Treatment of Dementia Patients - Research Paper Example

Research on the Treatment of Dementia Patients

Introduction

Dementia is a broad category of illnesses associated with the human brain categorized by memory loss, and an overall gradual decrease in thinking among patients. The patient's motivation drops, he or she experiences language problems, and emotional problems (McGuinness et al., 2010, 8). Most people do not understand dementia, including medical staff, resulting in the lack of effective treatment and recovery. The aim of this research is to depict how the medical staff’s attitude determines the well-being and recovery of the dementia patient. In the conduction of the study, data collection was through the use of questionnaires to the medical staff. Through an analysis of the collected data, the research aims to analyze how the attitudes of the staff affect the recovery of the patients with dementia. The paper also includes a recommendation section, where the results deduced from the research process are recommended to other practitioners to better dementia treatment. Since the problem is brain-related, ample emotional support is necessary to better the recovery of the patient, who at times may depict anger and other emotions (Vernooij-Dassen et al., 2010, 1125). Staff’s attitude, therefore, is a major determinant of the well-being of a dementia patient, and a lot of emotional support should be provided to help in the recovery and healing.

Literature Review

Research on the treatment of dementia patients has been extensive and covered by many authors. According to Ballard, Kahn, and Corbett in their 2011 article, “Treatment of Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia”, the attitude of the medical practitioner in charge of the patient greatly determines his or her recovery. If a patient is treated properly and with respect, he or she feels appreciated, thus boosting their recovery. The authors depict the impacts of the variances on the patient’s health development, with a result proving the research’s question to be true. The article, “Pharmacological Treatment of Dementia” by Schwarz, Froelich, and Burns points out the variances on attitude towards patient on recovery. The authors depict the need for good treatment of the patient, arguing that it boosts recovery and healing of the patient.

Material and Methods

The research is both quantitative and qualitative, and majorly involves data collection through questionnaires. For the collection of qualitative data, printed questionnaires are required for all the staff. The questionnaires used for the research will have close ended questions whose analysis will result in the deduction of the project’s aim. An estimate of 50 copies will be used for data collection, as the report needs data from 50 staff members. Pens will also be necessary to suffice the activity and all the staff during the process of filling the questionnaires. These materials are vital for the commencement of the project, making them crucial for the project.

The methods to be used in the process include the use of questionnaires aimed at collecting data regarding the treatment of dementia patients and the impact on recovery. The staff will be expected to answer the questionnaire provided to them, most of which are close-ended questions. The data collected from this process will be used to analyze the impacts of the treatment of the patients on dementia treatment. All fifty participants will answer the questions individually, to maximize the effectiveness of the process, as all information collected will be based on personal views of each of the staff members. All information regarding the participants is confidential, protecting them from scrutiny or judgment for their opinion.

Ethical Concern

The major (and only) ethical concern in the process of data collection is the language barrier. The participants are from different lingual backgrounds, thus posing a challenge to the data collection process. Some of the medical staff are from non-English speaking countries, and have volunteered to work with dementia patients. No other ethical concerns will be experienced during the process.

Results

The questionnaires were effective in collecting data regarding treatment of dementia patients, and how it impacts their development and the treatment of the illness. The overall participation in the questionnaire was 43, with forty females and only three males. All the participants have worked in the care field for less than 33 years, with most of them between 5- 8 years. Staff members who have worked with dementia patients have an average span of three to five years of service. One of the staff members has been attending to dementia patients for 25 years. Some are new in the field, with experience of less than a year.

Based on the questions in the questionnaire form, various forms of data was collected. The staff members have worked with varying stages of dementia in their patients. Two of them are new in the area and have only worked with patients in the early stage. Other four staff members have worked with middle stage patients. Two staff members have worked with patients solely in the advanced stage. The other 33 participants of the questionnaire have worked with dementia patients in all stages, helping them recover and heal from the illness.

As a summary of the close-ended questions, 24 participants chose answer three in the first question. Six participants chose the first choice as their answer, and two took the second choice as their answer. 11 participants gave their answer as choice four, depicting the need to distract the patient in such a situation. In question two, 32 participants pointed choice three as the fit answer to a patient requesting for an additional cup of tea. However, 7 participants believe that the patient should be informed, therefore picking answer two. The other four participants took answer four as the rightful reply to the dementia patient. In question three, 13 participants took choice four as their most preferred course of action in the situation. 26 participants opted for choice 3. Three participants pointed answer two as their reaction, with one participant opting for no retreat, choice 1.

Communication is a vital aspect in dealing with a dementia patient. Two participants in the questionnaire most prefer body language as their chosen form of communication. All other participants, 41, use both verbal and body language to enable communication between them and dementia patients. This is effective in enabling communication between the practitioner and the patient during treatment. 39 of the participants believe that it is vital for dementia patients to be patronized, with three against it. According to the data collected, 3 of the participating staff members believe that choice confuses the patient, and it should not be made available to them. However, 39 participants believe that the patient should have the right to choose from a variety, and this is in no way confusing to him or her.

Graphs and Charts: Pie Charts

Discussion and Analysis

Based on the results of the questionnaires, it is evident that the treatment of the patients with dementia greatly affects the patient’s well-being and recovery. It is important that the staff in charge of a patient treats him or her with care and cautiously, as it will better his or her recovery process. Dementia patients have emotional issues, which must be handled cautiously to prevent provocation of anger. The patient is highly unstable, and may portray aspects of frustration and anxiety (Ballard, Kahn, &Corbett, 2011, 770). At such times, the treatment given by the practitioner greatly determines his conduct and minimizes the damage that may occur.

Memory loss is one of the major symptoms of dementia. Based on the stage of dementia, the impacts of memory loss vary, with advanced patients experiencing the highest degree. Dementia patients often forget even the simplest things, which may anger the second party (Schwarz, Froelich, &Burns, 2012, 542). A staff member may get angry owing to the behavior of the patient, which may result in bad treatment, which affects the patient's recovery negatively. Based on the results, two participants took choice two in the first question. Such a reply to the patient negatively impacts his or her development and recovery process. It is vital that the practitioner recognizes the prevalence of such incidences, to help him or her react appropriately, in such a scenario (Phillips, Reid-Arndt, &Pak, 2010, 417).

Based on the data collected, it can be deduced that the best attitude towards a dementia patient is a peaceful one, compassionate and encouraging, rather than condemning or provocation. The results of the questionnaire depict the major role played by staff members in regards to treatment of dementia patients. Treating them negatively impacts their development, and results in deterioration in their health. As seen in the research, patients exhibit varying symptoms and behavior based on the stage of their illness. A nurse or practitioner that understands their patient and treats them with care exhibit positive results in regards to development and healing. The patient progressively improves and recovers from the illness, if he or she had not reached the advanced levels of the disease.

Recommendation

Based on the research findings, I recommend education of staff in dealing with dementia patients in regards to treatment and handling. Understanding dementia is a major milestone towards the understanding of the issues faced by these patients. However, it is vital for one to know how to treat the patient and handle them at all times and situations. Patients in different stages of dementia exhibit varying symptoms and behavior. It is thus vital that a practitioner or nurse handling such a patient takes the time to understand them and their symptoms. It enables the medical practitioner to stay informed in regards to expectations of behavior and issues. Another recommendation is the patronization of dementia patients. Patronizing the patient speeds up recovery since he or she feels loved and appreciated (Verbeek, et al., 2010, 665). When a patient is treated with care and handled properly, there is an increase in the recovery speed, maximizing health betterment.

Conclusion

Conclusively, it is evident that the treatment of dementia patients has a significant impact on the healing and recovery. It is vital for medical practitioners and nurses to treat the patients nicely for better recovery. Patronizing the patient makes him, or her feel loved, and thus exhibits positive emotions and behavior. When he or she is treated badly, they feel unwanted and develop anger issues. Such behavior results in the deterioration in health and slows down recovery. Based on the results of the research, it is clear that treatment has a significant impact on the patient. Members of staff who treat patients negatively have issues in managing them owing to the provocation and anger depicted.