With increasing age, older adults become more vulnerable. This vulnerability is largely due to the normal aging process and the changes that occurs to one’s vision and mobility. R.H. is an older adult that was picked to conduct the interview. He is seventy-three years old and continues to work full time. His previous construction job has taken a toll on his body and has left him with arthritis in his knees and shoulders. With R.H.’s arthritis and other comorbidities, education is needed to promote healthy living and improve his quality of life. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the prior interviews with R.H., list my patient’s strengths and weaknesses, and identify R.H. and his family’s needs. In addition, I will formulate a …show more content…
nursing care plan based on the information shared from previous interviews. Information shared on previous interviews with R.H. has allowed me to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses. R.H. has displayed strength in his ability to know when to ask for help. R.H. does not let his pride get in the way of asking for help. He reports, he rather ask for assistance than to try it himself and get hurt, (R. H., personal communication, September 12th, 2015). Another area that R.H. displays strength is his ability to continue working even when his arthritis in his knees and shoulders start to ache. His dedication and hard work has been an excellent example for his children. A weakness that R.H. displays is his stubbornness in installing grab bars in the bathroom. R.H. states he does not have trouble getting into and out of the shower/bathtub and therefore does not need to install the grab bars, (R. H., personal communication, September 12th, 2015). However, what R.H. fails to realize is that these grab bars will not only help him when he is suffering from a flare up of his arthritis but also may be beneficial for his wife at some point. Another weakness R.H. is guilty of is not adhering to his low sodium diet. R.H. has admitted to drinking at least three cans of soda a day. This increase in sodium is causing fluid retention as well as making his heart work harder. It is important for R.H. to be aware of signs and symptoms of the normal aging process. Having this understanding will allow R.H. to differentiate between normal symptoms and symptoms that need to be checked by a physician. In addition, R.H. needs to be educated on his medications and the potential side effects of each. Having an understanding of the side effects from each medication will allow R.H. to report these findings to his physician and be evaluated and placed on another medication if needed. By doing this, R.H. is able to take an active role in his health which ultimately improves patient outcomes. There are two needs that have been identified for R.H.
and his wife. The first area identified needing improvement is their diet. R.H. needs to follow a low sodium diet. R.H.’s wife does make home cooked meals and attempts to stay true to this diet, however, R.H. has admitted to drinking at least three cans of soda a day. By doing this, R.H. is defeating the purpose of the low sodium diet. Education is needed for R.H. and his wife in regards to finding drinks that are lower in sodium. Another need that is important for R.H. and his wife is the use of proper lighting when walking up or down the steps. Utilizing proper lighting will enhance R.H. and his wife’s safety and prevent harm. In addition, I think it is important for R.H.’s children to be aware of the medications he is taking. In an event of an emergency, having his children know his medications as well as his wife will greatly enhance a positive …show more content…
outcome. A social history was taken on R.H.
when I interviewed him for this assignment. R.H. is seventy-three years old. R.H. is married to his beautiful wife, B.H., for fifty-two years and they live in their own home. This couple has two children, who they have a close relationship with. R.H. continues to work full-time and does not plan to retire any time soon. R.H. has Medicare and a supplemental medical plan that he was able to get through work. In addition to working full time, R.H. maintains his property around his house. He is aware of his limitations and asks for help from his children when necessary. When R.H. is not working or maintaining his property, he enjoys reading or restoring his classic cars. R.H. and his wife enjoy the fellowship of other Christians at church and getting together for breakfast with friends, (R. H., personal communication, September 12th,
2015). The Nutrition Screening Initiative Checklist was utilized on R.H. This nutritional screening is to assess whether a person is at risk for nutritional deficiencies. Points are assigned if the patient has a medical condition that causes them to eat differently than before, eat less than two meals a day, eat very little vegetables or fruits in a day, have three or more alcoholic beverages, have oral pain or problems, not having adequate funds to buy food, eat alone, take three or more medications, history of losing weight or gaining without trying, or not physical capable of shopping for food, (Tabloski, 2010, p. 133). R.H. scored a three because he takes three medications a day and he was to watch his sodium intake due to his high blood pressure and cardiac dysfunction. This numerical value places R.H. at moderate nutritional risk, (Tabloski, 2010). R.H. does report he eats three meals a day. R.H.’s wife does try to help him adhere to the low sodium diet by making home cooked meals and not adding salt. However, R.H. has admitted to drinking at least three cans of soda a day which does not adhere to the low sodium diet, (R. H., personal communication, September 12th, 2015). The Mini-Mental Status Exam is utilized on patients to determine if they are alert and oriented as well as determine any cognitive impairment. This assessment tool requires that the nurse ask the patient a series of questions in which the patient has to respond by repeating words, following instructions, or relying on their memory. Based on how many answers the patient responds to correctly will determine the numeric value. This assessment tools allows a maximum of thirty points to be awarded and the higher the score the likelihood of the patient to suffer from a cognitive impairment is lessened, (Folstein, Folstein, & McHugh, 1975). R.H. scored a twenty-nine on the Mini-Mental Status Exam which places him at a low risk of suffering from a cognitive impairment at this time.
Mollie is the patient in our case study. Mollie lives with her daughter and son in law, both in their 70’s. A home health aide assists Mollie five days a week for three hours each day. At age 94, Mollie is an older adult, considered to be part of a vulnerable population, at risk for hearing, visual and mobility deficits. This at risk population can experience changes in cognitive or physical status making the activities of daily living difficult to perform (Meiner, 2011). As people like Mollie age, gradually becoming less able to function independently, their grown children, potential caregivers, may be preoccupied with the demands of their own lives and not prepared to care for an older
The focus of this paper is to compare and contrast a well elder and a frail elder while using Occupational Therapy Practice Framework language. For this assignment I chose to conduct a semi structured interview using the Canadian Occupational performance Measure (COPM) to gather information about my chosen elders perceived problems and priorities. For this assignment I will be using pseudonyms in order to protect the privacy of both individuals.
For my Brown Bag Assignment my participant, JR, was found within my family. I was aware JR took daily medications due to his recent heart bypass surgery in June 2015 and met with him. JR is 62 years old and takes seven medication daily. My participant, JR had heart bypass surgery, exactly 4 bypasses, on June 1, 2015, due to 90% of his coronary arteries being blocked. For about two weeks prior to the surgery, he could not walk, felt very dizzy, fatigue, and weak. His legs even gave out and he fainted. He then decided to go to the doctors, got lab work done and found out about his coronary arteries were blocked. If he did not have this surgery, he would have died. This eight-hour surgery was a huge reality check for him. After this surgery, he completely changed his lifestyle by not smoking, not drinking, eating healthy and going on walks. Prior to this surgery, JR had and still has type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol for about five years now. As I was talking to him, it was clear that he knew all his medication very adequately especially when to take it, why he takes it and how to take it. He is also fully aware of healthy lifestyle choices. As we were talking I gave some advice to help continue his healthy lifestyle.
Mrs. Nancy Hamilton (changed name for privacy) is 95 years old female who resides in a local continued care retirement community (CCRC) located in the Los Angeles County. I decided to interview Mrs. Hamilton for her successful aging. I have known her for 9 years and her aging process has not been an easy ride but she always maintained a positive sprit that kept her going even today. Mrs. Hamilton moved in to a CCRC in 2006, two years after her husband passed away. Mrs. Hamilton has one daughter and one son. Daughter Margaret lives nearby and visits frequently and takes care of personally needs such as transportation to medical appointments or shopping for skin care products or clothes as necessary. Son, David lives in the Northern California and visits a few times a year.
For my informational interview I spoke with a nurse who has experience working on a medical surgical unit in a hospital setting. She has been a nurse for 10 years. She also has her bachelors degree in nursing. I started my interview by introducing myself and explaining what my assignment was about, and how she could help me tremendously with answering some questions regarding her nursing career, and what she does as a medical surgical nurse.
...is family has a history of lifestyle diseases like hypertension, hence, he should be careful on his diet and lifestyle. Though the family claims to walk frequently, engaging a regular exercise program is advisable (Stahl, 2010). Moreover, Linda admits to dislike fruits and vegetables which should be considered while teaching on healthy diet. A healthier diet plan will help to prevent a high blood pressure.
The second family that I interviewed was the Lyles family. Both Bro. Scotty, the father, and Mrs. Yolanda, the mother, participated in the interview and three of their children were in the room. Bro. Scotty was born and raised in Alba, Texas on the very same tree farm that he owns and operates today; he is also a deacon at our church. However, Mrs. Yolanda was born and raised in Guatemala. As a child she was raised Catholic, and is part of a large and growing family. She is one of eight children. Their family as well as anybody else in that culture celebrated their daughter’s 15th birthday with a Quinceañera which marked the transition from childhood to young womanhood. This was traditionally the first time the girls would wear make-up, nice
To deal with the issue of an aging population, an awareness campaign about the health issues that commonly affect aged people should be run by the government and non-governmental agencies. In addition, awareness should be created among the young to accommodate the elderly; at home as well as at work places...
I had an interview with my partner Her name is Juliet ,she is from Africa ,she moved to the United States with her husband and two children about 3 years ago . She is glad to come to the United States now she is living in the city of Fredericksburg with her husband and children ,she lives in the apartment, so asked her what do you like and what you do not like about your home ? She says I like my home because It is a good community and sometime i do not like it because i live at the second floor af the apartment and my children play at home it make my neighbor upset . She says I would like to buy house in the future and i would like to move from this Apartment . She says she has two kids, one boy and one girl and she is married ,her cousin also lives in the United States , most of her relatives live in her home country and she misses her mom more than anybody else.
Maintaining positive engagement in health management is important to the overall function of the older adult (Arbesman & Mosley, 2012). As natural aging takes its toll on an older adult, utilizing occupational therapy can help mitigate the effects on an individual’s quality of life. As Cronin and Mandich (2016) state, “adults over 80 is the fastest-growing segment of the American population” (p. 407). Therefore, it is imperative to implement effective programs to address this population and support the occupational engagement of older
P.R. hasn’t struggled much with financial problems associated with aging. He mentioned that he is a big saver and has a lot of money in his savings to help him if he needs it. The only real challenge that he has had with financial problems is paying for medical bills and giving money to his wife. When his wife left, him he had to give half of his earnings to her due to the divorce. He stated that this really upset him because he felt like she was taking away what he
Interviewing and research skills are needed within the social work profession. Effective communication skills are one of the most crucial components of a social worker’s job. Every day, social workers must communicate with clients to gain information, convey critical information and make important decisions (Zeiger, 2017). This interview experience was an opportunity to explore the daily challenges and rewards of a licensed social worker. I was excited for the opportunity to interview a social worker in the gerontology sector as this is a specialty I am considering. This meeting allowed me to explore the educational steps of being a social worker, practices of the agency, the clients who are served, and the challenges the agency has.
Counseling Psychology is a specialty within the professional psychology that maintains a focus on facilitating personal and interpersonal function across the life span. Those who are Counseling Psychology focuses on the clients emotional, social vocational, education health-related, developmental, and organizational concerns.
This posting is about the elderly and their reminiscence of their own life. Throughout the post, I will discuss some of the difficulties I have experienced in providing care for the elderly. Furthermore, I will describe my own thoughts and feelings about the required video and what changes I will include in my nursing practice after watching the video.
Kids grow in an unexpected way, particularly when diverse individuals, spots, and things encompass them. A key part to how a youngster creates is through sexual orientation. Young ladies are given sure qualities and standards that they should live by so as to be a "young lady”. Emily Coyle and Lynn Liben led an investigation on preschool age young ladies and the GST, sex composition hypothesis.