| As a humanistic profession, the primary concern of | | | | and senile" were frequently heard. Mr. Jones condition |
| professional nursing is caring for people it is based on | | | | rapidly degenerated, and he would not leave the |
| knowledge derived from the biological, the physical, | | | | house at all. Neighbors brought his food and mail to |
| and the psychosocial sciences. Nurses must also | | | | him and helped him keep his house clean. He had |
| under stand that health and health behaviors are | | | | always been a very happy person, but his friends |
| inseparable from culture. When dealing with patients | | | | noticed that he now seemed to be moody and |
| from a different culture, nurses must be aware that | | | | depressed much of the time. When he was |
| responses to illness are determined by cultural beliefs | | | | sixty-eight, he could no longer perform various tasks, |
| and values. When in a practice setting, the | | | | such as cooking, that had been routine for him. He |
| professional nurse's aim is to determine the mental | | | | hired a live-in housekeeper, Ms. c., to help him with |
| and physical needs of the patient and to initiate an | | | | cooking, cleaning the house, and doing laundry. Ms. C. |
| independent plan of care that emphasizes patient and | | | | noticed that Mr. Jones was sometimes disoriented as |
| family teaching. In addition, nurses conduct preventive | | | | to place and frequently disoriented as to time. He |
| and rehabilitative nursing measures according to | | | | would tell her that he had enjoyed going to the |
| needs demonstrated by patients and families. This | | | | "picture show," when actually he had only watched a |
| essay will share professional nurses' experiences in | | | | movie on television. One night Ms. C. became alarmed |
| caring for Alzheimer patients. The following case | | | | when she got up at 2:00 A.M. to check on Mr. Jones |
| study is presented to illustrate nursing management | | | | and found that he was not in his bed. |
| of a hypothetical Alzheimer patient. Common | | | | She searched around the house and the yard. Mr. |
| symptoms and treatment strategies are described | | | | Jones was nowhere to be found. She called the |
| with the intention of providing practical information | | | | police and a search was begun. Mr. Jones was found |
| that might be used by caregivers. | | | | two hours later in the tall weeds of a vacant lot four |
| Mr. Jones was a slender, seventy-year-old man who | | | | blocks away. His face and arms were bruised and he |
| wore bifocals and walked with a cane. He began | | | | had a deep laceration on his lip. He told the police he |
| losing his memory four years ago. He would drive his | | | | had fallen several times while he was out taking the |
| car to town to get the mail or groceries, and by the | | | | dog for his usual 9:00 A.M. walk. The fact was that |
| time he got there, he had forgotten the original | | | | he didn't own a dog, and it was nighttime. Mr. Jones |
| purpose for the trip. Mr. Jones had always been a | | | | was taken to the emergency room and the |
| good cardplayer and had played with his friends at | | | | laceration sutured. The physician recommended that |
| the lodge for years. He reached the point where he | | | | he be admitted to the hospital for observation and |
| couldn't remember how to play cards at all. The | | | | tests. Test results showed that mr. jones had |
| people around town observed how the widower was | | | | Alzheimer's disease. |
| acting and such remarks as "Oh, he's just getting old | | | | |