Alzheimer's Case Study-NURA 2110.docx - Patient Assignment...

Patient Assignment
G.C. is a 76-year-old retired architect who was just admitted to a dementia unit in an extended
care facility. He has a 4-year history of declining cognitive, psychosocial, and physical abilities.
Past medical history includes hypertension for which he has taken metoprolol 50 mg PO bid for
8 years. He has taken memantine 5 mg PO bid for 3.5 years. G.C. is on an adult regular diet and
is allowed up with supervision. G.C.’s wife of 52 years has been his primary caregiver. She first
noticed that something was different around 4 years ago when he started having trouble finding
the word he wanted to say and did not want to socialize with old friends or family. Around 3.5
years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer disease. The disease has continued to progress to
the point where his wife can no longer care for him by herself. He is often agitated and
aggressive and has wandered away from home several times.
1. What are the stages of Alzheimer disease (AD)? What are the clinical manifestations of each
stage?
a. Mild Alzheimer's disease (early stage) - In the early stage, a person may function
independently. He or she may still drive, work and be part of social activities. Despite this,
the person may feel as if he or she is having memory lapses, such as forgetting familiar
words or the location of everyday objects.
b. Moderate Alzheimer's disease (middle stage) - Moderate Alzheimer's is typically
the longest stage and can last for many years. They may confuse words, get frustrated or
angry, or refuse to bathe.
c. Severe Alzheimer's disease (late stage) - In the final stage, individuals lose the
ability to respond to their environment, to carry on a conversation and, eventually, to
control movement. They may still say words or phrases, but communicating pain becomes
difficult. As memory and cognitive skills continue to worsen, significant personality
changes may take place and individuals need extensive help with daily activities.