Prescribing for Older Adults
Some psychiatric disorders are more prevalent in older generations as compared to the younger generations. This is due to cerebral-neural degeneration. Often, these disorders are not recognized in good time and are thus not treated properly despite their prevalence. Mental disorders in general can lead to disability, suicide or even a poor quality of life. In this section, I will discuss one of the disorders from the DSM-5 that affect older adults.
Dementia
Dementia is a disorder that is characterized by inability to make sound decisions, think, or even remember crucial aspects that were easy to recall earlier on. Many people may think that dementia is a normal stage in the ageing process but it is not the case. The early signs of dementia include: forgetting to take a meal or even the process of making that meal, getting disoriented whereby the person suffering from this disorder tends to forget a certain pathway they used to pass etc. People with dementia may also have a problem with their judgment. For example, a farmer may lose the insight to establish what to plant during certain seasons. Dementia has also been associated with hallucinations and loss of balance.
There are many types of dementia, but the most common type that accounts for about 80% of cases is the Alzheimers disease. This disease has no cure but medications that help protect the brain are administered. Other forms of dementia include: mixed dementia, vascular dementia and frontal-temporal dementia. Dementia can be diagnosed by a health practitioner who would then go ahead to prescribe various methods of treatment and ways to manage the disorder. The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) considers some characteristics in dementia patients and determines an appropriate course of treatment. As a PMHNP, I would recommend FDA-approved drugs, non-FDA-approved drugs, and non-pharmacological interventions depending on the stage of the condition.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (2021), a drug new drug - aducanumab - was approved. The drug does not treat Alzheimers...
…heart attack due to blockage of the heart. In a small percentage of patients, donepezil leads to weight loss with higher doses. Donepezil does not cure dementia but it helps improve the behavior of a patient by altering the progression of the disease.Clinical Practice Guidelines for Dementia
There are clinical practice guidelines that exist for dementia. A good recommendation involves a situation whereby all individuals are best served by the recommended drug. For the FDA approved drug, the health practitioner should ensure that they conduct the basic dementia screen before administering the drug to the patient.
Before administering the donepezil drug to patients, health practitioners should first take into consideration a patients vitals. They should also be aware of the adverse effects associated with this drug, such as vomiting and heart blockage and advise the patient accordingly, especially on the side effects to be wary of. Administration of this medicine should be avoided if the effects are deemed too adverse.
Non-pharmacological approaches should be used if a person…
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC (2019). Alzheimer’s disease and Healthy Aging. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/index.html
Hugo, J. & Ganguli, M. (2014). Dementia and Cognitive Impairment. Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment, 30(3), 421-442.
Westphalen, D. & Pharm. D. (2019). A List of Common Dementia Medications. https://www.healthline.com/health/dementia-drugs-and-medication
Dementia and Normal Ageing Old age comes with quite a number of complications and change of behavior as well as physical changes. On the other hand, dementia also comes in with several symptoms that are closely related or similar to those displayed by people in old age. This makes it quite tricky for the family members of an ageing individual to tell whether the person is undergoing normal ageing or has
Since individuals who are included in those demographics normally will have less in resources that can be used to seek out treatments, the burden will fall on society. If an efficient and cost-effective treatment can be found then society, as well as the individuals affected would benefit greatly. Works Cited Akamine, D., Filho, M.K., Peres, C.M. (2007) Drug-nutrient Interactions in Elderly People, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, Vol.
(Transforming Care for People with Dementia across the Continuum) Dementia can be cured with a mixture of psychotherapy, environmental modifications, and medicines. Drug treatment can be problematic by forgetfulness, mainly if the advised drug is to be taken a number of times a day. Behavioral problems are due to irritation or over stimulation. Enjoyable activities, like crafts, games, and music, can give therapeutic motivation and enhance mood. Changing the environment
(Alzheimer's Society, 2007). As affirmed that fifty five staff members were presented at all four sittings of the certificate training. Members who focused on all four sessions were alike to those who did not, in age, sum of years finished in school, employee's position and other individuality. As predictable, those who worked most to all of their time on the individual care unit were more probable to complete all four
Dementia Five important issues caregivers should be aware of when working with dementia patients. dementia is a "progressive and terminal" disease that "you can die from," according to a peer-reviewed article in BMC Medicine (van der Steen, 2013, p. 1). Van der Steen conducted a survey using 372 nursing home patients from 28 nursing facilities in the Netherlands. The initial survey reflected that just 43% of the families understood that "you can
Dementia Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia, of which there are many types. Dementia is a term that describes a number of conditions that lead to a loss of intellectual capacities but initially occurring with clear consciousness. The area most often first affected is memory; however, with some types of dementia this may not be the case. The DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for dementia consist of memory loss and the loss
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now