Chapter 22 Flashcards
(162 cards)
What is the basic working unit of the nervous system?
The nervous system controls and coordinates all body functions, sends messages throughout the body, and senses and interprets information from outside the body.
What makes up the central nervous system?
The brain and spinal cord
What makes up the peripheral nervous system?
The nerves connected to the spinal cord
List three functions of the nervous system
Control and coordinate mental processes and voluntary movements
Provide reflex centers for heartbeat and respiration
Sense and respond to changes occurring both inside and outside the body
Normal age-related changes for the nervous system
Responses and reflexes slow
Some memory loss occurs, especially short term memory loss
Sensitivity of nerve endings in skin decreases, resulting in diminished sense of touch
Some hearing loss occurs
Senses of vision, smell, and taste weaken
Why is it important not to use rubbing alcohol to clean artificial eyes?
Using rubbing alcohol can cause infection and can permanently damage the eye.
What is the most common cause for dementia?
A series of strokes causing damage to the brain
Why is it important for nursing assistants to encourage independence for s long as possible for residents who have AD?
This helps to keep the resident’s mind and body as active as possible. It may even help slow the progression of the disease.
If a resident with Alzheimer’s disease loses interest in an activity, what should the nursing assistant do?
Should not try to push them to continue the activity. She should offer another activity.
Does a person usually overcome depression through sheer will?
It is typically treated with medication and psychotherapy
What should s nursing assistant do if s resident makes jokes about suicide?
Immediately report it to the nurse
When a cerebrovascular accident occurs on the left side of the brain, which side of the body will be affected?
The right side
When assisting a resident who has had a CVA with eating, in which side of the resident’s mouth should food be placed?
Stronger side
When a resident with Alzheimer’s disease repeats an action over and over, he is…
Perseverating
One morning a resident with Alzheimer’s disease says he does not like eating with others and wants to eat breakfast by himself in his room. The next morning he tells his nursing assistant that he does not like to eat alone and wants help going to the dining room. What would be the best response by the nursing assistant to this shift in the resident’s preferences?
The NA should take the resident to the dining room
What is a way for a nursing assistant to help a resident who head Alzheimer’s disease with his nutritional needs?
The NA should use a plain plate without a pattern and a single eating utensil for meals
When a resident with Alzheimer’s disease continues to ask the same question, the nursing assistant should…
Answer the question using the same words each time
A resident with Alzheimer’s disease tells his NA that he is not going to eat dinner today because he is meeting his wife for dinner at their favorite restaurant. The nursing assistant knows his wife has been dead for many years. What would be the best response by the nursing assistant?
TheNA should ask him what restaurant he is going to and what he will have
Which of the following puts a person at a higher risk for substance abuse?
Having a mental illness
Age-related macular degeneration
A condition in which the macula degenerates, gradually causing central vision loss
Agitated
The state of being excited, restless, or troubled
Alzheimer’s disease
A progressive, degenerative, and incurable disease that causes proteins to build up in and around nerve cells, which results in memory loss, cognitive impairment, and behavioral changes
Bipolar disorder
A type of depression that causes a person to have mood swings and changes in energy levels and the ability to function
Define: brain
The part of the nervous system housed in the skull that is responsible for motor activity, memory, thought, speech, and intelligence, along with regulation of vital functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing