The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a crucial piece of legislation designed to safeguard the confidentiality and security of healthcare information. This comprehensive act plays a pivotal role in establishing and upholding individual privacy rights within the realm of healthcare. It exerts its influence by carefully regulating the utilization and sharing of sensitive medical information. For further insights into the intricate provisions and implications of HIPAA, you can explore the official resource provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the following.
Infection control is a serious public issue. It is vital for healthcare workers to understand how to prevent infections. Every day in the United States (US), approximately 1 in 25 hospital patients acquires infections during their hospital stay; tragically, about 755,000 of these patients lose their lives each year. This underscores the critical importance of effective infection control measures to safeguard public health.
The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA, 2007) reported almost 90,000 cases of elder abuse in 2004. However, for every one case reported, 5 more go unreported. This unfortunate reality stems from the fact that many cases of elder abuse go unnoticed due to the victims' feelings of fear, embarrassment, isolation, dependency on the abuser, and their inability to report the abuse. Consequently, it falls upon society at large to be vigilant and proactive in identifying and reporting instances or circumstances that may hint at elder abuse.
Dementia (D) is a progressive brain disorder characterized by a gradual and irreversible decline in memory, language skills, perception of time and space, and the ability to care for one’s self. Alzheimer's Disease (AD) causes a steady and gradual decline. There is no cure, and death frequently results from complications due to immobility. It's important to note that dementia is not a specific disease but rather a general term used to describe a group of symptoms, such as severe memory loss and impairment in cognitive function. These symptoms encompass forgetfulness or impairments in social or occupational functioning that are severe enough to interfere with normal daily life. Dementia is a symptom, while Alzheimer's is a specific disease. This distinction carries significance because some other diseases that lead to dementia can be treated.
The care of a person with dementia requires you to have a wide range of skills and knowledge. To provide the best care you must be able to identify unique problems, strengths, and needs among those with dementia. Gathering this valuable information requires you to develop an effective plan of care that directs the implementation of high quality person-centered care. This course draws on a wide range of resources to create an evidence-based nursing assessment to be utilized when caring for those with dementia. If you are a LPN taking this course, it’s important to remember that you are not allowed to assess but to rather collect data. In this course the use of any form of the term assess also refers to the collection of data.
This course will address strategies to manage behaviors, communication techniques, dealing with caregiver stress, and the most common behaviors associated with individuals experiencing dementia. Behaviors are often related to triggers in the environment, and sometimes triggers can lead to a catastrophic reaction. While this course will focus on the nursing home setting, the principles apply across all settings where caregivers deal with older adults with dementia or Alzheimer's. As the disease progresses, behaviors can occur that can be very challenging and stressful for caregivers. The most common behaviors are: Wondering Hoarding Rummaging: repetitive searching in a scattered fashion (includes other repetitive behaviors) Paranoia: an unrealistic lack of trust in others (suspicion, delusions, and hallucinations) Agitation (Verbal and physical).