Visual Agnosia Essay

From the examination of the symptoms exhibited by the patient, I found that he is suffering from delirium and dementia. His condition could be referred to as hospital delirium that is most common in patients who are over 70 years. The following are symptoms that suggest that he has delirium; the random slurred speech where he is yelling without a known reason for yelling. He has decreased environmental awareness where he cannot recognize his location. He has also lost his memory by not recalling the reason as to why he is in the hospital. First, his age is a risk factor for delirium and dementia. Also, assessment of head injury would be important to determine the possible damages to the brain. Moreover, I would assess the past lifestyle of the patient; whether he was an alcoholic and other environmental issues that may be a contributing factor to stressors that could lead to depression.

The other testing that would help clarify the diagnosis is an examination of his medical histories such as depression and use of other medications such as surgery medications and others that may affect his cognition functionality. The first recommendation to the caregivers on the social functioning of the patient is to ensure that his bedroom is quiet and free from noise and no light. All these activities would help in assessing their daily progress on reorienting their attention that will assist them to gain conscious of things and people. During the exercise of reorientation scheme, the environment should be quiet since the noise may interrupt their attention and cause confusion to them. Then, they should explain to the doctor on the proceedings at every opportunity.