Sensory (Class 10)

define kinesthesia

awareness of the position and movement of the parts of the body

define sensation

a feeling, within or outside the body, of conditions resulting from stimulation of sensory receptors

define stimulus

any action or change that causes a response

define sensory adaptation

ability to ignore unimportant stimuli

define cognition

all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

define sensory deprivation

decreased sensory input due to lack of stimuli, inability to receive stimuli, or decreased meaningful stimuli

define sensory overload

reception and overabundance of multiple sensory stimuli

delirium vs dementia

- delirium: reversible state of acute confusion

- dementia: permanent decline in mental function and progressive confusion

define depression

mood disorder characterized by a sense of hopelessness and persistent unhappiness/anxiety

what is the most common type of dementia

alzheimer's disease

describe the patho of alzheimer's

either amyloid plaques block nerve cells conduction or neurofibrillary tangles clog nerve cells resulting in cerebral atrophy

describe sundowning

phenomena in which patients become more confused or agitated in the late afternoon/evening

describe a stroke/cva and the 2 types

- a stroke/cva is a vascular injury to the brain

- ischemic: decreased blood flow to the brain

- hemorrhagic: blood vessel breaks and bleeds into brain

define aphasia and the 2 types

- aphasia is speech or language impairment

- wernicke's aphasia: cannot understand language

- broca's aphasia: cannot create/speak language

give examples of sensory deficits

peripheral neuropathy, anosmia, aguesia, presbycusis, equilibrium issues

define anosmia & ageusia

- anosmia: loss of sense of smell

- ageusia: loss of sense of taste

meniere's disease (fluid in the ear) causes what sensory issues?

tinnitus (ringing in ears) and vertigo (spinning sensation around the person)

myopia vs hyperopia

- myopia: nearsighted, cannot see far

- hyperopia: farsighted, cannot see close

presbyopia vs cataracts

- presbyopia: hardening of lens causing farsightedness (inability to see close)

- cataracts: clouding of the lens

describe glaucoma

increased intraocular pressure on optic nerve leading to loss of peripheral visual fields and blindness

diabetic retinopathy vs macular degeneration

- diabetic retinopathy: retinal blood vessels are damaged due to high glucose

- macular degeneration: damage to macula resulting in central vision loss

what components does the assessment include for a patients exhibiting cognitive/sensory alterations

vital signs, neuro assessment, lab tests

what is it important to do when assessing lower extremities

take socks off!

a patient who has suffered a stroke benefits from what type of consultation?

occupational and physical therapist

who is consulted for a patient with hearing deficits or aphasia

speech therapist

what are important actions to take when caring for visually impaired patients?

maintain good lighting, make sure glasses/contacts are worn as prescribed, use large handwriting/print, use photos or videos

how can nurses describe where the food is located at on a plate of a visually impaired person

- using a "clock"

- ex. 12 at the top, 3 on the right, 6 at the bottom, 9 on the left

what are home care considerations for patients with cognitive alterations

24 hour supervision, long term care facility info

what are home care considerations for patients with tactile alterations

thermometer to monitor bath water of 100F, management of hot water heaters

what are home care considerations for patients with olfactory or gustatory alterations

check for safety of gas stoves, hot water heaters, furnaces

what are home care considerations for patients with auditory alterations

hearing device instructions, communication tips, sign language, smoke detectors/doorbells/telephones should have visual signals, telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD)

what are home care considerations for patients with equilibrium alterations

exercise caution when changing positions, install grab bars

what are home care considerations for patients with visual alterations

remove safety/tripping hazards, install grab bars, nonskid mats in bathrooms and kitchens