Author Question: An 80-year-old client was referred to a neurologist after several months of worsening cognitive ... (Read 29 times)

Collmarie · **on:** Jul 11, 2018

An 80-year-old client was referred to a neurologist after several months of worsening cognitive deficits and has subsequently been diagnosed with Alzheimer disease.

Which statement by the nurse to the client's family demonstrates appropriate use of terminology

A) It's very difficult and stressful when a loved one becomes senile.
B) Even though your parent is demented, we will do all we can to promote his quality of life.
C) This form of organic brain syndrome is a common health problem in the ninth decade of life.
D) We always try our best to foster wellness in persons who have dementia.

Question 2

A client was diagnosed 3 years ago with a cognitive impairment, a condition that worsened over the next several months and which culminated in his recent death.

An autopsy revealed numerous infarcted brain regions resulting from vessel occlusions. This client most likely suffered from which type of dementia?

A) Alzheimer disease
B) Vascular dementia
C) Lewy body dementia
D) Frontotemporal degeneration

briseldagonzales · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 11, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Ans: D
Nurses can use phrases such as a person with dementia or a person with a dementing illness to accurately refer to the medical syndrome of impaired cognitive function while avoiding pejorative connotations associated with describing older adults as demented. The terms senile and organic brain syndrome are no longer in use.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: B
While the four major types of dementia are not discrete or mutually exclusive, vascular dementia is characterized by pathophysiologic processes including infarctions from occlusion of blood vessels. This pathophysiology is not characteristic of Alzheimer disease, Lewy body dementia, or frontotemporal lobe dementia.