Introduction
Dementia is a term that is not a particular illness, but it refers to the impaired ability to think, recall, or make decisions that interfere with everyday activities, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common. Though it mostly impacts older adults, it is not part of normal aging. Due to the general nature of the name, the symptoms can vary from one individual to another. Those with dementia have issues with their memory, communication, attention, and reasoning. Pharmacological approaches consider the use of medicines to treat as well as relieve pain, whereas non-pharmacological methods favor other modalities of care. The aim of this paper is to discuss the non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods of providing care to dementia patients in nursing homes.
Pharmacological Methods
Cholinesterase inhibitors are medications that work by improving the levels of a chemical messenger involved in judgment and memory, including donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine. Although mainly utilized in cases of treating Alzheimer’s disease, they can be provided to patients suffering from other illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease dementia, vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia (Marazziti et al., 2021). Side effects can consist of vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. Other likely side effects comprise fainting, slowed heart rate, and sleep disturbances.
Another medication is memantine which works by controlling the glutamate’s activity, another chemical messenger involved in brain functions such as memory and learning. In some instances, it is prescribed with a cholinesterase inhibitor (Marazziti et al., 2021). A common side effect is a dizziness, as suggested by Marazziti et al. (2021). Other medicines that can be used in the treatment of dementia depend on the physician and the symptoms someone is experiencing.
Non-Pharmacological Methods
Symptoms of cognitive impairment, as well as behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia, may be treated with various non-pharmacological interventions that span behavioral, psychological, and environmental fields. As a health professional, one can obtain advice concerning the availability of these activities and training sessions for the patients and their families and caregivers at the Dementia Behavior Management Advisory Service (Yorozuya et al., 2019). The first method to apply is cognitive behavioral therapy, which may offer assistance with adjusting to the initial diagnostic examination, and forward planning, as well as treating depression in the early stages of dementia. Individuals who get the most out of this mechanism are those in their early days after discovery.
Another method is psychotherapy and psycho-educational intervention, which may aid caregivers in dealing with helping people with dementia and maintain their well-being. The third technique is behavioral management therapy, which is used to target challenging behavioral trends in dementia patients (Varkonyi-Sepp et al., 2022). Such behaviors comprise agitation, wandering, and repetitive questioning. The fourth approach is environmental or modification, where creative solutions to the symptoms are encouraged, targeting the surroundings of the impacted people (Sousa et al., 2021). The ideal environment for someone is that which is familiar, constant, and non-stressful.
Conclusion
The paper has discussed the non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods of providing care to dementia patients in the nursing home. While pharmacological methods employ the use of medicines to treat the sick, non-pharmacological utilize other modalities of care, such as therapy. For instance, use of cholinesterase inhibitors are medications that work by improving the levels of a chemical messenger involved in judgment and memory, including donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine. Additionally, it has shown an intervention, such as an environmental approach, which focuses on the surroundings of the patient. It is stated that an ideal environment for someone is that which is familiar, constant, and non-stressful.
References
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