Order Number |
8759532454 |
Type of Project |
ESSAY |
Writer Level |
PHD VERIFIED |
Format |
APA |
Academic Sources |
10 |
Page Count |
3-12 PAGES |
Anne McMillan is 80 years old and is terminally ill with metastatic breast cancer. She has been a widow for 5 years and has three daughters and two sons. All of her children are married with kids of their own, except one son who is handicapped and lives with Anne. Anne is too weak to care for herself and is moving in with her youngest daughter. Her daughter’s house is a colonial with all bedrooms upstairs. There is a first-floor bathroom.
During her first visit, the hospice nurse talks with Anne and her daughter and explains what hospice is all about. The nurse then admits Anne into the hospice program and begins her initial assessment. Anne’s primary physical complaints are back pain and constipation. She is still eating and drinking regularly.
The nurse immediately recognizes that Anne will need a hospital bed. Anne already has a walker, but the nurse informed Anne and her daughter that they could have a bedside commode if needed in the future as Anne becomes weaker. Anne’s biggest concern is her handicapped son, saying, “He can’t be by himself for long and I don’t know where he can go now that I can’t take care of him.” Except for the handicapped son, all of her children and many of her grandchildren are active in her care.
Assessment
On her initial visit, the hospice nurse collects the following data about Anne, her family, and her community. In this case, the community consists of Anne’s social support outside of her family, such as her neighborhood and church.
Diagnosis
Individual
Family
Community
Planning
Individual
Long-Term Goals
Short-Term Goals
Family
Long-Term Goals
Short-Term Goal
Community
Long-Term Goal
Short-Term Goal
Intervention
Individual
After talking with the doctor, the hospice nurse starts Anne on methadone 20 mg daily and Roxanol 5 mg as needed for breakthrough pain. The nurse explains to Anne and her daughter that she is constipated because of her decrease in mobility. The nurse obtains an order for a stool softener and instructs Anne to take it twice daily. The nurse also explains to Anne and her daughter that, as Anne declines, her appetite will decrease and she will eat less and less and may not have bowel movements very frequently. Anne should let the nurse know if she ever feels uncomfortable because she has not had a bowel movement in a few days. The nurse talks to the social worker, who finds a group home for Anne’s handicapped son.
Family
The nurse and social worker talk with the family and help them develop a system so that Anne always has someone with her and to help ensure that all of the responsibility for Anne’s care does not fall on one person. They also inform the family about resources to support them.
Community
Anne has a nurse, social worker, spiritual counselor, and nurse assistant assigned to her care. Each of these hospice workers helps Anne discuss her feelings about her situation and works with her to continue to receive support from her friends and neighbors.
Evaluation
Individual
All of Anne’s goals are met, because she has good pain control until she dies, she no longer experiences discomfort and problems with constipation, and she expresses less anxiety and worry about her handicapped son. Although she still has some concerns, she feels much better about the situation.
Family
The family’s goals are met, because they remain active in Anne’s care until she dies. In addition, they use hospice resources appropriately and as necessary, and they support one another through the entire process.
Community
The goals are met, because Anne expresses her feelings about her situation, and her closest friends remain supportive to Anne through visits and phone calls.
Levels of Prevention
In this case, the three levels of prevention focus on helping the client and family through all phases of hospice care from admission until death. Some examples are as follows.
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary