Author Question: An older patient has fallen and broken his hip. As a consequence, the patient's family is concerned ... (Read 59 times)

genevieve1028 · **on:** Jul 23, 2018

An older patient has fallen and broken his hip. As a consequence, the patient's family is concerned about his ability to care for himself, especially during his convalescence. What should the nurse do?

a. Stress that older patients usually ask for help when needed.
b. Inform the family that placement in a nursing center is a permanent solution.
c. Tell the family to enroll the patient in a ceramics class to maintain his quality of life.
d. Provide information and answer questions as family members make choices among care options.

Question 2

A 70-year-old patient who suffers from worsening dementia is no longer able to live alone. When discussing health care services and possible long-term living arrangements with the patient's only son, what should the nurse suggest?

a. An apartment setting with neighbors close by
b. Having the patient utilize weekly home health visits
c. A nursing center because home care is no longer safe
d. That placement is irrelevant because the patient is retreating to a place of inactivity

nikmaaacs · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
Nurses assist older adults and their families by providing information and answering questions as they make choices among care options. Some older adults deny functional declines and refuse to ask for assistance with tasks that place their safety at great risk. The decision to enter a nursing center is never final, and a nursing center resident sometimes is discharged to home or to another less-acute residence. What defines quality of life varies from person to person. Nurses must listen to what the older adult considers to be most important rather than making assumptions about the individual's priorities.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: C
Some family caregivers consider nursing center placement when in-home care becomes increasingly difficult, or when convalescence from hospitalization requires more assistance than the family is able to provide. An apartment setting and the use of home health visits are not appropriate because some older adults deny functional decline and refuse to ask for assistance with tasks that place their safety at great risk. Others avoid activities designed to benefit older adults such as senior health promotion activities (such as some health visits), and thus do not receive the benefits that these programs offer. Acceptance of personal aging does not mean a retreat into inactivity, but it does require a realistic review of strengths and limitations.