ATI MENTAL HEALTH:

Dementia:

Slow, progressive decline

Aphasia: loss of ability to understand or express speech

Confabulation: type of memory error in which gaps in a person’s memory are unconsciously filled with

fabricated, misinterpreted or distorted information

Impaired judgment occursin clients who have dementia because they lose their ability to reason, think

abstractly, and have rational thoughts

Nurse should instruct the client’s cargiver to keep the bedroom well-lit during sleep periods to minimize

illusion and decrease the chance of frightening the client.

Should allow the client to perform ADL

Encourage reminiscence about happy times. Talk about familiarthings.

Avoid confrontation.

Minimize the need for decision-making and abstract thinking to avoid frustration.

Delirium:

Acute onset

Extreme distractibility

Provide well-lit environment

Permitthe client to perform daily rituals

Consistent nursing personnel

Limit choices

Nurse can request a prescription for an antianxiety med for a client which can help decrease anxiety and

agitation

Altered/fluctuating level of conscious

Rapid change in personality

Mania:

Maintain a low-stimuli environment for a client who is experiencing mania: dim lights, decrease noise,

limit the number of people the client is around

Encourage frequent rest periods throughout the day (manic patients are at risk for exhaustion)

Offer the client high-calorie foodsthat can be eaten while on the go (clients experiencing mania might

be unable to sit down and can experience weight loss and dehydration). Encourage fiber intake.

Client often becomes disorganized and chaotic which rendersthe client unable to focus on detail.