Author Question: A 77-year-old Hispanic woman is concerned that her 80-year-old husband, who has dementia is no ... (Read 139 times)

sam.t96 · **on:** Jul 19, 2018

A 77-year-old Hispanic woman is concerned that her 80-year-old husband, who has dementia is no longer able to speak English, and will therefore not be able to get care if she dies. Which is the best response by the nurse?

1. Offer to try to locate services that provide Spanish speaking clinicians.
2. Suggest that the family might want to pray for a solution to the problem.
3. Explain that the family will need to provide the care because care for Spanish-speaking patients is not readily available.
4. Explain that the idea of care that addresses a dementia patient's declining language abilities is unreasonable and it is important that the spouse adjust her expectations.

Question 2

A 64-year-old patient is worried about having dementia. The patient tells the nurse that it is taking her longer to solve problems, multi-tasking is becoming more difficult, and she sometimes has difficulty remembering what to get at the grocery store.

Which is the appropriate response by the nurse? Select all that apply.
1. The ability to multitask might decline with age, but this is not an indication of dementia.
2. Many people have episodic memory problems as they age. These do not indicate serious cognitive dysfunction.
3. If it is taking you longer to solve problems than it used to, you may need to be assessed for other signs of dementia.
4. Forgetting what you wanted to get at the store is a matter of concern. I think you should have a cognitive evaluation.
5. A decline in mental processing speed is a normal part of aging, so taking longer with problem solving is not unusual as we get older.

Sweetkitty24130 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 19, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: 1
Explanation: Disparities in mental health care exist along both age and cultural lines. Older African-American, Hispanic, and Asian adults have far less access to mental health services than older White Americans. Specific efforts need to be made to find effective and appropriate care for these patients. Nurses are responsible for advocating for effective health care, not excusing its absence, providing suggestions that promote stereotyping, or suggesting that good care is not a reasonable expectation.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: 1, 2, 5
Explanation: Structural changes likely are responsible for reductions in certain cognitive abilities such as processing speed, executive function, and episodic memory. These changes are experienced by many older adults. Dementia is indicated by symptoms such as significant short-term memory problems, increasingly poor judgment, and difficulty communicating.