Question

Consider the activity of eating. How would each stage (Early, Middle and Late) of Alzheimer’s affect a person’s ability to eat? As a PSW identify one strategy for each stage that you could use to assist a person with eating. Explain why each strategy would be appropriate and effective. (3 changes, 3 strategies and 3 explanations for a total of 9 marks)

Answer 1

Eating changes:

Early stage:

1. Skipping meals due to memory loss.(minor memory loss)

Middle stage:

1. Unable to recall what they eat in break fast.

2. Forgot cooking methods also.

Severe stage:

1. Forgot how to eat, need assistance during feed.

Strategies:

Mild stage:

1. Talk with patient recall about when he took food, remain about when to take next feed?

Moderate stage:

1. Give practice about how to eat? How to cook?

2. Make the patient to settle in routine activities.

Severe stage:

1. Help the patient to develop activities of daily living.

2. Assist the patient during feeding.

Explain why its appropriate?

1. Mild stage:

Minor memory loss, its resemble like aging problems, can not distinguish from Alzheimer's disease.

2. Moderate stage:

Patient will have short term memory loss, so recalling events are very essential.

3. Severe stage:

Patient will have confusion and unaware of environment.