NURS1103 Clinical Nursing Practice

Introduction

Nurses are considered as one of the most important contributors in all the stages related to dementia. Nurses are plays very significant role in bringing improvement and better results in order to bring quality in the life of those people who are suffering from dementia. Dementia is considered as one of the big challenges in the medical segment (Sauer, Fopma-Loy, Kinney & Lokon, 2016). Around 25% population of Australia is suffering from this disease. The individuals suffering from this disease are always under the risk of dehydration and unconscious. It is believed that the dementia specialist possesses required skills, which are helpful in bringing improvement in patients.

Overview

Dementia is actually an irreversible decline process in the mental functions of an individual. It often impacts the reasoning capability, judgment ability, task understanding and comprehension power (Bravo et al., 2018). It is believed that one in each eight-person is suffering from this disease in Australia and is expected to increase because of aging of the average span of life. These diseases are actually acting as burdens on the shoulder of the health system. The occurrence of dementia in adults over 60 is projected to be 15%. About partial of adults with dementia belong to nursing institutions or aided living amenities, and around 70% of the Australian population are dying with dementia in a nursing home (World Health Organization, 2017).

Nursing home-based residents in the last phases of dementia are completely dependent and are slowly moving towards complete memory loss, completely stuck on the bed, have no control on urine, and are not able to communicate properly. Offering care services to these inhabitants needs knowledge and abilities precise to the homeopathic, physical, reasoning, and reassuring wants of these patient residents and their families (Douglas, Lawrence & Turner, 2017). From years, it has been seen that need of dementia special care units is increasing every year, specialized entities inside nursing homes where the structural pattern, enrollment, and activity sequencers are envisioned to offer a helpful community and prosthetic physical atmosphere for inhabitants with dementia. With roughly 2,600 units countrywide in 2010, SCUs have become a very general system of dedicated long-term care services. It has been found that SCU residence has become almost equal in numbers related to rehabilitation centers which are also known as the second most mutual type of specialized care (Berry, Rothbaum, Kiel, Lee & Mitchell, 2018). According to the studies,  SCU habitation is absolutely connected with numerous long-term care excellence indicators, comprising fewer frequent tube nourishing, less use of physical fetters,  low threat of pressure sores, improved continence care, less behavioral instabilities, low threat of hospitalization, and improved quality of life.

Though there is much evidence which has observed the influence of SCUs on dementia care services which are almost denying the presence of particular units in the care of individuals with progressive dementia. A nursing home based inhabitants with progressive dementia have distinctive wants, mainly related to comforting care portion, and previous exploration directs that the incurable care for this portion of the population is often insufficient (Nijk, Zuidema & Koopmans, 2017). Nursing studies have established that inhabitants with dementia are less probable to obtain tolerable pain regulator as compared to another ill disease  nursing home bases residents. It is believed that other diseases based home nursing are more likely to undergo from neglect, probably involved to burdensome interferences and probably will receive fewer advance directives focused care (Wetzels,  Zuidema,  de Jonghe, Verhey & Koopmans, 2018). Prearranged the distinct wants of nursing home-based inhabitants with progressive dementia, SCUs might offer specific worth to this population. In previous determination, SCU residence has been connected with better gratification with care surrounded by health care substitutions for nursing home-based inhabitants with advanced dementia.

Compare and contrast of dementia nursing with other services

Dementia home-based nursing service provides all kind of support that other nursing service only promises at the time of registration. In this case, residents generally have a serious medical condition which needs continuous attention from doctors and nurses (Sullivan, Sillup & Klimberg, 2018). This service offers a very better place for any individual who is suffering from this dementia issue and has the capability to bring improvement in the health of the patient. This service offers home type environment to their patients by offering them the facilities of the special bed and other instruments which are helpful in case patient is facing difficulty in moving. The persons involved in such services are highly specialized in dementia issues and are well aware of the outcome of their any methods (Herr, K., Zwakhalen, S., & Swafford, 2017).

While in other nursing services, there are very few specialized individuals involved and rest of the individuals are not much qualified and act as helper’s hands. These services are being managed by some person who may have earned some rewards related to nursing services but do not necessarily possess qualification of nursing and so recruits persons associated with such services to the patient (Hvidsten et al, 2018). These staffs are involved in services like washing hands, engages in physical activities. In these services, focus is mainly maintained on the physical portion of the patient but not on the mental aspects of the patient.

Though there is no clear benchmark on which it can be analyzed which service is better because these nursing services are totally dependent on the clear medical attention on which work can be done. If some person is suffering from dementia, then this person may not in need of intensive medical care as compared to that person who is in the situation of struggling from individual safety.

Conclusion

Dementia disease has really impacted every single aspect of individuals’ life along with their families. Hence, it has become very significant for health professionals to support and recognize the needs of the individuals and their families which are suffering from dementia. Present world has understood the value of dementia nursing and has given important priority to this segment as compared to other nursing services because this service is being attached with the complete healthcare of the patient both physically as well as mentally. In addition, this service offers quality life to these patients by developing positive thinking in them about the world.

References

Berry, S. D., Rothbaum, R. R., Kiel, D. P., Lee, Y., & Mitchell, S. L. (2018). Association of clinical outcomes with surgical repair of hip fracture vs nonsurgical management in nursing home residents with advanced dementia. JAMA internal medicine, 178(6), 774-780.

Bravo, G., Rodrigue, C., Arcand, M., Downie, J., Dubois, M. F., Kaasalainen, S., & Trottier, L. (2018). Quebec physicians’ perspectives on medical aid in dying for incompetent patients with dementia. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 109(5-6), 729-739.

Douglas, J. W., Lawrence, J. C., & Turner, L. W. (2017). Social Ecological perspectives of tube-feeding older adults with advanced dementia: a systematic literature review. Journal of nutrition in gerontology and geriatrics, 36(1), 1-17.

Herr, K., Zwakhalen, S., & Swafford, K. (2017). Observation of pain in dementia. Current Alzheimer Research, 14(5), 486-500.Hvidsten, L., Engedal, K., Selbæk, G.,

Wyller, T. B., Bruvik, F., & Kersten, H. (2018). Quality of Life in People with Young-Onset Alzheimer’s Dementia and Frontotemporal Dementia. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders, 45(1-2), 91-104.

Nijk, R. M., Zuidema, S. U., & Koopmans, R. T. (2017). Prevalence and correlates of psychotropic drug use in Dutch nursing-home patients with dementia. International Psychogeriatrics, 21(3), 485-493.

Sauer, P. E., Fopma-Loy, J., Kinney, J. M., & Lokon, E. (2016). “It makes me feel like myself”: Person-centered versus traditional visual arts activities for people with dementia. Dementia, 15(5), 895-912.

Sullivan, E. L., Sillup, G. P., & Klimberg, R. K. (2018). Reduction of agitation and anxiety observed in a case study of people with dementia using TimeSlips™ creative expression program. International Journal of Behavioural and Healthcare Research, 6(2), 103-119.

Wetzels, R. B., Zuidema, S. U., de Jonghe, J. F., Verhey, F. R. J., & Koopmans, R. T. C. M. (2018). Determinants of quality of life in nursing home residents with dementia. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders, 29(3), 189-197.

World Health Organization. (2017) Key facts [online]. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia