Posted: May 1st, 2022

Assignment: Assessing, Diagnosing, and Treating Dementia, Delirium, and Depression

Assignment: Assessing, Diagnosing, and Treating Dementia, Delirium, and Depression

Photo Credit: Getty Images
With the prevalence of dementia, delirium, and depression in the growing geriatric population, you will likely care for elderly patients with these disorders. While many symptoms of dementia, delirium, and depression are similar, it is important that you are able to identify those that are different and properly diagnose patients. A diagnosis of one of these disorders is often difficult for patients and their families. In your role as an advanced practice nurse, you must help patients and their families manage the disorder by facilitating necessary treatments, assessments, and follow-up care.
To prepare:
• Review the case study provided by your Instructor. Reflect on the way the patient presented in the case, including whether the patient might be presenting with dementia, delirium, or depression.
• Reflect on the patient’s symptoms and aspects of disorders that may be present. What distinct symptoms or factors would lead you to a diagnosis of dementia, delirium, or depression?
• Consider how you might assess, perform diagnostic tests, and recommend medications to treat patients presenting with the symptoms in the case.
• Access the Focused SOAP Note Template in this week’s Resources.
The Assignment:
Complete the Focused SOAP Note Template provided for the patient in the case study. Be sure to address the following:
• Subjective: What was the patient’s subjective complaint? What details did the patient provide regarding their history of present illness and personal and medical history? Include a list of prescription and over-the-counter drugs the patient is currently taking. Compare this list to the American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria®, and consider alternative drugs if appropriate. Provide a review of systems.
• Objective: What observations did you note from the physical assessment? What were the lab, imaging, or functional assessments results? How would you interpret and address the results of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)?
• Assessment: Provide a minimum of three differential diagnoses. List them from top priority to least priority. Compare the diagnostic criteria for each, and explain what rules each differential in or out. Explain you critical thinking process that led you to the primary diagnosis you selected. Include pertinent positives and pertinent negatives for the specific patient case.
• Plan: Provide a detailed treatment plan for the patient that addresses each diagnosis, as applicable. Include documentation of diagnostic studies that will be obtained, referrals to other healthcare providers, therapeutic interventions, education, disposition of the patient, caregiver support, and any planned follow-up visits. Provide a discussion of health promotion and disease prevention for the patient, taking into consideration patient factors, past medical history (PMH), and other risk factors. Finally, include a reflection statement on the case that describes insights or lessons learned.
• Provide at least three evidence-based peer-reviewed journal articles or evidenced-based guidelines, which relate to this case to support your diagnostics and differentials diagnoses. Be sure they are current (no more than 5 years old) and support the treatment plan in following current standards of care. Follow APA 7th edition formatting.
Week 2: Psychosocial Disorders
To prepare:
• Review the case study you chose. Reflect on the way the patient presented in the case, including whether the patient might be presenting with dementia, delirium, or depression.
• Reflect on the patient’s symptoms and aspects of disorders that may be present. What distinct symptoms or factors would lead you to a diagnosis of dementia, delirium, or depression?
• Consider how you might assess, perform diagnostic tests, and recommend medications to treat patients presenting with the symptoms in the case.
• Access the Focused SOAP Note Template in this week’s Resources
• In Blackboard (BB) read the required and recommended readings.
• Complete the Engage IL modules to receive your certificate (you can save and use this for CEs for your license in addition to credit in this course.) Be sure to open an account in Engage IL so you can view all the modules and receive credit – this is free as it was created by grant money – so it is completely free to you.
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REMEMBER TO REVIEW THE GRADING RUBRIC FOR EACH ASSIGNMENT FOR EACH WEEK. THIS IS IMPORTANT!

You will choose ONE of the case studies below to respond to:

Week 2 Case 2
Ms. Washington is a 67-year-old African American female who is brought to your office by her daughter with concerns of “forgetfulness.” She has lived with her daughter for 4 years now, and her daughter reports noticing she asks the same questions even after they have been answered. She even reports her mom getting lost in Walmart recently. Ms. Washington has lived with her daughter since losing her husband of 57 years, about 4 years ago. Her daughter states her mother is a retired teacher and usually very astute but notices more forgetfulness.
According to Ms. Washington’s daughter, Angela, her mom has been demonstrating increased forgetfulness of more recent things but can easily recall historical moments and events. She also reports that sometimes her mom has difficulty “finding the right words” in a conversation, and then will shift to an entirely different line of conversation. She also said her mother will “laugh off” things when she forgets important appointments and/or become upset or critical of others who try to point these things out.
Note: Be sure to review the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and how to interpret results. Use the MMSE, in the attached document, to determine the patient’s MMSE score in the video. Make sure you document the patient’s score in your SOAP note document: Mental State Assessment Tests.
Ms. Washington is a 67-year-old female who is alert, cooperative with today’s clinical interview. Her eye contact is fair. Speech is clear and coherent but tangential at times. She makes no unusual motor movements and demonstrates no tics. She denies any visual or auditory hallucinations. She denies any suicidal thoughts or ideations. She is alert and oriented to person, partially oriented to place but is disoriented to time and place. (She reported that she thought was headed to work but “wound up here,” referring to your office, at which point she begins to laugh it off.) She denies any falls or pain.
All other Review of System and Physical Exam findings are negative other than stated.
PMH: Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia, Osteoporosis
Allergies: Penicillin: rash, Lisinopril: cough
Medications:
• Amlodipine 10mg daily
• HCTZ 12.5mg daily
• Multivitamin daily
• Atorvastatin 40mg daily
• Alendronate 70mg orally once a week
Social History: As stated in Case Study
ROS: As stated in Case study
Diagnostics/Assessments done:
1. CXR—no cardiopulmonary findings. WNL
2. CT head—diffuse Cerebral Atrophy
3. MMSE—Ms. Washington scores 18 out of 30 with primary deficits in orientation, registration, attention and calculation, and recall. The score suggests moderate dementia.
Please add your expected vital signs, and what PE you would perform. Remember – this is a virtual soap note, so use your past experiences to formulate your soap.