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Can  nurses  play  an  enhanced  role  in  encouraging  patients  with  dementia  to  eat  and  drink?

Nurses role in caring for dementia patient

Dementia is a brain disease that affects memory and behavior of the person affected, it is a degenerative disease meaning it gets worse with time as it progresses. This disease can become so severe for the one suffering from it. Perhaps with the most common form Alzheimer’s, they will need full-time assistance.

The person often forgets simple things and slowly starts to become unable to manage more complex activities. For example, they will not be able to drive, as they will forget their routes to familiar places. This includes their homes and places of work, even where they buy their groceries. The disease can be exhaustive to the family and those suffering from the disease when they feel hopeless because they cannot control the outcome of the disease.

It is incurable, and so for those who are unable to give fulltime care to their loved ones, they often admit their relatives to a care home or nursing facility. This can be anyone form a spouse, to a child or parent. Sometimes the disease can also weigh down those who love you and leave them feeling depressed. They long for the person they once knew and wish they could reverse the disease.

It may also become difficult to control people with Alzheimer’s as their behavior changes and is sometimes erratic, and risky. They do not make sense and react in unexpected ways. This sometimes frightens their family and caregiving relatives. It is also an emotionally straining experience to give full-time care to someone else. They feel sad a majority of the time, physically tired and feel the need for a break from round the clock care. It requires great strength.

Eating and drinking is essential for good health, as well as to maintain a healthy weight. Eating well also delays the onset and progression of many diseases. Making it a significant part of dementia treatment. Nurses who have been trained in how to take care of patients with mental disorders and illnesses can help with treatment. They are trained to be firm but kind, and often develop long-lasting relationships with patients.

This is because of the nature of their work, which might need them to sleep at the facility to be on time for shifts and respond to any emergencies. By building a relationship, they create friendships and become a familiar face dementia patient can associate with. While they will eventually forget them, the nurses and caregivers sometimes grow attached to these patients. Taking more time with them to ensure their wellbeing which can be observed by maintaining a proper diet.

They are also able to know which medication or supplements the patients need to inspire an appetite in them. There are some syrups and prescription drugs that can increase appetite, and nurses are in the best position to know this. Over time, they can also get to know the food and drinks they like, that will increase their chances of eating and maintain that diet for them. This could be able to assist the patients and encourage them to eat their food.

Other than nurses, family members can also make an effort to assist the nurses by giving them a history of their patients. Their personalities, like sand, dislikes before they became sick. This will help them to make more compassionate and considerate decisions when it comes to caregiving. Nurses do play an essential role, and they are much appreciated for their work which often is more than what they should do.

Sometimes nurses extend themselves to care for their patients to make sure they are in good hands and receive the best care even in their absence. This could be making arrangements for their favorite meals and tv shows ahead of time, or in their absence so that they have a better experience.

Also Read: Nursing Essay Writing Services

Why  does  the  flu  virus  change  every  year?

Why does the flu virus change every year?

The flu virus, also known as influenza, is a common viral infection that can be deadly especially in a group. The virus spreads easily, and it is usually self-diagnosable. A person can tell they have the flu by identifying similar symptoms from a previous infection. For most lab tests are not required to make a successful diagnosis. On many occasions, the infection resolves itself within a few days to weeks.

Today medication for the flu is available over the counter. It is so common that people often self-treat, making the right assumptions on prescription as well. The recognizable symptoms include having fever, chills, and shivers. They are accompanied by muscle aches, a cough, and sore throat. Almost always, a runny nose and fatigue. The person who has the flu feels tired and dehydrated from blowing their nose often.

The throat also feels dry from becoming sore. Often, it is accompanied by a headache. There is the feeling of having a heavy head and constant headache. To treat the flu, lots of rest and fluids is required. This way the body can fight the infection on its own. However, there are several home remedies that have been conjured and mixed to fight the flu naturally.

It includes having crushed ginger, with lemon slices or juice, boiled in hot water with garlic and some honey is added for sweetening. This home remedy is popular for getting rid of the cold without the use of modern medicine; which some may argue weakens the immune system by becoming over dependent. However, the annual flu can be given to prevent the flu infection and limit the complications associated with it.

It is spread through the air by a cough or sneeze. There are airborne respiratory droplets that increase chances of infection. It can also be spread by skin to skin contact either by a handshake or a hug. This is because, of the usual actions of wiping your nose with your hands in the absence of a handkerchief, or even coughing or sneezing into the hand. It can also be spread at the office or shared spaces by touching a contaminated surface such as a doorknob, table or even a shared blanket.

It is recommended that people should get the flu vaccine at least two weeks before the flu season. This is because it takes about two weeks for the antibodies that protect against the flu to develop in the body. The flu season normally starts in fall; therefore, people are advised to vaccinate themselves and their children by end of October of this year. Most flu seasons develop when the temperatures are lower. Meaning, around fall and winter.

Influenza is detected once every year in the united states when the virus during the months of December to February. Although in some cases it can last till may. Now the flu and common cold are both respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. The flu is, however, worse than the common cold. Those who suffer from the flu experience more intense symptoms than those of the common cold. Moreover, the flu is more contagious, and at its worst in the first three to four hours after the illness begins.

For most healthy adults, they are likely to infect others a day before they start to show symptoms 5 to 7 days after infection. Flu activity has been monitored in the united states since 1982. Out of those 36 years, there have been various testing done to identify the flu season. The flu season is the months with the highest percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza. The viral infection has had a few peak seasons, describing the months with the highest infection.

February has had 15 seasons, followed by December with 7 and January and March have had 6 seasons each. This describes the changing flu seasons.

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Alzheimer's signs and Symptoms

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative mental disease that destroys memory and other significant mental functions. While there is a treatment for this disease, it cannot be cured. Instead, it is managed with a lot of care, support, and medication. It is a type of dementia that affects your thinking, the way you behave and it accounts for more than 60pc of the dementia cases.

It is also hereditary meaning, the chances of getting the disease if a close relative had it is very high. This disease can last for years, as the disease progresses slowly. There are symptoms that can lead one to believe they are at the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. The numbers are very high now, with 6.8 million people in the US in 2013 diagnosed with dementia 5 million had Alzheimer’s. By the time it is 2050, these numbers are expected to be double.

This disease is formed when plaques containing beta-amyloid forms in the brain. As symptoms get worse, those affected find it harder to recall events, names, and people. Eventually, the person with Alzheimer’s will need full-time care to help them do even the most basic things such as taking a bath and preparing food. It is an emotionally exhaustive disease that takes a toll on both the patient and supportive friends and family, who have no way of changing their loved one’s fate.

Some of the symptoms to look out for include, the reduced ability to remember questions, conversation and misplacing belongings. Most will then start to forget appointments they made, common routes like their way home or to their favorite coffee shop. They also start having a poor understanding of safety risks. They are unable to manage their finances, make poor decisions which could be completely out of their character and they are unable to plan complex activities and or events.

There are also changes in personality, which may be subtle at first. However, as the disease progresses they can become major. This may look like a loss of empathy for others, having a compulsive or obsessive behavior, and several mood changes. A lack of interest, motivation or social withdrawal which could be the beginning of the depression. Also having a lack of language skills to express yourself could be an early symptom. If you fear that you may be getting Alzheimer’s, it would be best to seek medical attention to address your concerns, to know how to proceed in the future.

How  can  nurses  and  care  workers  work  more  efficiently  together?

How can nurses and care workers work more efficiently together?

Nursing support and care workers provide assistance support and care to people with a variety of health issues, for their welfare and that of the community. Be it in medical facilities or the home. This job can be both mentally and physically challenging. For example, in Japan, there is a shortage of care workers and nursing support. This is because of the aging society whereby the year 2025, one person among 5 will be aged over 75 years, and one in 5 people will be diagnosed with dementia.

This will make it a highly dåifficult job to endure, especially because the wages for a nursing position are also below the industry average. Despite that, the Japanese government is severely understaffed when it comes to caring workers. The labor shortage is also expected to worsen with time. Japan has for a long time has a homogenous culture, whereby they believe in keeping the bloodline pure. Essentially not interracial marriages are accepted by Japanese families. Making it one of the countries with the lowest numbers of foreign labor and favorable immigration and work policies for foreigners.

There are several care facilities for the aged around the globe. For those who experience dementia, among other chronic illnesses that require around the clock monitoring, often find themselves in care homes. Here they interact with nurses and care workers who work together to help in the care of their patients and administer medication as prescribed. The responsibilities of nursing support and care workers are similar.

Both of them help patients with tasks such as bathing or showering, eating, and dressing. If they work from home they may participate in housework such as cleaning and ironing to facilitate better health for the patients. This can be done by observing hygiene or performing chores that contribute to the betterment of the patient. Most of the time, people who need the support of a care worker fulltime experience mental health challenges, cardiovascular or metabolic diseases.

Additionally, they may experience acute long-term impaired health, that prompts them to seek the help of a nurse at home, or care workers at a facility. The two can group together to share knowledge on best treatment practices and knowledge of medication for certain diagnoses. They can also group together to share experiences that would make the work easier, and also to rally for the better work environment, pay etc.

What are antioxidants

What are antioxidants

Antioxidants refer to a substance that removes potentially damaging oxidizing agents in a living organism such as the skin or even fruit. An example of an antioxidant is vitamin C or E. Oxidizing is dangerous because it causes living organisms to undergo a reaction in which it chemically combines with oxygen. For example, after biting an apple, or slicing an avocado when it is exposed to oxygen it tends to turn brown after some time. This process is called oxidization.

When women use foundation makeup on their skin, the shade of the foundation may change to turn a shade darker or two even sometimes to an orange tinge due to oxidization, in the course of the day. When antioxidants are consumed they prevent oxidization from taking place. This may be of significance especially for the treatment of cancer and heart disease where it plays a role in decreasing or protecting cells from the damage of free radicals.

Free radicals are present in heart disease cancer and other diseases as well. Free radicals are unstable chemical compounds the can damage the cells in your body badly. These radicals occur as a result of metabolic processes that normally take place in the body. They can also be caused by external sources such as through smoking. Now the good news is that it can be controlled to some extent by maintaining a healthy diet, but not entirely. People who have lived a healthy lifestyle can still get a cancer diagnosis. While the body might have its own immune system defense in place, it can do with a boost and this is where the antioxidants come in.

Scientifically speaking, antioxidants bind themselves to free radicals, making them ineffective in damaging parts of your cells. Vitamin A and selenium are also good sources of antioxidants other than vitamin C and E. However, there are several compounds and foods that are lesser known to have antioxidants beneficial to the body. Like any other component related to cancerous treatment, it is difficult to know for sure how beneficial antioxidants are to the body for every individual.

This is because of the complex metabolic process. When food is consumed, it first has to go to the intestine where it is absorbed before moving to the required organ, in enough amounts to create a significant change in the areas being affected by free radicals. Aside from that, there are several interactions that are nearly impossible to pinpoint the specific importance of one antioxidant to your health.

The alternative is to select foods that have antioxidant benefits and consume them. To be sure of their significance on the body, do your research on foods high in antioxidants. For example, tomatoes have been linked to a lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer because of their potent antioxidant lycopene component. This translates into making tomato soups, consuming them raw or cooking them while making your stews among other meals. To boot, they are also delicious and tomato slices go with just about anything. If you include the tomatoes found in salsa and guacamole, it is highly encouraging.

It has been advised that foods high in beta-carotene seem to be associated with a lower chance of breast cancer. For coffee lovers, the beverage is known to be rich in antioxidants and has one of the highest concentrations of any other food. Therefore, that morning coffee is a go to, and this reason right here can excuse your addiction. To make it more potent, brew your own at home with organic grain to get all the benefits. However, your usual java house coffee will do, it will just have more added sugar and sweeteners and all sorts of other ingredients to give you the right kick. This is okay too, once in a while.

Conclusively, although antioxidants have shown to be of importance for keeping free radicals at bay, there is no conclusive evidence to pinpoint their immediate impacts on any diseases directly.

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