Week 12: Neurological Impairments
1. Neurological Disorders
Neurodegenerative diseases are incurable and debilitating conditions that result
in progressive degeneration and / or death of nerve cells. This causes problems
with movement (called ataxias), or mental functioning (called dementias)..
Neurological disorders are diseases of the brain, spine and the nerves that
connect them. There are more than 600 diseases of the nervous system, such as
brain tumors, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and stroke as well as less familiar
ones such as frontotemporal dementia.
Common disorders:
Parts of the Brain:
2. Explain the Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance (GSF PIG) tool.
, 3. Review the Glasgow Coma Scale as a tool for assessment and reporting of a client with
an altered level of consciousness.
4. Discuss the
role of the nurse in
collaborating with the client, family and interprofessional team to develop a plan of
care that promotes client safety.
Communicating
o Make sure you have the person’s attention before you start.
o Minimize or eliminate background noise (TV, radio, other people).
o Keep your own voice at a normal level unless the person has indicated
otherwise.
o Keep communication simple, but adult.
o Give them time to speak. Resist the urge to finish sentences or offer
words.
o Communicate with drawings, gestures, writing and facial expressions in
addition to speech.
o Confirm that you are communicating successfully with “yes” and “no”
questions.
o Praise all attempts to speak and downplay any errors. Avoid insisting that
that each word be produced perfectly.
o Engage in normal activities whenever possible. Do not shield people with
aphasia from family or ignore them in a group conversation. Rather, try to
involve them in family decision-making as much as possible. Keep them
informed of events but avoid burdening them with day-to-day details.
1. Neurological Disorders
Neurodegenerative diseases are incurable and debilitating conditions that result
in progressive degeneration and / or death of nerve cells. This causes problems
with movement (called ataxias), or mental functioning (called dementias)..
Neurological disorders are diseases of the brain, spine and the nerves that
connect them. There are more than 600 diseases of the nervous system, such as
brain tumors, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and stroke as well as less familiar
ones such as frontotemporal dementia.
Common disorders:
Parts of the Brain:
2. Explain the Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance (GSF PIG) tool.
, 3. Review the Glasgow Coma Scale as a tool for assessment and reporting of a client with
an altered level of consciousness.
4. Discuss the
role of the nurse in
collaborating with the client, family and interprofessional team to develop a plan of
care that promotes client safety.
Communicating
o Make sure you have the person’s attention before you start.
o Minimize or eliminate background noise (TV, radio, other people).
o Keep your own voice at a normal level unless the person has indicated
otherwise.
o Keep communication simple, but adult.
o Give them time to speak. Resist the urge to finish sentences or offer
words.
o Communicate with drawings, gestures, writing and facial expressions in
addition to speech.
o Confirm that you are communicating successfully with “yes” and “no”
questions.
o Praise all attempts to speak and downplay any errors. Avoid insisting that
that each word be produced perfectly.
o Engage in normal activities whenever possible. Do not shield people with
aphasia from family or ignore them in a group conversation. Rather, try to
involve them in family decision-making as much as possible. Keep them
informed of events but avoid burdening them with day-to-day details.
