Interventions for a Terrified, Disoriented Resident

[SuesquatchRN]

She has been with us for years. She does not know here she is, she is constantly looking for her parents and husband, and she wants to go home. Cries and moans all day. Breaks my heart.

She is on a low dose of an SSRI and Ativan 1 mg QAM, 0.5 QD at 4 pm, and 0.5 a day PRN.

Does anyone have any ideas> When I mention it to the floor nurses they blow it off with, "She's always been like this." Well, maybe she doesn't have to be.

Thanks.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

We're all in this together! We should be proud of ourselves for coming together on this site and helping out our fellow nurses!

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Indeed. I don't now where else I CAN go for help.

:)

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

:anpom::anpom: How fantastic for that resident that we were all able to come together to find a solution.

[calliesue]

I can sometimes get one of my distressed residents off crying jag by singing hymns, she will sing with me for awhile and calm down. I also put her to bed a lot. I think she can't stand the noise of day shift, and always wants to go back to bed. I think I will try pain meds too. It is funny how if she were a hospice patient I would have been all over pain meds, but because she denies pain when asked I never thought of a connection, DUH!

I am going to give this a try. Thanks for the idea.