A nurse notes that an older adult is unable to process complex ...

[cherise1989]

A nurse notes that an older adult is unable to process complex thoughts and has difficulty forming sentences. Which of the following actions by the nurse is priority?
 
  A) Review medication administration record.
  B) Place the client on high fall risk precaution.
  C) Assess muscle strength and deep tendon reflexes.
  D) Orient the client to environment.

Question 2

A nurse reviews the medication list of an older adult upon transfer from the hospital to an extended care facility. Which of the following methods is most likely to reduce the occurrence of adverse effects?
 
  A) Administer medications at the same time every day with meals.
  B) Compare the list to the Beers criteria list and notify the health care provider of any on the list.
  C) Request that the client's medications be put on hold and restarted one at a time.
  D) Stop the administration of GI and narcotic pain medications.

[chloejackso]

Answer to Question 1

Ans: A
Nurses need to be alert to the possibility that even a simple over-the-counter product is a common cause of mental changes in older adults. An acute confusional state can be precipitated by any medication or by medication interactions. Assessment of deep tendon reflexes will be important to assess fluid and electrolyte imbalances; review the medications first. Orienting the client and high fall risk may be needed (or not).

Answer to Question 2

Ans: B
An important theme of the Beers criteria and other guidelines is that medications are determined to be appropriate or inappropriate in relation to the patient's condition. Some medications should be given with meals, while others should not. There is no need to stop all medications at this time; nor should the GI and pain medications be stopped.

[cherise1989]

Excellent

[bblaney]

TYSM