A client diagnosed with dementia is becoming increasingly unable to ex

QUESTION

A client diagnosed with dementia is becoming increasingly unable to express complete thoughts and is having difficulty engaging in simple conversations. When communicating with this client, the nurse should

a. use words directly applicable to the client’s daily routine.
b. restate ideas using different words in a different sequence.
c. refrain from validating the meaning of the client’s responses.
d. ask the client questions that require more than a yes or no answer.

ANSWER:

ANS: A
Instead of using abstract prompts (like a specific time), the nurse should use words directly applicable to the client’s daily routine, like “before lunch,” to anchor the client’s recognition of time frames. The nurse should restate ideas using the same words and sequence and validate the meaning of a client’s response. As dementia progresses, clients become increasingly unable to express complete thoughts and eventually cannot carry on even simple conversations. The nurse should use questions that can be answered with a yes or no for clients with less verbal skill. The nurse should note whether the client’s behavior is consistent with the yes or no answer and follow up if the behavior is incongruent with the words.