Nursing Care Plan : Nursing Diagnosis for Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's Disease, also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease, is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death. It was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was named after him.
Alzheimer's disease is usually diagnosed clinically from the patient history, collateral history from relatives, and clinical observations, based on the presence of characteristic neurological and neuropsychological features and the absence of alternative conditions. Advanced medical imaging with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) can be used to help exclude other cerebral pathology or subtypes of dementia. Moreover, it may predict conversion from prodromal stages (mild cognitive impairment) to Alzheimer's disease.
Assessment of intellectual functioning including memory testing can further characterise the state of the disease.[5] Medical organisations have created diagnostic criteria to ease and standardise the diagnostic process for practicing physicians. The diagnosis can be confirmed with very high accuracy post-mortem when brain material is available and can be examined histologically.
4 Nursing Diagnosis for Alzheimer's Disease
1. Self-care deficit (eating, drinking, dressing, hygiene) related to changes in the process of thought.
2. Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements related to inadequate intake, changes in thought processes.
3. Impaired verbal communication related to the changes in thought processes.
4. Ineffective individual coping related to changes in thought processes and dysfunction due to disease progression.