A nurse who works in a long-term care facility has noticed that one of the residents has been forgetting names of staff members and has not been doing some of the cares that this resident was able to do just in the week prior. The nurse should:

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The sudden onset of forgetfulness and the inability to perform activities of daily living that the resident was able to do prior is concerning and could be a sign of a physiological problem. It would be important for the nurse to investigate further and report any findings to the healthcare provider, such as a possible infection or medication side effect. It would not be appropriate to assume that the resident has dementia without further evaluation or instruction the staff members to be extra attentive without investigating the cause of the changes in cognitive and functional status. Memory loss is a common occurrence in aging, but sudden onset of memory loss and inability to perform daily living activities is concerning.

A Nurse Who Works in a Long-Term Care Facility Has