Wilkins is an 85-year-old female diagnosed with an advanced case of Alzheimer's disease. The client's memory has severely declined through the years. As the nurse assists the client in performing morning care, the client tells the nurse that she worked as a neuroscientist in the 1950s. The client's husband immediately corrects the client by informing the nurse that his wife worked as science teacher. After the morning care, the nurse talks to the husband in private and encourages him to do which of the following?
A)Leave the area as soon as his wife starts telling her stories.
B)Continue correcting her wife's stories.
C)Allow his wife to tell her storiesas she recalls them.
D)Discourage his wife from telling inconsistent stories.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse encourages the husband to allow his wife to tell her stories, as she recalls them. Clients with Alzheimer's disease mask their loss of memory by spending more time talking about their past. If the husband continuously and repeatedly tries to correct the stories, this may increase the client's agitation and may affect her self-esteem. Leaving the area or discouraging his wife from telling stories may further isolate the client from the rest of the world.

Wilkins Is an 85-Year-Old Female Diagnosed with an Advanced Case