A community health nurse is providing teaching to the family of a client who has dementia. Which of the following manifestations should the nurse tell the family to expect?
Decreased display of emotions
Forgetfulness gradually progressing to disorientation
Personality traits that are opposite of original traits
Decreased auditory and visual acuity
The Correct Answer is B
A) Decreased display of emotions:
While changes in emotional expression can occur in individuals with dementia, it's not a primary manifestation that is typically emphasized when educating families. Behavioral and psychological symptoms, including changes in emotion and personality, can be seen in dementia, but forgetfulness progressing to disorientation is a more direct and characteristic symptom of the condition.
B) Forgetfulness gradually progressing to disorientation
Explanation:
When educating the family of a client with dementia, the nurse should inform them to expect forgetfulness that gradually progresses to disorientation. Dementia is a progressive cognitive decline that affects memory, thinking, and reasoning. Forgetfulness is often one of the initial symptoms of dementia, and as the condition advances, individuals can become disoriented to time, place, and even people. This progression occurs due to the degeneration of brain cells and the accumulation of abnormal proteins.
C) Personality traits that are opposite of original traits:
Changes in personality traits can indeed occur as a result of dementia, but this may not be the most prominent or early manifestation that the nurse would want to highlight when educating the family. The gradual progression of forgetfulness leading to disorientation is a more specific and foundational aspect of dementia.
D) Decreased auditory and visual acuity:
Decreased sensory acuity, such as auditory and visual acuity, can happen with age and various health conditions, but they are not primary manifestations of dementia. Dementia primarily affects cognitive functions like memory, thinking, and reasoning.

Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. "I can see that you trust me, but you should share those feelings with your psychiatrist, not me."
While encouraging the client to discuss their feelings with a mental health professional is important, this response does not address the immediate safety concern presented by the client's intent to harm others.
B. "I will not violate our nurse-client relationship. The information we discuss will remain confidential between us."
This response is inappropriate because it implies that the nurse will keep the information confidential, even though the client's statement raises concerns about the safety of others.
C. "Because you are a minor, I have to share any information that I feel is important with your parents."
While parents may have the right to be informed about their minor child's well-being, this situation goes beyond parental involvement. The nature of the threat requires immediate intervention from appropriate professionals and authorities.
"D. I cannot promise that. I must share this information with other members of the team who are responsible for planning your care."
Explanation: The client's statement about having a desire to harm others, especially classmates and a school teacher, raises significant concerns about the safety and well-being of not only the client but also the potential victims. In cases where the client poses a risk of harm to themselves or others, the nurse has a duty to breach confidentiality to ensure the safety of all involved parties. This response conveys the nurse's ethical obligation to involve other members of the treatment team and appropriate authorities to address the potential threat.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A) Maturational crisis:
This type of crisis arises from normal life transitions, such as entering a new stage of development (adolescence, midlife crisis, etc.). It involves a struggle to adapt to new roles and responsibilities. The client's situation does involve a life transition due to the death of his wife, but the sudden nature of the event and the resulting distress suggest a situational crisis.
B) Adventitious crisis:
Adventitious crises are caused by extraordinary events that are external to the individual's usual experience, such as natural disasters, accidents, or crimes. While the sudden death of the client's wife is an unexpected and tragic event, it's not an adventitious crisis because it involves personal loss rather than a large-scale or external event.
C) Developmental crisis:
Developmental crises are associated with specific stages of life and the challenges and changes that come with them. This crisis doesn't seem to fit the developmental category as it is more tied to the specific event of the wife's sudden death.
D) Situational crisis
Explanation:
A situational crisis is a type of crisis that arises from a specific event or situation that disrupts an individual's normal functioning and coping abilities. In this case, the sudden death of the client's wife is the triggering event that has led to his feeling paralyzed and overwhelmed in his ability to cope with work and family responsibilities. Situational crises are often unexpected and can lead to a temporary state of disorganization and distress.
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