Validation Therapy for Alzheimer's Patients

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion4

Approaches to soothe and activation8

Second Environment-related approaches8

Care9

Caring for the Person in Charge of Patient10

Focus of Care10

Desired Family Health Outcomes and Intervention Programs10

Regular Evaluation10

Nutrition11

Muscle Strength11

Loneliness Prevention12

Further Intervention Needs12

Conclusion13

References15

Validation Therapy for Alzheimer's Patients

Introduction

Alzheimer's disease, a disease that affects the brain, is the leading cause of dementia. Characterized by memory loss, trouble discerning, loss of communication skills and personality changes, the disease affects not only the patient but also his family. The responsibility for patient care usually falls on a close family member. This responsibility can create a great emotional and physical, especially when it adds to the stress of seeing a loved one deteriorate. By the weight which is patient care, the person in charge, often patient is considered hidden or secondary disease.

The therapeutic approach to Alzheimer's disease was until recently very often nihilistic or merely symptomatic control of abnormal behavior, something surprising for a disease as devastating consequences. This attitude has changed significantly, with the current trend to consider that although the disease has no cure at this time does not mean you do not have treatment (Alzheimer's Association, 2007). Due to the devastating personal and family consequences of this disease, its therapeutic approach is of fundamental importance not only for the patient and their families, but also for society as a whole.

Patients with dementia often have a sad mood, but also show a common concern and anxiety about their future financial situation, your health or activities that once were not stressful. A characteristic symptom is the fear important to stay home alone. In fact it can be considered a phobia. You can develop other phobias such as fear of travel, people and certain everyday activities such as bathing and grooming.

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease can be divided into primary or preventive, secondary and tertiary or palliative. At this time there is no primary treatment capable of preventing successful disease onset. Tertiary treatments are certainly helpful in reducing the social and family burden generated by the disease, but it is certainly secondary treatment to reduce disease progression and / or reduce the clinical changes that mark, the most developed. This treatment is based primarily on the use of drugs with properties anti-colinesterásicas, which has been shown to be capable of reverting to a lesser or greater degree of behavioral and cognitive deficits of Alzheimer's disease, delaying the time of institutionalization of these patients and possibly slow disease progression.

The patient and their families should be informed that unfortunately, at present, no treatment can cure Alzheimer's disease. However, the absence of curative treatment is not to say that there is no treatment for the disease, existing treatments that improve cognitive symptoms and behavioral disturbances, as well as therapies that may reduce the progression of the disease. Several compounds are currently under clinical trial and others will appear in the coming years, so we need a regular update on new treatments for this disease.

Since it is known that patients with "mild cognitive impairment" at high risk of developing Alzheimer's ...