Understand the Administration of Medication to Individuals with Dementia Using a Person Centred Approach

Understand the Administration of Medication to Individuals with Dementia Using Person Centred Care Although there is no cure for dementia, there are drugs that can help to treat symptoms of dementia, these are; • antipsychotics • tranquilliizers • anti-depressants • anti-anxiety drugs • antibiotics • pain killers These commonly used medications affect the individuals with dementia in both a positive and negative way; Some of the positives are: better mood, ability to perform daily activities, reduction in memory loss, reduced aggression and restlessness, they can aid sleep, control infections and pain, reduce worry and have a calming effect, and reduce hallucinations. Some of the negatives are: nausea, restlessness, disturbed sleep pattern, stomach ache, diarrhoea, muscle cramps, loss of appetite, head aches, dizziness, and tiredness. Anti-psychotic medication can also be used to treat people with dementia, however, they should only be used for a short period (usually 6 weeks) as the time period in which they have positive effects is limited. In most care settings, anti-psychotic drugs are used in extreme curcumstances. Some • • • • • • • • • of the risks associated with anti-psychotic drugs are; restlessness irritability becoming addicted to the drug becoming dependant on others emotional instability loss of inhibitions increased risk of stroke (CVI) increased risk of pneumonia less able to make own choices/judgements

However, there are benefits, and these include: • less likely to have aggressive responses • increase in sleep more co-operative • likely to be more aware of people/environment • able to participate in daily living tasks • increased likelihood of social interaction • able to participate in leisure activities • able to make own decisions As with all medication, there are always risks to taking them in the form of side effects and adverse reactions. By recording the side effects and/or adverse reactions, we can easily monitor the individual's...