam 30 mg is available in the automatic medication dispenser. How many tablet(s) of oxazepam should the nurse administer to the client? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is necessary, round to the nearest tenth.)

0.5

Which option provides the best respite for the spouse?

Adult day care for the client. While the client is still ambulatory, she can spend several hours a day at an adult day care facility, which would provide the spouse with respite from the constant demands of caring for the client.

The nurse's response should be based on which understanding about Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease is a chronic disease that can progress with no set sequence and that has a typical lifespan of 1 to 15 years with the average being 4-8 years. This most correctly describes the course of Alzheimer's disease.

Which nursing intervention is best when interviewing the client and her spouse to elicit information about possible risk factors for Alzheimer's disease?

Ask if there is any family history of Alzheimer's disease. There seems to be a genetic predisposition to the development of Alzheimer's disease for many individuals. Genetic testing may be useful for the differential diagnosis because four genes are currently associated with the disease. In addition, information about previous head trauma, exposure to toxic or metal waste, or any viral illnesses should be elicited when the nurse obtains Esther's history.

After the nurse assists the client back to the bed, which nursing action has the highest priority?

Educate unlicensed staff about the need for client to rise slowly and ensure close monitoring/frequent rounding. The client is experiencing postural hypotension secondary to her initial dose of the anti-anxiety medication. The priority nursing action is to provide patient safety. Postural hypotension is a common side effect that occurs when a client, who is taking anti-anxiety medication, stands up too quickly from a lying or sitting position.

Which understanding by the nurse regarding Alzheimer's disease is accurate?

Changes in behavior and personality often occur in early Alzheimer's disease. Subtle changes in behavior and personality, which would easily be recognized by a loved one, occur even in early Alzheimer's disease.

Which side effect should the nurse instruct the spouse to report immediately?

Dizziness. Dizziness may be a predictor of a serious side effect of syncope and should be reported immediately.

One morning a week, the spouse participates in a caregiver support group. He finds that sharing his frustrations and concerns with other people experiencing the same situation provides comfort and support, as well as some useful caregiver tips. One male member of the support group jokes about the problems he has taking care of his spouse.

Encourage all group members to use humor as a coping mechanism. Humor can serve as an effective coping mechanism for the caregiver of a client with Alzheimer's disease.

What action should the nurse take?

Evaluate the client's vital signs before transferring her to her bed. The client may be experiencing an adverse effect of the medication, and she should be assessed before further action is initiated.

The client's spouse asks the nurse what are typical behaviors for early stage Alzheimer's disease. Which nursing explanation best promotes effective communication?

Frequently misplacing the keys to the car. Losing or misplacing valuable objects is seen in early-stage Alzheimer's disease. The client is still able to function independently.

How should the nurse explain the therapeutic effect of donepezil to the couple?

Improves thinking and functioning abilities. Donepezil, classified as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, is used in Alzheimer's disease to delay the onset of cognitive decline.

Which questions are most important to ask the spouse before developing the plan of care? (Select all that apply. One, some, or all options may be correct.)

Have the spouse say what he finds most stressful in his daily life. This question will elicit information concerning the caregiver's perceptions about the stress in his life, which is the most important information for the nurse to obtain. Inquire about any participation with a caregiver support group. This will provide useful information for what resources are currently being used. Evaluate how much time the spouse spends taking care of himself. This will provide useful information on the extent of caregiver support the spouse will need. Find out what activities the spouse attends outside of the home. This will provide useful information that will help in the nurse's discussion with the spouse. The nurse will need to discuss the activities with the spouse to ascertain whether these activities are providing respite for him. For example, is he visiting with friends for a couple of hours or is he going to the pharmacy or grocery shopping? The latter are task-oriented and do not provide respite.

Which intervention should the nurse include in the client and family teaching?

Help Esther to recognize the strong emotions that she is feeling. The goal of cognitive restructuring in the client with early-stage Alzheimer's disease is to challenge the client to alter distorted thought patterns and view the world more realistically. One technique is to help the client recognize emotions such as anger, fear, and anxiety.

Which response is best for the nurse to provide?

Instruct the spouse that he is having many conflicting emotions right now. This response restates the spouse's feelings and provides the opportunity for him to continue to share his concerns.

This exam includes which component?

Judgment. Evaluation of cognitive function includes assessment of attention, concentration, judgment, perception, learning, memory, communication, language, and speed of processing information.

The nurse provides teaching to the spouse to help reduce the client's urinary incontinence. Which actions are most important for the spouse to initiate? (Select all that apply.)

Keep a commode at the bedside. This may be useful in establishing a routine to promote continence, and it will provide easy access for nocturia. Take the client to the bathroom every 2 hours. Continence may be promoted if the client with Alzheimer's disease is taken to the bathroom on a regular schedule of at least every 2 hours during the day. Ask the client if she needs to use the bathroom after meals. This may be useful because it is likely to help establish a pattern that promotes continence. Establish a toileting schedule at the same time daily. This is a useful way to promote continence; toileting at the time of arising in the morning, after meals, and before bedtime is a good way to establishing this schedule.

When the nurse is conducting the client's cognitive function, which components of the mental status exam best assesses the client's cognition? (Select all that apply. One, some, or all options may be correct.)

Level of consciousness. Level of consciousness is an assessment of the client's cognition. Remote memory. Remote memory is an assessment of the client's cognition.

Which task can the assigned PN carry out? (Select all that apply. One, some, or all options may be correct.)

Observe the IV site for phlebitis while discontinuing the IV. A PN can do a focused assessment on an IV site and monitor for complications. Teach the spouse about the oral antibiotic the client will take at home. A PN is able to instruct their clients on medications per their scope of practice. Administer the first scheduled dose of the prescribed oral antibiotic. This action is within the scope of practice of the PN. Calculate the client's intake and output for the shift. This action is within the scope of practice of the PN.

How should the nurse explain the lab information to the client's spouse?

Normal laboratory test results help rule out other causes for the symptoms. There are many causes of dementia, especially in the older client. Laboratory tests help rule out treatable causes before a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is established.

Which technique is most useful in helping a client with Alzheimer's disease recognize the bathroom?

Place a picture of a toilet on the bathroom door. Picture recognition is a useful tool in helping the client with Alzheimer's disease locate the bathroom.

What action should the nurse implement?

Provide a snack that the client can eat. Responding to the client's reality is referred to as validation therapy and is a useful intervention to reduce client agitation, especially in the later stages of Alzheimer's disease.

To promote the well-being of a group of clients with Alzheimer's disease, which goals are important for the nurse manager of an adult care center to include in the plan of care? (Select all that apply. One, some, or all options may be correct.

Provide forms of moderate sensory stimulation. Music and art therapy, as well as other forms of sensory stimulation, may be a part of the care for clients with Alzheimer's disease, but it is essential to avoid over-stimulation to reduce confusion. Ensure opportunities for physical activity. Promoting physical mobility is an important goal. Maintain a calm, consistent environment. To reduce confusion and maintain function as long as possible, it is most important that the nurse control the environment of clients with Alzheimer's disease. Control of the environment will prevent over-stimulation and will ensure a consistent routine. Both are essential to managing the behavior of clients with Alzheimer's disease who are easily agitated. Incorporate pet therapy. Pet therapy is another form of sensory stimulation that may calm clients with Alzheimer's disease.

The nurse is concerned that the client will develop sundowning syndrome. Which instructions should be included when teaching the spouse some appropriate measures to reduce this problem? (Select all that apply. One, some, or all options may be correct.)

Provide the client with a relaxing backrub at bedtime. Touch, as well as other relaxation techniques, is useful in reducing the nocturnal confusion referred to as sundowning syndrome. Keep some light on in the bedroom at night. Maintaining some light in the room after dark is useful in reducing the nocturnal confusion referred to as sundowning syndrome. Provide a calm atmosphere during the day. A calm atmosphere during the day is useful in reducing the nocturnal confusion referred to as sundowning syndrome.

What action should the nurse implement first?

Redirect the client's attention to holding a stuffed animal. The nurse should first attempt to calm the client by redirecting her attention or distracting her from the source of the anxiety.

What is the best response by the nurse?

Reinforce that it is right to balance the client's feelings with the need to promote reality. Reality orientation is an important tool for the client with early-stage Alzheimer's disease; however, as the disease progresses, reality orientation often causes the client to become agitated. It is important to recognize the feelings and emotions of the client with Alzheimer's disease.

How should the nurse respond?

Reinforce that this medication provides the most benefit to persons with early-stage Alzheimer's disease, so it is important to start it right away. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, such as donepezil, are most useful in stabilizing cognitive decline in early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

The spouse begins to cry. What initial intervention should the nurse implement?

Remain seated next to the spouse while he is crying. The nurse should remain with the spouse and allow him to cry and then offer additional support and options.

Which information indicates possible serious side effects of trazodone? (Select all that apply. One, some, or all options may be correct.)

The client is also taking MAOIs. MAOIs and trazodone are antidepressants that cannot be used in conjunction with each other. There must be a 2-week period without MAOIs before trazadone is administered. The client is complaining of dizziness upon standing. Orthostatic hypotension can cause dizziness and potential for falls and injury. The client has a history of cardiac disease. Trazadone may exacerbate coronary problems, and the HCP needs to know this history prior to prescribing trazadone.

What are appropriate responses by the nurse? (Select all that apply.)

The client needs to be calmed down immediately. She is upsetting her husband. The use of an antianxiety medication, such as oxazepam, represents an appropriate medication when used as prescribed to manage anxiety that is manifested as agitation, especially if the behavior is unsafe, like pulling out the IV line. Chemical restraints, usually antipsychotics, are drugs given for the specific purpose of inhibiting a certain behavior or movement. The medication will prevent the client from harming herself. The use of an antianxiety medication prescribed for anxious and agitated behavior in the client with Alzheimer's disease represents an appropriate medication, when used as prescribed to manage unsafe behavior, like pulling out the IV line. Chemical restraints, usually antipsychotics, are drugs given for the specific purpose of inhibiting a certain behavior or movement. A medication may not be needed to if distraction is effective. This is an assertive response that promotes client advocacy and prevents unnecessary chemical restraint. The client says her hip hurts and she has an order for pain medication. Assessing the client's complaint of pain is appropriate because clients with Alzheimer's disease may not be able to ask for pain medication. Administering the appropriate prescribed pain medication may alleviate the client's pain and diminish her anxiety and agitation. Administering appropriate prescribed medication based on an assessment of the client's overall condition or symptoms, for example, sleeping medication for insomnia, antianxiety medication to calm an anxious client, or analgesics for pain management, is not considered a chemical restraint.

Which information indicates the trazodone is having the desired effect?

The client sleeps through the night. Trazodone is an antidepressant often used to improve sleep in the client with Alzheimer's disease.

What is the best explanation by the nurse?

The healthcare provider is looking for changes in the brain that are consistent with Alzheimer's disease or for other conditions that can cause the client's symptoms. Although there are no diagnostic tests that provide a definitive differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, several imaging tests provide data that show changes consistent with AD. Other problems that cause dementia may also be found via neuroimaging tests.

Which member of the home care team should be assigned to revise the client's plan of care to reflect her changing condition?

The home health RN who visits every other week. Revision of the plan of care is best performed by the RN who visits the client. It should be based on the nurse's assessment, as well as reports and collaboration with the PN and home health aide.