Patient Observation: Alzheimer’s, Disability and Autism
Contents
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(all names changed for confidentiality)
I am going to discuss three patients I have been assigned too
My 1st patient is suffering with Alzheimer’s memory loss
My 2nd patient is suffering with A physical disability
My 3rd client is suffering with autism
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Accurate observation of client providing background information
The patient I am working with is 80 years of age,(Leo) (name changed for confidentiality)Â he is suffering with Alzheimer’s which is a memory loss, and he has 6 children and a wife who has passed away. He is having trouble remembering some names of his family, his son that admitted him he did not remember when brought back up in conversation, but he did remember one of his other sons when I mentioned him. He has been suffering with Alzheimer’s the past 6 years now and it’s been slow progressing.
Detailed account of the challenges experienced by the client
The challenges he is having is communication with others not sure of where he is or who he is, he gets lost in conversation unsure of what you sometimes do be asking him about his background and things he liked to do. I do know he was a hardworking man and was always out and about never stuck inside loved gardening and working, but now he is in a wheelchair and incapable of walking washing or shaving himself.
Detail account of the competences demonstrated by the client
He is very competent on feeding himself and having his cut of tea and cigarette, so I do bring him out for one anytime he needs or feels like having one. He likes to be well dressed in a suit most days especially a Sunday for Sunday mass he has not forgotten that is starts at 9am and ends at 11am.
Description of current measures to assess client need
Current measures at this present moment he has been admitted into the nursing home and has been here with us now the past 4 mounts. We have a secure and safe environment and also have good security measures in place such as cameras and a wrist band that tracks where the patients are at all times.
Realistic suggestions and implementation plan to improve the quality of the life of the client
The plan I do have to improve the quality of the clients life is asking his family to visit more often so he does not feel isolated and help him start remembering who they are bring him out for a walk in the gardens let him help plant flower pots on a table so he can still enjoy gardening we have activity to help with learning, doing arts and crafts such as painting or knitting, sing songs and play music that they enjoy, work on puzzles, look at books and newspapers he may like or watch movies that he has an interest in.
Considered evaluation and description of personal learning outcomes
I have learned what needs to be taken into consideration to make it more comfortable for him, to keep the patient safe and calm at all times the physical intellectual emotional social and spiritual that are implemented throughout the day are devices to help communicate better, activity’s to help stimulate his brain his own wheelchair to help with mobility, and we make sure he is kept warm safe, washed and well groomed, to his own choice of clothing. Like what he had been doing in his everyday life before his Alzheimer’s got worse, and had to be admitted here.
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Accurate observation of client providing background information
The second patient I am working with is 83 year old (Margret)(name changed for confidentiality)Â she is in her full senses. Until one morning she called her daughter to bring her to the bathroom and while she was left unattended, she had swollen knees and felt dizzy. This is what could have caused the fall she had. She had a fall earlier this year that stopped her from being independent, and walking she can walk a little bit but is too afraid in case she falls again, she nearly lost her life to that last fall. she has 5 children and a late husband that has passed, her children call almost every day like they have been doing so she has settled in and feels at home here with us.
Detailed account of the challenges experienced by the client
The challenges she is living with is she cannot walk much anymore and can’t do the things she use to do, she was an independent woman and still at her age was making dinners, washing dishes washing cloths and hanging them out to dry on the line etc. she is incapable of washing herself without help and using the bathrooms so I go with her if she needs any help… now she has to have all that done for her because she can’t face the challenges anymore even though she would like to..
Detail account of the competences demonstrated by the client
She is able to feed herself and always had a routine to where she was up at 8 in the morning and start preparing dinner for 1 o clock everyday afternoon after her breakfast, so I make sure her routines the same as it always has been. She likes her cups of tea so anytime she feels like having one I grab her a cup, she has pacific times for everything and I try my best to keep them the same as it always has been for her.
Description of current measures to assess client need
At the present moment she has been with us now for half a year and she seems quite happy with everything and the routine is going, we have a safe and secure environment and are helping her best we can.
Realistic suggestions and implementation plan to improve the quality of the life of the client
The plan I have to improve the quality of her life, we have got her own wheelchair that move by pressing buttons so she has a bit of independence and doesn’t feel like someone always has to push her, she does walk a bit every morning with me not to much because she afraid she will fall again but it’s a start she trusts me to walk with her even if it is only a few steps. i bring her out into the gardening’s for a stroll so she isn’t always inside, and she loves knitting she has already made 3 blankets, she loves the evenings getting to do activity singing along to old songs like she use to do at home.
Considered evaluation and description of personal learning outcomes
I have taken into consideration to make it more comfortable for her, to keep the patient safe and make it feel just like home and never make her feel isolated or alone. I have learned that it must be hard on Margret one day being so independent and the next having to have it all done for her and depend on somebody else for everything, it’s hard because she was used to doing all the house work and now she is in a wheelchair and can’t go or do the things she would like to do. This has made me more understanding and empathy when I listen to Margret’s story.
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Accurate observation of client providing background information
My third patient Ciara is 63 and is suffering with a communication disability called autism, (name changed for confidentiality)Â she has had it all he life. She has no children but has a lovely sister called Lilly who visits her every day. she still does not know why her and he sister are separated Lilly works Monday to Saturday and can’t take care of her anymore.
Detailed account of the challenges experienced by the client
The challenges she is facing is communicating, Ciara has trouble reading and spelling making dinner or cups of tea, but loves to watch other people doing so. the challenge is to encourage Ciara to help and be independent. She gets very frustrated when she dose not want to try.
Detail account of the competences demonstrated by the client
She can feed herself and dress herself she’s very keen on what outfits suit what day and loves the colour pink, Ciara loves her cups of tea and a walk around the garden she also like gardening singing and dancing, she is very adamant on having 2 showers a day once in the morning and once at night before bed time she likes to keep the same routine she has her walk at 4 o’clock every evening when her sister comes to visit so Lilly brings her that’s their time together
Description of current measures to assess client need
At the moment she has been with us now for 2 years and is very happy with everything and the way her routine is, we have a safe and secure environment. She sees a speech therapist to help her communicate more with others, we have pictures around the room with the word underneath so she can understand what she need and wants, she gets a certain medicine called melatonin which helps her sleep.
Realistic suggestions and implementation plan to improve the quality of the life of the client
How we have improved the quality of her life is by going through the same routine she has always been in get her up in the mornings she has her shower and picks out what she is going to wear then she gets her coup of tea and breakfast at 11 she goes to the church here in out home to pray for an hour and plays activity’s for 2 hours then she plays games such as snakes and ladders, chest and loves to sing and dance her sister Lilly comes in at the same time everyday which is 4 o’clock and they go for a walk around the garden and for an hour when she’s comes back in its dinner time after dinner she watches a film till she feels tired and looks for her bed time shower when she is out of the shower she gets her tea and goes to sleep so we keep her routine the same as we can every day.
Considered evaluation and description of personal learning outcomes
What I have learned about the patient is she does not like a change in her routine and points it out if there is one, she is a sweet lady with a sweet heart, very caring and loves to help out with any needs being, I let her follow me around while I make cups of tea and I play games with her and help her with her reading and spelling and its helped her a lot, she can now read some books, we also sing and dance at activity’s and she loves it. I’ve learned it is good to assist but its also good to encourage her to do thing herself.