Josepha H. is an 85-year-old woman who has mild Alzheimer’s disease. She lives alone in an apartment associated with a senior-assisted living center. She eats dinner each evening with her friends in the large dining hall, and during the day she cooks her own meals and attends to her activities of daily living (ADLs) quite independently. Today, Josepha’s neighbor called the nurse practitioner to report that Josepha has been having wild ideas, hallucinations, and has only been picking at her meals. She has missed dinner two nights in a row. Josepha has confided that she is convinced that the assisted living center is trying to poison her. How would you handle this situation? What are your priorities? Please address the difference between delirium and dementia as it applies to this case. Discuss key education components. Support your answer with a minimum of two APRN peer-reviewed resources.
