An 80-year-old man arrives in the emergency department after suffering a severe heart attack. His condition is deteriorating and the physician informs the wife, also an older adult, that they do not expect him to live.
The wife begins to cry uncontrollably and tells the nurse, We have been married for 60 years. What am I going to do? What is the most appropriate response by the nurse?
a. You had a good life together. You just need to understand that death is part of life too.
b. I understand how you feel but he did live to 80 years old. That's a good long life.
c. I will get a social worker to see you for some help you may need at home.
d. I understand that this is an incredible and unexpected loss for you.
Question 2
Living in a healthy family is an important dimension of wellness. Which of the following most accurately describes a characteristic of healthy families?
a. A family in which individual members live a health-promoting lifestyle
b. A family that responds to its members' needs only during serious illness
c. A family that sometimes avoids or withholds the truth for fear of hurting someone's feelings
d. A family that understands that a family member is powerless when experiencing severe illness