(also refer to dementia, presenile/senile)

risk for Injury/Trauma: risk factors may include inability to recognize/identify danger in environment, disorientation, confusion, impaired judgment, weakness, muscular incoordination, balancing difficulties, and altered perception.

chronic Confusion related to physiological changes (neuronal degeneration); possibly evidenced by inaccurate interpretation of/response to stimuli, progressive/long-standing cognitive impairment, short-term memory deficit, impaired socialization, altered personality, and clinical evidence of organic impairment.

disturbed Sensory Perception (specify) may be related to altered sensory reception, transmission, and/or integration (neurologic disease/deficit), socially restricted environment (homebound/institutionalized), sleep deprivation possibly evidenced by changes in usual response to stimuli, change in problem-solving abilities, exaggerated emotional responses (anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations), inability to tell position of body parts, diminished/altered sense of taste.

Insomnia may be related to sensory impairment, changes in activity patterns, psychological stress (neurologic impairment), possibly evidenced by wakefulness, disorientation (day/night reversal); increased aimless wandering, inability to identify need/time for sleeping, changes in behavior/performance, lethargy; dark circles under eyes and frequent yawning.

ineffective Health Maintenance may be related to deterioration affecting ability in all areas including coordination/communication, cognitive impairment; ineffective coping, possibly evidenced by reported or observed inability to take responsibility for meeting basic health practices, lack of equipment/financial or other resources, and impairment of personal support system.

risk for Stress Overload: risk factors may include inadequate resources, chronic illness, physical demands, threats of violence.

Compromised family Coping/Caregiver Role Strain may be related to family disorganization, role changes, family/caregiver isolation, long-term illness/complexity and amount of homecare needs exhausting supportive/financial capabilities of family member(s), lack of respite; possibly evidenced by verbalizations of frustrations in dealing with day-to-day care, reports of conflict, feelings of depression, expressed anger/guilt directed toward client, and withdrawal from interaction with client/social contacts.

risk for Relocation Stress Syndrome: risk factors may include little or no preparation for transfer to a new setting, changes in daily routine, sensory impairment, physical deterioration, separation from support systems.