administering medicines to individuals with dementia
Unit 14- Understand the administration of medication to individuals with dementia using a person centred approach.
1.1 There are many forms of medication used to treat symptoms of dementia such as;
Pain Killers
Anti anxiety drugs
Tranquillisers
Anti Psychotic Drugs – used to treat challenging and disruptive behaviour such as aggression or agitation.
Anti depressants – it is not uncommon for someone with dementia to become depressed this can sometimes make the memory of a person with dementia worse.
1.2 Painkillers are used for individuals with dementia to relive pain, sickness.
Anti depressants can be effective treatment for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Anti depressant drugs like citalopram may help reduce agitation. Anti depressants can also treat apathy (when a person shows a general lack of interest and motivation), which is thought to be the most common behavioural change seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Other positive affects of commonly used medications are brighter moods, reduction in hallucinations, and reduction in aggression, restlessness and sleep deprivation.
Negative effects of taking commonly used drugs are nausea, headache, loss of appetite and poor sleep patterns and tiredness.
1.3 Anti psychotic drugs reduce agitation, aggression and hallucinations, challenging and disruptive behaviour. The individual should be able to participate in daily living tasks and interact more socially. They should be able to make more decisions for themselves. However there are risks with taking these drugs such as risks of a person experiencing cardiovascular disease such as stroke or heart attack, it can also make other symptoms of dementia worse and cause drowsiness, trembling, constipation and dry mouth.
In people who have dementia with Lewy Bodies there can be a risk of immobility, inability to communicate and rigidity. In dementia patients it can cause restlessness and an increased risk of
1.1 There are many forms of medication used to treat symptoms of dementia such as;
Pain Killers
Anti anxiety drugs
Tranquillisers
Anti Psychotic Drugs – used to treat challenging and disruptive behaviour such as aggression or agitation.
Anti depressants – it is not uncommon for someone with dementia to become depressed this can sometimes make the memory of a person with dementia worse.
1.2 Painkillers are used for individuals with dementia to relive pain, sickness.
Anti depressants can be effective treatment for behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Anti depressant drugs like citalopram may help reduce agitation. Anti depressants can also treat apathy (when a person shows a general lack of interest and motivation), which is thought to be the most common behavioural change seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Other positive affects of commonly used medications are brighter moods, reduction in hallucinations, and reduction in aggression, restlessness and sleep deprivation.
Negative effects of taking commonly used drugs are nausea, headache, loss of appetite and poor sleep patterns and tiredness.
1.3 Anti psychotic drugs reduce agitation, aggression and hallucinations, challenging and disruptive behaviour. The individual should be able to participate in daily living tasks and interact more socially. They should be able to make more decisions for themselves. However there are risks with taking these drugs such as risks of a person experiencing cardiovascular disease such as stroke or heart attack, it can also make other symptoms of dementia worse and cause drowsiness, trembling, constipation and dry mouth.
In people who have dementia with Lewy Bodies there can be a risk of immobility, inability to communicate and rigidity. In dementia patients it can cause restlessness and an increased risk of