Ch 24- Congnitive Disorders

A client with dementia is unable to recognize ordinary objects, such as a pen or notebook. Which would this be a symptom of? A) Agnosia B) Amnesia C) Apraxia D) Aphasia

Agnosia is the inability to recognize familiar objects. Amnesia is failure to remember past events. Apraxia is impairment in the ability to execute motor functions despite intact motor abilities. Aphasia is a deterioration of language function.

The nursing supervisor in an extended care facility is managing the environment to best help the clients with dementia. Which should the nurse include in planning the living environment? A) Plan for the same caregivers to provide care to individuals as much as possible. B) Open the windows and doors to allow fresh air to circulate through the environment. C) Provide a buffet-style menu with many food choices. D) Assign peer-led exercise activates on a daily basis.

Ans: A Feedback: A structured environment and established routines can reassure clients with dementia. Familiar surroundings and routines help to eliminate some confusion and frustration from memory loss. Providing the same caregiver establishes familiarity and routine. Safety considerations involve protecting against injury, meeting physiologic needs, and managing risks posed by the environment. Open doors pose a safety risk of wandering away. Buffet-style meals require the client to make too many choices, thus adding to frustration. The nurse encourages clients to engage in physical activity because they may not initiate such activities independently; many clients tend to become sedentary as cognitive abilities diminish. Clients often are quite willing to participate in physical activities but cannot initiate, plan, or carry out those activities without assistance.

Which is believed to be a risk factor specific to the development of delirium? A) Increased severity of physical illness B) Older age C) Baseline cognitive impairment D) Gradual decline in functioning

Ans: A Feedback: An estimated 10% to 15% of people in the hospital for general medical conditions are delirious at any given time. Onset is sudden. Delirium is common in older, acutely ill clients. Risk factors for delirium include increased severity of physical illness, older age, and baseline cognitive impairment such as that seen in dementia. Children may be more susceptible to delirium, especially that related to a febrile illness or certain medications such as anticholinergics. Delirium usually develops over a short period, sometimes a matter of hours, and fluctuates, or changes, throughout the course of a day. Prevalence of dementia also rises with age, and progression is gradual.

The caregiver of a client with Alzheimer's disease reports to the nurse that often the client will suddenly become angry during meals and nothing seems to calm him down. The nurse teaches the caregiver to use distraction techniques. Which response would be best to teach as an example of this technique? A) ìLet's look at what is on television.î B) ìIf you stop yelling, I will get your dessert.î C) ìDon't you want to finish your meal?î D) ìI don't understand what you are saying.î

Ans: A Feedback: Distraction involves shifting the client's attention and energy to a more neutral topic. For example, the client may display a catastrophic reaction to the current situation, such as jumping up from dinner and saying, ìMy food tastes like poison!î The nurse might intervene with distraction by saying, ìCan you come to the kitchen with me and find something you'd like to eat?î or ìYou can leave that food. Can you come and help me find a good program on television?î (redirection/distraction). Influencing behavior with a reward is a behavioral technique. Asking a direct question is ineffective. Clarification is used to try to determine meaning behind the client's message.

Which patient is most likely suffering from dementia? A) A 90-year-old male who has experienced progressive mental decline that started with forgetfulness B) An 80-year-old female who has been in excellent health until she was admitted through the emergency department with a severe urinary tract infection and is now very anxious and is threatening staff C) A 6-year-old child who has just been administered conscious sedation for a closed reduction of a fractured wrist and says that her parents have three sets of eyes D) A 22-year-old male who was involved in a motorcycle crash without wearing a helmet now unable to remember where he is

Ans: A Feedback: Memory impairment is the prominent early sign of dementia. The course of dementia is usually progressive. A 90-year-old gentleman who has experienced progressive mental decline that started with forgetfulness is most likely suffering from dementia. An 80- year-old lady who has been in excellent health until she was admitted through the emergency department with a severe urinary tract infection is likely experiencing delirium. Delirium almost always results from an identifiable physiologic, metabolic, or cerebral disturbance or from drug intoxication or withdrawal. The 6-year-old who has just been administered conscious sedation is likely delirious. A 22-year-old male who was involved in a motorcycle crash without wearing a helmet and now cannot remember where he is likely experiencing an amnestic disorder.

The nurse caring for an elderly woman with dementia has asked the woman's children to bring old photo albums when they visit. Which best describes the usefulness of viewing photos when caring for the dementia client? A) Viewing photos is a form of reminiscence therapy for the client. B) Sharing photos will encourage interaction with other clients. C) This can help the children to correctly identify old photographs. D) Talking about the photos will encourage the client to live in the past.

Ans: A Feedback: Reminiscence therapy (thinking about or relating personally significant past experiences) is an effective intervention for clients with dementia. Rather than lamenting that the client is ìliving in the past,î this therapy encourages family and caregivers also to reminisce with the client. Reminiscing uses the client's remote memory, which is not affected as severely or quickly as recent or immediate memory. Photo albums may be useful in stimulating remote memory, and they provide a focus on the client's past.

A client with dementia is starting pharmacotherapy to slow the progression of cognitive decline. The client has a history of moderate but steady alcohol use over the past 45 years. Which medication should the nurse question as least suitable for this client? A) Tacrine (Cognex) B) Memantine (Namenda) C) Donepezil (Aricept) D) Rivastigmine (Exelon)

Ans: A Feedback: Tacrine (Cognex) is a cholinesterase inhibitor; however, it elevates liver enzymes in about 50% of clients using it. Lab tests to assess liver function are necessary every 1 to 2 weeks; therefore, tacrine is rarely prescribed. Memantine (Namenda) is an NMDA receptor antagonist that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's in the moderate or severe stages. Donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Reminyl) are cholinesterase inhibitors and have shown modest therapeutic effects and temporarily slow the progress of dementia.

The nurse is caring for a client with cognitive impairment. To determine whether the client is suffering from delirium or dementia, the nurse reviews the symptoms and course of each disorder. Place the letter ìAî beside terms describing delirium and the letter ìBî beside terms describing dementia. ____ Rapid onset ____ Progressive decline ____ Long-term memory impairment ____ Slurred speech ____ Hallucinations

Ans: A, B, B, A, A Feedback: Onset of delirium is rapid, but of dementia is gradual. Duration of delirium is brief, but of dementia is progressing. Delirium affects only short-term memory. Dementia begins with short-term memory loss and progresses to long-term memory loss. Slurred speech is characteristic of delirium. Speech with dementia is unchanged until the client begins to develop aphasia. Visual and tactile hallucinations are common with delirium, but rarely experienced with dementia.

The nurse is performing a health history with a client exhibiting signs of delirium. The nurse asks the client and family members about possible causes of the delirious state. Which would the nurse likely attribute as underlying causes for the client's delirium? Select all that apply. A) Recent alcohol use B) Dehydration C) Use of antihistamines D) Sleep disturbances E) Use of megadoses of vitamins F) Exposure to paint or gasoline

Ans: A, B, C, D, F Feedback: Because the causes of delirium are often related to medical illness, alcohol, or other drugs, the nurse obtains a thorough history of these areas. The nurse may need to obtain information from family members if a client's ability to provide accurate data is impaired. Information about drugs should include prescribed medications, alcohol, illicit drugs, and over-the-counter medications. Physiologic or metabolic causes include hypoxemia, electrolyte disturbances, renal or hepatic failure, hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, dehydration, sleep deprivation, thyroid or glucocorticoid disturbances, thiamine or vitamin B12 deficiency, vitamin C, niacin, or protein deficiency, cardiovascular shock, brain tumor, head injury, and exposure to gasoline, paint solvents, insecticides, and related substances. Infectious processes include sepsis, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, meningitis, encephalitis, HIV, and syphilis.

Which are possible sources of frustrations for nurses caring for persons with dementia? Select all that apply. A) The clients do not retain explanations or instructions, so the nurse must repeat the same things continually. B) The nurse may get little or no positive response or feedback from clients with dementia. C) It can be difficult to remain positive and supportive to clients and family because the outcome is so bleak. D) It can be helpful for the nurse to talk to colleagues or even a counselor about personal feelings of depression and grief as the dementia progresses. E) The clients may seem not to hear or respond to anything the nurse does.

Ans: A, B, C, E Feedback: Working with and caring for clients with dementia can be exhausting and frustrating for both the nurse and caregiver. Teaching is a fundamental role for nurses, but teaching clients who have dementia can be especially challenging and frustrating. These clients do not retain explanations or instructions, so the nurse must repeat the same things continuously. The nurse may begin to feel that repeating instructions or explanations does not good because clients do not understand or remember them. The nurse may get little or no positive response or feedback from clients with dementia. It can be difficult to deal with feelings about caring for people who will never get better and go home. As dementia progresses, clients may seem not to hear or respond to anything the nurse says or does. Remaining positive and supportive to clients and family can be difficult when the outcome is so bleak. The nurse may need to deal with personal feelings of depression and grief as the dementia progresses; he or she can do so by discussing the situation with colleagues or even a counselor, but this is an intervention instead of a source of frustration for the nurse

Which is the most effective intervention for clients with delirium? A) Giving detailed explanations B) Managing environmental stimuli C) Promoting rest with PRN medications D) Providing activities for distraction

Ans: B Feedback: Clients with delirium become overstimulated easily; their ability to process environmental stimuli is impaired.

A nurse working in an assisted living facility is holding an in-service for the nursing assistants. The nurse reviews common behaviors associated with cognitive deterioration associated with dementia. Which would cause the nurse to know that the assistants correctly understood if it were expressed during a posttest? A) The clients should be able to ask us for items they need. B) The clients may not recognize their family when they come to visit. C) The clients who are ambulatory can still carry out activities of daily living independently. D) The clients should know when to come to the dining room for meals.

Ans: B Feedback: Dementia is a mental disorder that involves multiple cognitive deficits, primarily memory impairment, and at least one of the following cognitive disturbances: (1) aphasia, which is deterioration of language function; (2) apraxia, which is impaired ability to execute motor functions despite intact motor abilities; (3) agnosia, which is inability to recognize or name objects despite intact sensory abilities; and (4) disturbance in executive functioning, which is the ability to think abstractly and to plan, initiate, sequence, monitor, and stop complex behavior.

The adult son of a client with dementia asks the nurse how he should respond when his mother repeatedly says she has had a busy day at work. The mother has not worked in over 20 years. Which is the best guidance that the nurse could offer? A) Ask her to explain what she did at work today that kept her busy. B) Go along with her thought of it having been a busy day, but do not refer to her work. C) Reorient her that she is at home and did not go to work. D) Give her 5 to 10 minutes of rest, and she will have no memory of the incident.

Ans: B Feedback: Going along means providing emotional reassurance to clients without correcting their misperception or delusion. The nurse does not engage in delusional ideas or reinforce them, but he or she does not deny or confront their existence. For example, a client is fretful, repeatedly saying, ìI'm so worried about the children. I hope they're okayî and speaking as though his adult children were small and needed protection. The nurse could reassure the client by saying, ìThere's no need to worry; the children are just fineî (going along). Time away is an effective technique for aggression.

A client with moderate Alzheimer's disease is living with her grown daughter. Which statement by the daughter would indicate the need for intervention by the nurse? A) ìIt's distressing when my mother forgets my name.î B) ìI wish my sister would come to visit more often.î C) ìMother won't let anyone else do anything for her.î D) ìTaking care of my mother is a big responsibility.î

Ans: C Feedback: When the caregiver feels as though no one else can provide care, the risk for role strain is markedly increased. The other choices do not require intervention by the nurse.

A new nurse has been working with clients with Alzheimer's disease for almost 6 months. During a staff meeting, the nurse expresses frustration because the same instructions have to be given to clients on a daily basis. The nurse states, ìI feel like all my work doesn't do them any good.î Which should the nurse's supervisor encourage the nurse to do? A) Cease giving instructions because the clients will not remember them anyway. B) Try to stay supportive and meet the clients' needs at the current moment. C) Seek counseling if personal feelings get in the way of client care. D) Consider transferring to a different client care specialty area.

Ans: B Feedback: Teaching is a fundamental role for nurses, but teaching clients who have dementia can be especially challenging and frustrating. These clients do not retain explanations or instructions, so the nurse must repeat the same things continually. The nurse must be careful not to lose patience and not to give up on these clients. Discussing these frustrations with others can help the nurse to avoid conveying negative feelings to clients and families or experiencing professional and personal burnout. The nurse must remain positive and supportive to clients and family.

Which client would have an increased risk for delirium? A) An elderly woman with abdominal pain B) A 3-year-old child with a temperature of 103.2∞F C) A middle-aged woman newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis D) A young adult male with gastroenteritis and dehydration

Ans: B Feedback: Young children with high fever are at risk for delirium. The other choices would not be the most likely candidates for increased risk for delirium.

The nurse is developing interventions to promote socialization in a client with moderate dementia. Which would provide a safe and secure environment for the client? A) A card game with other clients B) An activity with the nurse C) Decorating a bulletin board with the group D) Morning stretch group with music

Ans: B Feedback: The client has to interact only with the nurse, who will behave in a predictable way and will focus on the client's needs, without undue or unexpected disruptions. Group activities do not provide a safe and secure environment like an activity done with the nurse does.

The grown daughter of a woman with Alzheimer's disease reports to the nurse that she is trying to keep her mother's condition from worsening by asking her questions whenever they are together. Which will be accomplished by this intervention? A) Decrease environmental misinterpretation B) Improve memory retention C) Increase frustration D) Slow the progress of the disease

Ans: C Feedback: Alzheimer's disease is progressive; clients do not learn new information, and they become frustrated when asked to perform tasks they are not capable of doing.

Which distinguishes delirium from dementia? A) Delirium has an acute onset and is progressive in course. B) Delirium has a gradual onset and can be resolved. C) Dementia has a gradual onset and is progressive in course. D) Dementia has an acute onset and can be resolved.

Ans: C Feedback: Delirium has a sudden onset, and the underlying cause is treatable; by contrast, dementia has a gradual onset and is progressive rather than treatable.

The nurse is encouraging a group of clients with dementia to join in upper body range of motion exercises using light dumbbells. Which technique will most likely result in the greatest amount of participation? A) Show an instructional video just prior to the activity. B) Describe the exercise immediately before performing it. C) Demonstrate the exercises while clients simultaneously perform them. D) Perform the same routine daily to avoid the need for repeated instruction.

Ans: C Feedback: The nurse encourages clients to engage in physical activity because they may not initiate such activities independently; many clients tend to become sedentary as cognitive abilities diminish. Clients often are quite willing to participate in physical activities but cannot initiate, plan, or carry out those activities without assistance.

The daughter of a woman with dementia asks the nurse if her mother will ever be able to live independently again. Which would be the most appropriate response by the nurse? A) ìYou sound like you aren't ready for her to be dependent on caregivers.î B) ìHer confusion is a temporary complication of her physical illness and should subside when the illness gets better.î C) ìSymptoms of dementia gradually get worse. Unfortunately she will not be independent again.î D) ìWith early treatment, mild dementia can be reversed. It may be possible.î

Ans: C Feedback: The prognosis for dementia involves progressive deterioration of physical and mental abilities until death. Typically, in the later stages, clients have minimal cognitive and motor function, are totally dependent on caregivers, and are unaware of their surroundings or people in the environment. They may be totally uncommunicative or make unintelligible sounds or attempts to verbalize. Delirium secondary to physical illness will subside with physical recovery.

The nurse is working with a client who has hallucinations and delusions. The client tells the nurse she cannot take a shower because she is waiting for her husband to take her home. Which response by the nurse is best in this situation? A) ìIt would be best if you just took your shower now.î B) ìYou seem anxious and upset.î C) ìYou have plenty of time to shower before it's time to go home.î D) ìWhy are you thinking you're going home?î

Ans: C Feedback: This is an example of going along with, rather than correcting, the client's misperception so that she can get on with her daily activities and not focus on being upset about not going home. The other choices are not the best responses in this situation.

A client with dementia gets angry and begins to yell at the nurse during mealtime. The nurse leaves the client's side for 5 to 10 minutes and then returns. Which of the following best explains the nurse's behavior? A) The nurse was unsure of how to calm the client. B) The nurse was frustrated and needed to take a ìtime-out.î C) The nurse gave the client a chance to calm down before resuming the meal. D) The nurse stepped away to verify the safety of other clients.

Ans: C Feedback: Time away involves leaving clients for a short period and then returning to them to reengage in interaction. For example, the client may get angry and yell at the nurse for no discernible reason. The nurse can leave the client for about 5 or 10 minutes and then return without referring to the previous outburst. The client may have little or no memory of the incident and may be pleased to see the nurse on his or her return.

The nurse is assessing a client with early signs of dementia. What is the nurse trying to determine when the nurse asks the client what he ate for breakfast that morning? A) Orientation B) Food preferences C) Recent memory D) Remote memory

Ans: C Feedback: The initial sign of dementia is memory loss for recent events that exceeds normal forgetfulness. Asking what the client ate for breakfast is not determining orientation, food preferences, or remote memory.

The daughter of a client with dementia has been the primary caregiver for 5 months. The daughter expresses to the nurse, ìAt times it is so overwhelming! I feel I do not have a life anymore!î Which is the most helpful response by the nurse? A) ìAre you saying you don't want to care for your mother anymore?î B) ìI know it is really hard. It takes a lot of work and you are doing such a good job.î C) ìYour mother really appreciates what you do for her. You are the best one to care for her.î D) ìHere is the number of a caregivers' support group. How do you think you would feel talking with others in the same situation?î

Ans: D Feedback: Caregivers need outlets for dealing with their own feelings. Support groups can help them to express frustration, sadness, anger, guilt, or ambivalence; all these feelings are common. Attending a support group regularly also means that caregivers have time with people who understand the many demands of caring for a family member with dementia. The client's physician can provide information about support groups, and the local chapter of the National Alzheimer's Disease Association is listed in the phone book. Area hospitals and public health agencies also can help caregivers to locate community resources. The nurse should understand that the caregiver is asking for help when expressing frustration. The nurse should not dismiss the caregiver's feelings or in any way induce additional guilt.

Which statement by the nurse would be most appropriate to the family member who is the primary caregiver to a client with dementia? A) ìMost people seek help when they really need it.î B) ìWhat is wrong with your family? Can't they see you need help?î C) ìYou should be grateful that you still have your family member around.î D) ìYes, it is important for you to spend some time relaxing and doing what you like to do. This will help you to be better prepared to manage the demands of the caregiver role.î

Ans: D Feedback: Caregivers need support to maintain personal lives. They need to continue to socialize with friends and to engage in leisure activities or hobbies rather than focus solely on the client's care. Caregivers who are rested, are happy, and have met their own needs are better prepared to manage the rigorous demands of the caregiver role. Most caregivers need to be reminded to take care of themselves; this act is not selfish but really is in the client's best long-term interests. Many times caregivers will say they will seek help when they really need it. However, they must maintain their own well-being and not wait until they are exhausted before seeking relief. The primary caregiver may believe other family members should volunteer to help without being asked, but other family members may believe that the primary caregiver chose to take on the responsibility and do not feel obligated to help out regularly. It is important for the family to express their feelings and ideas and to participate in caregiving according to their own expectations. Many families need assistance to reach this type of compromise. Asking the caregiver what is wrong with his or her family and pointing out that the caregiver needs help are not helpful to the caregiver. It would be better for the nurse to encourage family members to share their feelings and to compromise for the best interests of the client. Telling the caregiver that he or she should be grateful will only increase the caregiver's sense of guilt, which is not productive.

During the change of shift report in the intensive care unit, the nurse learns that a client has developed signs of delirium over the past 8 hours. Which behavior documented in the nursing notes would be consistent with delirium? A) Unable to identify a water pitcher B) Unable to transfer to sitting position C) Difficulty with verbal expression D) Disoriented to person

Ans: D Feedback: Delirium usually develops over a short period, sometimes a matter of hours, and fluctuates, or changes, throughout the course of the day. Clients with delirium have difficulty paying attention, are easily distracted and disoriented, and may have sensory disturbances such as illusions, misinterpretations, or hallucinations. Dementia symptoms include aphasia (deterioration of language function), apraxia (impaired ability to execute motor functions despite intact motor abilities), and agnosia (inability to recognize or name objects despite intact sensory abilities).

A nurse is educating a group of elderly community members about cognitive disorders. Which would the nurse include as a measure most likely to prevent Alzheimer's disease and other dementias? A) Crafts B) Cooking C) Watching television D) Reading

Ans: D Feedback: People who regularly participate in brain-stimulating activities such as reading books and newspapers or doing crossword puzzles are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who do not. Engaging in leisure-time physical activity during midlife and having a large social network are associated with a decreased risk for Alzheimer's disease in later life.

The nurse is caring for a client with Alzheimer's disease. The nurse observes that the client's pacing and mumbling to himself increase at mealtime and shift change. Which intervention should the nurse implement first? A) Administer an antianxiety drug such as lorazepam (Ativan) at these times. B) Explain the unit routine and the reasons for increased activity to the client. C) Keep unit activity to a minimum. D) Move the client to a quieter area during these times.

Ans: D Feedback: The nurse must alter the environment because the client will not learn new coping skills for frustrating or overly stimulating situations. Administering an antianxiety agent or explaining the routine of the unit and reasons for increased activity to the client may be done but would not be the initial intervention. The unit activity does not need to be kept to a minimum.

A client voluntarily admitted to the inpatient psychiatric unit is currently experiencing mild delirium. The client approaches the nurse and states, ìI'm going to take walk outside. I'll be back in about 10 minutes.î Which is the most appropriate nursing action? A) Further assess the client's motives for wanting to walk. B) Give the client permission to go on a walk on the grounds. C) Tell the client the walk is not allowed and restrict him to the unit. D) Designate a staff member to accompany the client on the walk.

Ans: D Feedback: The nurse teaches clients to request assistance for activities such as getting out of bed or going to the bathroom. If clients cannot request assistance, they require close supervision to prevent them from attempting activities they cannot perform safely alone. The nurse responds promptly to calls from clients for assistance and checks clients at frequent intervals.

Which statement made by the nurse would be most appropriate to an 89-year-old patient who is confused but has no history of dementia and is hospitalized for an acute urinary tract infection? A) ìYou are likely to become progressively more confused now.î B) ìThis should be just a temporary situation.î C) ìDon't worry about it; everyone is confused when they are in the hospital.î D) ìI know things are upsetting and confusing right now, but your confusion should clear as you get better.î

Ans: D Feedback: ìI know things are upsetting and confusing right now, but your confusion should clear as you get better,î would be validating and giving information and would provide realistic reassurance to the client who has delirium as this is often an acute and temporary situation in elderly people who are acutely ill and have other risk factors such as medications and illness and age. ìYou are likely to become progressively more confused now,î is inaccurate as the person likely has delirium, and this will be an acute and temporary situation. ìThis should be just a temporary situationî provides some reassurance but no validation. ìDon't worry about it; everyone is confused when they are in the hospitalî is inaccurate.

The nurse encourages the client with dementia to meet nutritional needs. Which is the best approach to assist in meeting adequate dietary intake? A) Sit with the client as long as necessary to complete the meal. B) Provide entertainment during meals such as television or music. C) Avoid between-meal snacks to encourage appetite. D) Serve meals in small, bite-size pieces.

Ans: D Feedback: Clients may eat poorly because of limited appetite or distraction at mealtimes. The nurse addresses this problem by providing foods clients like, sitting with clients at meals to provide cues to continue eating, having nutritious snacks available whenever clients are hungry, and minimizing noise and undue distraction at mealtimes. Clients who have difficulty manipulating utensils may be unable to cut meat or other foods into bite-sized pieces. The food should be cut up when it is prepared, not in front of clients, to deflect attention from their inability to do so. Food that can be eaten without utensils, or finger foods such as sandwiches and fresh fruits, may be best.