NursingLink

Hello-

          I was wondering if anyone has experience working with dementia clients and in what kind of healthcare setting. I am interested in the future focusing at least part of my career on dementia clients. I'd like to speak with someone regarding their career and education experience. Please email me if you have any input.

*THanks

I would like to work directly with Dementia clients, but not in for say a nursing home setting. I'd like to have contact  with the families and patient.  (Maybe even down the road....assisting in a Dementia unit or managing a Dementia Unit.)

hi im working @ Nursing home 75% of our Pts are dementia/alzheimers, yes i agree u need to go with there level of mind set. One of my pts. keep crying & I asked why she's crying she said she's gonna missed her bus going to school cuz she still stting on the w/chair. i told her I will take her tomorrow with my car so she wont be late to her class anymore she agree to it solve her problem. U just need to have patients for this people. I love my job i know how to make my pts happy i feel needed & wanted.

I would like to clarify for myself a post  I noted on this thread. I reviewed it several times to assess if I misunderstood the post. As a HealthCrae Professional, Nurse Educator...current role the greatest challenge ever, caring for my grandmother, I hope I am wrong re: the post.  In telling your patient that you would provide transportation, did you? If so, what a great job problem solving. However my impression is you were dishonest with your patient. I am not calling you out, however for those seeking information in caring for Dementia or any Cognitive Impairment, be honest, keep it simple, use all senses to assist in communicating and promoting independance such as re stating, ask the patient to write it out, provide visuals of orientation status, keep the schedule as routine as possible, decrease stimulation, avoid providing too many choices ( just spent cleaning out my grandmother's closet of overwhelming amounts of clothing and shoes) avoid open ended questions that require great detail in formulating the verbal response, validate the patient, provide choices when trying to assess what may be difficult to verbalize of course care, short  periods of time on activites, Bingo is excellent as it assists with Cognition & motor skills, Behavior Modification, and it goes on each plan different to meet different needs of the individual. Never set a patient or the Healthcare provider up for failure, as a family member I would be pissed if someone had told tmy grandmother something that would not be an option  & then my grandmother recalls that information & requests what was promised as I would not be able to fulfill the request as well as a nurse....no one wants to take the hit ( sometimes truly avoiding getting it) of not being able to fullfill what had been promised by someone else.  Iadmire all of you!~ It is such a challenging job, it was a field I avoided until it became part of my real life & I watch in amazement the compassion witnessed by healthcare providers in this field. 

I am a member of  the local Alzheimers Alliance & as the baby boomers become of age this is considered to be an epidemic , indicating depletion of Medicare.  Scary!!~ The focus being on trying to stay in the home as long as possible, Home Care, Respite Care, Day Programs, Recreational Activities, ALFs, Case Management, Education, Community Lving Enviroments, PT, ST and the list grows.

As a family member , The  36-Hour Day is amazing. The revised & updated version has provided a wealth of information from Dementia 101, Concurrent Medical Problems, Problems of Behavior (Interventions are great) Problems of  Mood, Changes in roles of Family, Financial & Legal Issues, Research, National & State Organizations and the list goes on & on.

Alzheimer's Association http://www.alz.org.

Alzheimer's Disease Education & Referral Center http://www.alzheimers.org.

Hang in there frankiecash!!~ I had no idea by changing  the TV  from the game show network would have resulted in my grandmother hitting me!  OUCH!!~  It was a train wreck. I found learning as much as possible, getting a Neuro Consult to have the all the diagnostic work up, Medication, Home Health focusing on PT for safety as well as ST really did an amazing job with educating the caregivers, my mother & me in Congition and just knowing you are not alone...I have found a good cry and jumping back in the game to cherish the time together...works well!!~