Heftiness of work nurses for patient with Alzheimer's disease

This diploma work focuses on demanding and important task of nurses care of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The problems of Alzheimer's disease represent socially serious and very important subject at present due to the fact that our generation is growing old, which will obviously result in increasing frequency of Alzheimer?s disease occurrence. This diploma work is divided in two parts: theoretical part and practical part. In the theoretical part there are causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis and therapy of Alzheimer?s disease. Furthermore there is a conceptual framework of nursing care applied to the patients suffering from Alzheimer?s disease according to nursing model by Virginia Henderson. In addition to it burn out syndrome is mentioned here because due to the syndrome the nursing personnel is exposed to extreme psychic and physical load. The Alzheimer Programme Plan in the Czech Republic is presented in order to get better idea about activities in our country. In the practical part of this diploma work we laid down the following three objectives. The first objective was to ascertain exacting character of nursing work of the nurses taking care of the patients suffering from Alzheimer?s disease. The second objective was to ascertain what is considered by nurses to be the most problematic area within the range of nursing care of the aforementioned patients suffering from Alzheimer?s disease and the third objective of our research was to ascertain the contribution of specialised Alzheimer centres. The above-specified objectives have been fulfilled. In addition to it another research questions have been defined as follows: what is the level of exacting character of nursing work of the nurses taking care of the patients suffering from Alzheimer?s disease, what do the nurses see as the most problematic area within the range of nursing care of the aforementioned patients suffering from Alzheimer?s disease within the range of nursing care, what is the contribution of specialised Alzheimer centres and what nursing care should be provided in the specialised Alzheimer centres. The research questions have been answered. For the purpose of the development of this diploma work a qualitative examination has been used. Data acquisition and collection have been performed by applying the method of non-standard structured interview. The research work took place in Psychiatric Ward of the Hospital of České Budějovice a.s. (Joint stock company), in Alzheimer Centre named Loucký Mlýn near the town of Vodňany and in Alzheimer Centre in the town of Písek, and in Home of Old People in the village of Dobrá Voda. The answers of the interviewed nurses have been worked out in the form of sixteen case reports and subsequently category matrices (tables) containing the most important data were created from the aforementioned reports. The examination took place in the time period from March 2011 to June 2011. The results of our work could serve as a feedback for hospitals and sanatoria first of all for those where the examinations took place. Furthermore the results may be used for keeping public informed about the possibilities of helping patients suffering from Alzheimer?s disease e.g. in the form of information booklet