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ACT1104-06 9/30/10 5:57 PM Page 217 EDITORIAL I Knew Better … So Why Did I Do That? BY PEG GRAY-VICKREY, DNS, RN my mother her first dose of the medication, and instead of diagnosis of dementia has a profound effect on sleeping peacefully, she experienced a paradoxical reac- caregivers who need to respond to challenges tion where she became quite agitated and restless. To my Aassociated with progressive cognitive decline. horror, she never slept once while we were driving. Fortu- Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders can cause a per- nately, we went back to using nonpharmacological ap- son to act in unpredictable ways. Behaviors such as anxi- proaches on the way back home and the return trip was ety, aggression, agitation, suspiciousness, and wandering uneventful. can be commonplace. While we know that the behaviors This experience has sensitized me and made me very are caused by the disease, it doesn’t make coping with aware of the need to share information on prescription them any easier. As a care provider for my mother with de- and over-the-counter medications with the caregivers of mentia, this was something that I was well aware of. individuals with cognitive impairment. We need to ensure My husband and I were getting ready to drive my that they are knowledgeable about the benefits and risks mother over 1200 miles to attend a large family reunion. In associated with prescription and over-the-counter medica- spite of the length of the trip, my mother was very anxious tions.We also need to ensure that they know the best prac- to attend because there was going to be a memorial serv- tices associated with giving medications to older adults. ice held for her younger sister during the reunion week- In this issue of Alzheimer’s Care Today, the “Tips and end. I was willing to make the trip because of its Strategies” department is devoted to providing guidance importance to my mother. However, I was suffering some on giving medications to older adults for caregivers and pretrip anxiety. I knew that placing my mother in an unfa- professionals.The Tips and Strategies department features miliar environment, where her routine was going to be dis- a tear-out design that will let you give it to caregivers or to rupted, was a recipe for disaster. Driving long distances, in other interested individuals. My hope is that this informa- tight quarters is not always conducive to tranquility! tion will help others avoid my conundrum of “I knew One evening my husband mentioned that his friend had better … So why did I do that? given his mother a common over-the-counter drug for pain relief and insomnia before starting a long trip. His friend re- Author Affiliation: Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort ported that his mother slept peacefully the entire trip.The Myers. promise of a trip where my mother would be comfortable and sleep was too tempting to resist. I quickly went out and purchased the recommended medication (a combination Correspondence: Peg Gray-Vickrey, DNS, RN, Office of Curricu- of ibuprofen which is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory lum and Instruction, Ste 214, Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd South, Fort Myers, FL 33965 (mgrayvic@fgcu.edu). drug and diphenhydramine citrate which is an antihista- mine). As an expert in gerontological nursing, I knew a nonpharmacological approach would be better … but the Alzheimer’s Care Today 2010; 11(4):217 temptation of a peaceful trip was hard to resist. We gave DOI:10.1097/ACQ.0b013e3181f b7dcd Editorial Copyright © 2010 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
Alzheimer's Care Today – Wolters Kluwer Health
Published: Oct 1, 2010
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