Mrs. A is a 65 year old lady that lives with her 68 year old sister. Mrs. A is a widow and has no parents or children of her own, leaving her sister as her only immediate family. Over the last 30 years, Mrs. A co-owns and works in a successful card shop in town with her sister. Ever since she was diagnosed with vascular dementia 3 months ago, Mrs. A begun noticing that her memory was deteriorating and she was beginning to lose interest in activities she had once loved. Because of this, she cut down her hours at the shop from 5 days a week to 6 hours split over 2 days. Mrs A found this particularly difficult as she had worked in that shop for over 30 years. Mrs A was previously a very independent woman and took pride in her independence. Previous to her diagnosis, Mrs. A had a good social life, with friends and colleagues a major focus in her life, but due to her deteriorating memory and mood swings, Mrs. A has found maintaining these fundamental relationships more and more difficult. Mrs. A was referred to a district nurse after her sister brought her into their GP surgery following a first-degree burn to her hand. Mrs. A’s medical history included a long history of hypertension due to 20+ years of being a heavy smoker and one previous Transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs’). Prior to her visit to the GP, Mrs. A had been receiving minimal support regarding her vascular dementia diagnosis as it was considered to be in the “early stages”.Future Roles in Nursing Essay
Dementia is the term used to define a number of symptoms that alter the way the brain functions. These symptoms include, memory loss, problems with communication, compromised reasoning and difficulties with performing day-to-day activities. Dementia affects the way somebody’s mind works, therefore resulting in behaviour which can hinder their ability to live independently and can also affect social relationships (Martin 2006).
Dementia is one of the most common neurological conditions among the elderly in the western world. It is estimated that in the UK alone, there are 820,000 people living with a diagnosis of dementia, with the average age of onset being over the age of 65years. However, it can also develop in younger people where it is known as young – onset dementia (Alzheimer’s Research Trust, 2010).Future Roles in Nursing Essay
The type of dementia that will be discussed in this assignment is vascular dementia. Researchers have found that vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for 20 to 30 per cent of cases. Vascular dementia is defined as a “disease with a cognitive impairment resulting from cerebrovascular disease and ischemic or haemorrhagic brain injury” (Nazarko 2011). According to the Department of Health (2009), vascular dementia is the term used to describe a number of symptoms that lead to a progressive decline in cognitive and memory function.Future Roles in Nursing Essay
The brain requires a sufficient amount of blood in order for it to function properly (Beart 2007). Vascular dementia develops when the blood supply that transports oxygen and nutrients to the brain is “damaged by a blocked or diseased vascular system” (Salma 2008). This damage happens when cells die due to the fact that the blood no longer has the ability to reach the brain cells proficiently. If there is an interference of the blood supply to the brain, for even the shortest period of time, the distinctive functioning of the cortex – (which is the site in the brain responsible for language, memory and learning) will be impaired. (Thomas 2001). The effects and the speed of progression in vascular dementia vary from one individual to the next. Usually, symptoms associated with vascular dementia begin suddenly, for example after a stroke. Vascular dementia is dissimilar to other forms of dementia due to the fact that it “often follows a stepped progression”, with symptoms remaining the same for a certain period of time and then gradually getting worse (Ouldred 2010). According to Stacpole (2011), the following symptoms are typically linked to vascular dementia: visual mistakes and misperceptions, seizure, periods of acute confusion, problems with continence and psychological symptoms such as apathy. A number of medical professionals prefer the term “vascular cognitive impairment (VCI)” to vascular dementia because it is more precise in explaining the fact that vascular thinking changes can range from mild to severe. (Bamford 2010) .Future Roles in Nursing Essay
The two main types of vascular dementia are multi-infarct dementia and subcortical dementia. Subcortical VaD occurs due to small vessel disease “causing lesions in the deep white matter of the brain and where the cor
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