Working with Patients Who Have Alzheimer’s Disease

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia need special assistance since they have issues with their memories and so they are usually put in-home care facilities so they can be looked after by nurses and health workers who understand their condition more. Working with patients who have Alzheimer’s disease requires special skills. Here are some duties of per diem nurses for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients to have more understanding of what needs to be done to this kind of patient. 

Long or Short-term Home Care 

Per diem nurses work in the facilities or even extend their work on the home of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Since they need someone to assist them with almost all of their activities. Per diem nurses are assigned to look after their patients depending on how long they are needed. Although they have been tagged as per diem nurses their assignments can be extended since their service is needed. 

Preparing for Patient’s Meal

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are not capable of cooking their own meals. So nurses who are assigned to them extend their responsibilities by cooking for their patients. Plus this can make their patients eat healthier food as well. 

Nurses Accompany Their Patients to their Doctor’s Appointments 

There are regular doctor’s appointments for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia to check on the progress of their conditions. During this time nurses assist them as they visit their doctors. This is also a perfect moment to report their observations to the physicians during their stay with their patients.

Nurses Do Personal Care

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are like babies; they need someone to assist them in taking a bath, grooming, and dressing. They can not do these activities on their own since they don’t remember how it is done, so someone who knows their conditions should be there to take care of them. Apart from giving personal care, comforting them when their emotions are down is also the responsibility of nurses. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are often attacked with their emotions so the nurse should go an extra mile to be there for them when this happens. 

Coordination of Service-Schedule and Professional Case Management

The nurse must report any changes that occur in the patients as well as medication taken by the patients to their physician or head of the medical team handling the patient’s case. In his way, the condition of the patient can be monitored well and any updates needed to be done will be implemented properly. 24/7 monitoring is needed so someone should be looking after the patient when the assigned nurse needs to take a rest. Or other nurses can serve as a spare if their assigned nurse needs to take an off or need to sleep. Having a regular nurse can be helpful in getting positive progress on patients. 

Skills are a must for Nurse

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are vulnerable, therefore nurses who will be assigned to them should have the proper skills and have enough experience so they can be able to take care of the patients properly. Best nurses are hired to take care of these special patients. 

Planning Goals 

Nurses are included when medical teams are planning goals for their patients so they would know how to handle situations that arise during their watch. That’s why skilled nurses are needed since they can be able to perform any emergency just in case their patient needs it. Pus working as a team and setting goals can hasten the patient’s progress to positive results. 

Working with patients who have Alzheimer’s disease can be challenging so as a nurse you should be qualified enough to be assigned to them. Apart from your skills. Critical thinking also counts and take note that you will also be their emotional support so prepare yourself to be there for them in whatever aspect you are needed. Getting assigned to such challenging roles as a nurse can also teach you a lot of things and enhance your skills by using every bit of them when taking care of your patients. So earn those experience and training and who knows when it comes in handy, as nurse flexibility is a must so get as much experience and skills as you can.