How to Make Nursing Plans for an Alzheimer's Patient

Caring for patients with Alzheimer's presents a unique set of challenges to the nursing team. Alzheimer's can make communicating goals and assessing progress more difficult. This is especially true when the condition is a secondary diagnosis. As a nurse, it's your responsibility to promote the overall health and progression of your patients. Finding the balance between treating the physical and mental health of the Alzheimer's patient is essential to making an adequate nursing plan.

Instructions

• 1

  Make your nursing plan specific to the onset and progression of Alzheimer's. Take into account elements of the condition, including the duration and disease stage, when making your nursing plan. For example, patients in advanced stages may not be able to assist with any of their care. Get familiar with your patient's experience by reading his chart as well as consulting with family members. This will help make your patient more comfortable with your plans.

• 2

  Include other members of the health care team in the nursing plan. Using a team approach helps prevent Alzheimer's-related accidents as well as combat caregiver stress. This can be done by coordinating patient trips to coincide with your co-workers' downtime and asking your co-workers to assist with patient bathing and feeding activities.

• 3

  Provide ways to ensure patient safety. Use locks and alarm systems to prevent the patient from wandering. Wandering is a dangerous phenomenon that occurs when a patient leaves her surroundings without caregiver knowledge. Alzheimer's-related wandering can lead to injury or even loss of life.

• 4

  Create short-term goals for your Alzheimer's patient. The moods and tolerance levels of the Alzheimer's patient can change drastically from day to day. The goal is to keep the patient engaged without overextending or frustrating him. Arrange engaging activities such as art or music therapy to accomplish this task.

• 5

  Incorporate familiar items and people into the daily regimen. This helps the Alzheimer's patient feel more comfortable and promotes event recall. Make time to explain procedures and activities to your patient. Keep a photo album with the names and pictures of family members, friends and health care team members nearby to keep the patient at ease. Anxiety and violent behavior can result from being startled by unfamiliar faces.

• 6

  Limit distractions as much as possible. Turn off the TV if the patient becomes overly excited or angered by the programming. Cluster events such as bathing and exams around more fluid moments. Keeping the day structured may help your patient's frustration level.