Question

This week students should select one of the following writing prompts for their initial post. Taking into consideration patient and family centered care, discuss the following topics with your peers. Your conversation should address how the nurse may incorporate the resources, therapies, or knowledge from the following topics into a plan of care for the older adult.

1. Research local resources in their community that provide mental health services for older adults and their caregivers. Find out whether anyone offers home visits for older adults.
2. Discuss the problem of isolation-induced depression in older adults. Discuss the impact isolation has on physical health and strategies that can be utilized to combat the problem.
3. Reminiscence therapy is an important therapeutic intervention that nurses can use in their work with older people. Discuss what reminiscent therapy is and its benefits when working with a client with dementia.

Answer 1

Isolation induced depression:-

Isolation-induced depression appears because of a lack of social interaction. In other words, if the elder doesn’t have a strong support network or spends a large amount of time alone, isolation (and subsequently depression) can sometimes set in. Some studies have even found that perceived isolation—the feeling of being isolated even if you aren’t—can also have negative effects.

Social isolation is hard to define, but what matters most is whether a person feels lonely, which scientists refer to as perceived social isolation. While this can have negative effects on mental health, it can also harm physical health.

For example, research has found that perceived social isolation is associated with depression, cognitive decline, heart troubles, and a weakened immune system. In addition, one study found that loneliness can lead to a 30% increase in risk of coronary artery disease and stroke. The study's authors suggest this is because of higher levels of stress, poor sleep, and unhealthy lifestyle habits — which are more likely to occur with less social interaction and accountability.

Some of the specific programs that were found to be effective to combat the problem includes :-

a psychosocial activity group involving art, discussions, therapeutic writing, group therapy, and exercise that led to new friendships; a coping group that led to improved functional health in people with chronic rheumatic disorders; a psychosocial group focusing on health education, coping skills, and stress management that helped women with breast cancer gain more confidants and reduce loneliness; and a bereavement support group for widows that led to enhanced socialization and reduced depression .
Another systematic review assessing health promotion strategies –such as bereavement support, peer support, and education– further supports the idea that the characteristics of programs or strategies that aim to address loneliness and social isolation in older adults play an important role in effectiveness. Here it was found that the small number of strategies that were effective in reducing or preventing loneliness and social isolation were once again group-based, included support activities or this time education as well, were geared towards specific groups of older adults (e.g. women, widowers, caregivers), and provided older adults with the opportunity to assist in developing and carrying out the activities involved in the strategy or program.

Reminiscent therapy:-

Reminiscence therapy is a treatment that uses all the senses — sight, touch, taste, smell and sound — to help individuals with dementia remember events, people and places from their past lives. As part of the therapy, care partners may use objects in various activities to help individuals with recall of memories.

Reminiscence therapy is used to counsel and support older people, and is an intervention technique with brain-injured patients and those who appear to have "Alzheimer's and other forms of cognitive disease

Benefits of reminiscent therapy when working with a client with Dementia:-

• In many cases, recent memories deteriorate first for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. By sharing memories from the past through reminiscence therapy, people with dementia can develop more positive feelings while reducing stress and agitation.
• With minimal prompting — including simple questions, photos, songs or the beginning of a family story — individuals with dementia may recall memories from childhood and young adulthood. Reminiscing about memories can help people feel more confident in their abilities and provide them with the opportunity to talk about what holds meaning for them.
• In addition, engaging in conversation about the past can provide relief from boredom and symptoms of depression, and it helps preserve family stories for later generations.