Question

A nurse is caring for a patient who has dementia. Which intervention should the nurse take to minimize the risk of injury for this patient?

1) Implement fall precautions
2) Administer sedative medication
3) Encourage physical activity
4) Provide a quiet environment

Answer 1

To protect a patient with dementia from injury, a nurse should implement fall precautions, which includes making the environment free of tripping hazards and using devices to prevent falls.

Step-by-step explanation:

To minimize the risk of injury for a patient with dementia, the nurse should implement fall precautions. Dementia can impair a person's judgment and coordination, increasing the risk of falls. Fall precautions may include ensuring the patient's environment is free of tripping hazards, providing supervision or assistance when the patient is mobile, and using devices such as bed alarms or non-slip socks to prevent falls. Sedative medications may increase fall risk and should be used cautiously if at all. Encouraging physical activity is important for overall health but must be balanced with safety considerations. Providing a quiet environment may help to reduce agitation or confusion but does not directly minimize the risk of physical injury.