How Healthcare Professionals Care for Patients with Dementia

Dementia is one of the most common and severe causes of disability for older people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 50 million people suffer from dementia and nearly 10 million new cases crop up each year.

因为这种病会使人衰弱, 痴呆症患者通常需要个性化护理. And, because dementia affects a significant portion of the elderly population, it’s likely you will work with patients with this disease during your healthcare career.

照顾痴呆症患者可能是一项挑战, especially if you don’t immediately recognize the signs of the disease, 或者没有完全意识到精神上的, physical and emotional challenges a patient with dementia faces on a daily basis.

不管你是护士，医生，还是 medical assistant or a home health aide, here’s what you need to know about caring for someone with dementia:

What is dementia?

Dementia is a disease that affects individuals’ cognitive functioning, such their memory, 日常工作的表现和能力. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and contributes to 60-70 percent of cases. 其他形式的痴呆包括血管性痴呆, Lewy body dementia, 额颞叶痴呆, 帕金森氏症和雅各布氏症.

痴呆的症状和体征是什么?

Individuals with dementia may be prone to forgetting things, like where they live or how to cook something they have cooked for years. 如果疾病影响到额颞叶, they can lose control of their decision-making skills and language abilities. 有些病人还容易有攻击性.

医疗保健专业人员如何提供帮助:

Healthcare professionals who work with dementia patients know that compassion and patience can go a long way in improving a patient’s day-to-day life.

These three strategies can help you minimize negative experiences for your patients and provide an exceptional level of care:

1. Stay calm. 有些病人倾向于高度焦虑, 尤其是当他们接触到新的活动时, 日常生活或噪音的改变. It’s not always easy to recognize when patients are feeling anxious because they may not be able to verbalize their feelings. 他们可能会对照顾者表现出攻击性.

It’s important to remember that patients can sense your stress and frustration. If you are visibly stressed, you patient may become more upset. Watch your patients’ body language for signals of stress and stay calm when you address a patient who is having difficulty coping with a new situation.

2. Patience is key. 你可能无法让一个心烦意乱的病人马上平静下来. Sometimes patients get into a funk and cannot find a way to listen; sometimes they might not want to listen. 一个新的面孔和声音有时可以 help 安抚不安的病人, so ask a colleague to assist you if you cannot help a patient on your own.

使用简单的指令也很有帮助. Repeat instructions calmly and clearly until your patients can understand and respond. 不要以“好吗??” because patients may become combative and respond with “no.”

3. Be a team player. Remember that your coworkers – just like you – will feel the stress their jobs. They too could be working through their own hardships and just trying to get their job done. Being a supportive team member is a must. Respect other nurses and doctors and be able to take direction from them, 也会在需要的时候帮忙完成额外的任务.

Despite its challenges, caring for patients with dementia can be very rewarding. Your patients may not always be able to express their gratitude verbally, but know that your care is comforting to them – and their family and friends – in a difficult time.