Nursing care plan for cognitive impairment

Introduction to Nursing Care Plan for Cognitive Impairment

Cognitive impairment is a condition which affects a person’s ability to think, remember, reason and make decisions. A nursing care plan developed specifically for cognitive impairment can help identify and manage serious health issues, so they can live comfortably, safely and with the most autonomy possible.

Assessment

A nursing assessment is a crucial step in developing an effective nursing care plan for cognitive impairment. This includes the review of a patient’s medical, physical, mental and social history, as well as a physical, psychological and cognitive screening for earlier signs of cognitive impairment. During this stage, the patient should be asked about risk factors like head trauma, stroke, depression or substance abuse. Family members may be asked to share insights or observations.

Nursing Diagnosis

Together with the assessment and review of available data, a nursing diagnosis of cognitive impairment can be formulated. The main components of the nursing diagnosis include identifying perceived and expected problems associated with cognitive impairment and possible psychosocial implications of the condition.

Outcomes

The desired outcome of an effective nursing care plan for cognitive impairment differs from person to person. Generally, the outcome might involve maintaining a certain level of cognitive functioning, improving overall wellbeing, reducing pain and promoting independence in daily activities.

Interventions

Interventions or actions identified in the care plan should depend entirely on an individual’s needs. These interventions are designed to improve cognitive functioning, promote safety and support independent living. Interventions may include delivering and monitoring medications, providing supervision, making modifications to the home and environment, providing emotional and cognitive support, facilitating social interaction and encouraging increase physical activity.

Rationales

Rationales, or the reason why interventions are taking place, are included in the care plan to explain why the intervention being used is the best choice to meet the desired outcome. For example, a rational might state that medication is being used to reduce anxiety levels in order to improve overall wellbeing.

Evaluation

Evaluation generally occurs at the end of the plan and involves assessing the effectiveness of the intervention. The evaluation might use the same measurements used to create the plan, such as cognitive tests or family surveys.

Conclusion

An effective nursing care plan for cognitive impairment requires detailed assessments and interventions that are tailored to the individual’s specific needs. Completing regular evaluation of the care plan is also necessary to ensure that strategies implemented are actually achieving the desired outcome.

FAQs

• What is cognitive impairment?
  
  Cognitive impairment is a condition which affects a person’s ability to think, remember, reason and make decisions.
• What is the purpose of a nursing care plan?
  
  The purpose of a nursing care plan is to identify and manage serious health issues, so the patient can live comfortably, safely and with the most autonomy possible.
• What are some interventions for cognitive impairment?
  
  Interventions for cognitive impairment include delivering and monitoring medications, providing supervision, making modifications to the home and environment, providing emotional and cognitive support, facilitating social interaction, and encouraging physical activity.
• How often should the care plan be evaluated?
  The care plan should be evaluated regularly to ensure that strategies implemented are achieving the desired outcome.
• What are rationales?
  Rationales are statements that explain why interventions are taking place.