Psychosis and the Agitation in Dementia

Please respond to discussion post. All references need to be five years or less. Thank you
Professor and class,
Differentiate the clinical presentations of psychosis and agitation in clients with dementia.
Agitation is a symptom that can appear in both patients with and without psychosis. Visual and auditory hallucinations and delusions that either cause or contribute to agitation are most likely to occur in psychotic patients. A patient with psychosis is mentally ill and has trouble knowing what is real (Marcinkowska et al., 2020). Each patient's experience with psychosis is unique. Depression, hallucinations, paranoia, and delusional thinking are signs of a patient with dementia-related psychosis (Marcinkowska et al., 2020).
Agitation is one of the most common neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) in dementia patients, according to available research (Jones et al., 2021). Agitation is also characterized by a patient's conduct and is characterized by emotional anguish, aggression, restlessness, and frequently uncontrolled increased motor activity. The patient's quality of life, functional status, and cognitive abilities are all negatively impacted by agitation. Evidence suggests that agitation in dementia patients increases the requirement for hospitalization (Jones et al., 2021). As a result, patients with dementia who become agitated require more medical intervention and caregiver support.
Discuss two possible approaches to treatment for agitation.
Basic behavioral approaches
Patients' needs should be met, and caregivers should practice active empathic listening. Provide food, clean, appropriate clothing, a peaceful atmosphere with few distractions, and frequent patient toileting. When patients are disoriented, reorient them, and involve family members in treatment (Amore et al., 2021). To prevent boredom and isolation, be knowledgeable about the specific interests of each patient and how to reorient and amuse them. Include sensory treatments like music, gardening, and massage, and concentrate on what they can accomplish rather than their shortcomings
Pharmacological treatment.
Providers should consider using medicine to treat symptoms, lessen aggressiveness, and enhance patients' well-being when behavioral treatments alone are inadequate, especially when aggression is present. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, cholinergic agents, and benzodiazepines are just a few drugs that healthcare professionals can prescribe to treat agitation. Only short-term usage of benzodiazepines is recommended in order to control acute episodes and avoid addiction and dependency.
Before starting antipsychotics in patients with Alzheimer's, healthcare professionals should weigh the risks and benefits. These patients may have more significant side effects from antipsychotics, raising their risk for accidents like falls, suicidal and death. healthcare professionals should only administer antipsychotics when a patient threatens others (Mulkey & Munro, 2021).
Identify at least two strategies to suggest to a caregiver for a client who is experiencing agitation in the home environment.
Due to cognitive deficits and poor linguistic abilities, agitation may make it difficult for patients to communicate (Mulkey & Munro, 2021). In order to properly care for patients, caregivers must acquire new communication skills. Encourage the caregiver to keep the environment as quiet and unstimulating as possible. Both factors can make the patient more anxious and cause agitation. To promote relaxation, provide a calm, serene setting and play the patient's favorite soft music or white noise. To sustain the patient's self-esteem and contentment, offer to take them on short walks, provide soothing massages and baths, and include them in decision-making (Mulkey & Munro, 2021).
Teach caregivers how to divert patients at home when they begin displaying agitational symptoms and strive to satisfy their needs as soon as signs appear before agitation increases. To avoid or reduce confusion, try to follow and maintain an easy-to-follow schedule (Mulkey & Munro, 2021).
Identify at least two strategies to suggest to staff for a client who is experiencing aggressive behavior in the long-term care environment.
Maintaining composure is one of the essential things the staff should do while dealing with agitated patients. Maintaining a smile, for example, is crucial since people are more likely to understand suitable than negative emotional displays (Mulkey & Munro, 2021). Additionally, a smile encourages the patient to open and communicate freely with the doctor.
Second, staff members should refrain from approaching, arguing with, rushing at, or scaring patients without getting their consent (Mulkey & Munro, 2021). The personnel treating a patient is crucial since it may control or exacerbate the agitation issue. Staff members should be careful how they speak to patients to avoid upsetting them. The staff communicating with patients should be kind, gentle, and considerate of their personal space (Mulkey & Munro, 2021).
References
Amore, M., D'Andrea, M., & Fagiolini, A. (2021). Treatment of agitation with Lorazepam in clinical practice: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi(dot)org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.628965
Jones, E., Aigbogun, M. S., Pike, J., Berry, M., Houle, C. R., & Husbands, J. (2021). Agitation in dementia: Real-world impact and burden on patients and the healthcare system. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 83(1), 89–101. https://doi(dot)org/10.3233/jad-210105Links to an external site.
Mulkey, M. A., & Munro, C. L. (2021). Calming the Agitated Patient: Providing Strategies to Support Clinicians. Medsurg nursing : official journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, 30(1), 9–13.
Marcinkowska, M., Śniecikowska, J., Fajkis, N., Paśko, P., Franczyk, W., & Kołaczkowski, M. (2020). Management of Dementia-Related Psychosis, Agitation and Aggression: A Review of the Pharmacology and Clinical Effects of Potential Drug Candidates. CNS Drugs, 34(3), 243–268. https://doi(dot)org/10.1007/s40263-020-00707-7