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A Focus On Caregivers For Persons With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) And Motor Neuron Diseases

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1.  Which of the following statements is true regarding ALS? ALS always leads to death within a year ALS progresses at differing rates, and is more than one condition ALS tends to effect people 30-50 years of age ALS effects women more than men

2.  Cognitive considerations for ALS include all of the following EXCEPT: Are not medically treatable Higher mental processes - they are aware of their progressive loss of function and may become anxious and depressed The client's eventual inability to speak The client may experience problems with language or decision-making

3.  The best approach to working with caregivers is: Providing education about the disease and how it affects functioning Providing education about their own self-care, with an emphasis on providing information equipment that may support and protect them that they can use to help move the client Providing education about the importance and value of peer support groups All of the above

4.  One of the most difficult functional losses associated with the progression of the disease is: The client's inability to walk The client's inability to breathe unassisted The client's eventual inability to speak Social support

5.  Since people with motor neuron disease may have significant impairments and communication challenges, what would you give a caregiver about the value of support groups? It is really only beneficial for the caregivers It is still beneficial for the person with motor neuron disease, even if they cannot contribute verbally to the conversation It's a bad idea for the client, because they can recognize how much they have declined and when they see someone else whose disease is more advanced, it is discouraging They are beneficial for both the client and the caregiver regardless of the severity of the disease at any given moment

6.  What is the concept of liminality and how does it relate to the grieving response? A sense of vulnerability and people cannot respond emotionally when experiencing it Denial of one's condition and it is obstructive to discussions of decline and adaptation A psychological process following experience of self as 'no longer/not yet', in other words left aware of one's own eventual mortality following a life threatening illness or accidental occurrence. People become aware of their own mortality and will work with therapy Anger and an unwillingness to work toward quality of life issues

7.  Grief and grief reactions are: Fluid - People move in and out of the various death and dying stages Static - People cannot react to the news of the diagnosis, because they avoid the issue/discussion Complex and only experienced one at a time/never in concert Not understood and have not been studied

8.  When the client begins to decline, the caregiver's response may be: Denial that the disease is progressing Anger at the individual Feelings of being overwhelmed Any/all of the above

9.  Groups focused on training caregivers might include: Relaxation exercises to relieve stress and diminish the impact of negative stress Education about adapted equipment and devices that can assist with moving the person with little physical strength Education about adapting activities, to encourage the client to continue participating in activities they choose All of the above

10.  People with motor neuron disease may live how long? Only for a short time (under 6 months) 1-2 years Decades It depends on the type of motor neuron disease they have, because some types progress more quickly than others