Dawn is called to the emergency room to meet with a patient and her family. The patient is an elderly woman who is disheveled. She appears very frail and thin. Dawn asks the woman if she can tell Dawn her name; the woman just stares blankly at Dawn. Next, Dawn asks the woman if she knows where she is. The woman nods her head and says she is in her grandmother's home. Dawn asks if the woman knows the time of day; the woman just stares at Dawn. Dawn tries asking what month, season, or year it is, but the woman is unable to answer any of these questions. The woman's family tells Dawn that the woman has been like this for some time and they do not feel they can care for her at home any longer. They ask Dawn if the woman can be admitted to the hospital. Dawn suspects that this patient has ______________________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's inability to answer questions about her name, the time of day, month, season, or year, along with her family's report of her condition over time, suggests she is experiencing symptoms consistent with dementia, which is characterized by a decline in memory, communication, and thinking skills.

Dawn Is Called to the Emergency Room to Meet with a Patient