A nurse is assessing quality of life (QOL) in older individuals ...

[wrbasek0]

A nurse is assessing quality of life (QOL) in older individuals with chronic illnesses who attend a community center. What information is most important to assess?
 
  a. How many days were lost to exacerba-tions in the last year
  b. How good each individual perceives his or her QOL to be
  c. How burdensome the patient's treatment regime is daily
  d. How often the patient needs to see a health care provider

Question 2

An older patient who lives alone is brought to the clinic by an adult child who reports the patient has become depressed and no longer wants to go out of the home. What action by the nurse is best?
 
  a. Assess the patient for depression.
  b. Ask the patient why activities are avoided.
  c. Assess the patient for pain.
  d. Assess the patient for elder abuse.

[Danny Ewald]

Answer to Question 1

B
QOL is individualized for each patient, and each person is the only one who can rate his or her quality of life. It is not dependent on objective measures such as number of health care visits or how many days were spent sick.

Answer to Question 2

C
Many older adults have pain that goes untreated. Consequences of untreated pain are numerous and include depression and withdrawal. The nurse should first assess for pain. Assessing for de-pression or elder abuse may be warranted as well. Asking why questions is not therapeutic, as patients tend to become defensive.