Blog
Week 4: Case Study Assignment
Rosa was a 78-year-old woman who lived alone in a large city. She had been widowed for 10 years. Her children were grown, and all were successful. She was very proud of them because she and her husband had immigrated to the United States when the children were small and had worked very hard to establish and maintain a home. She had only a few years of primary education and still clung to many offer “old country” ways. She spoke a mixture of English and her native language, and her children were somewhat embarrassed by her. They thought she was somewhat of a hypochondriac because she constantly complained to them about various aches and pains, her knees that “gave out,” her “sugar” and “water” problems, and her heart palpitations. She had been diagnosed with mild diabetes and heart failure. She was a devout Catholic and attended mass each morning. Her treks to church events, to the senior center at church, and to her various physicians (internist; orthopedic, cardiac, and ophthalmic specialists) constituted her social life. One day the recreation director at the senior center noticed her pulling a paper bag of medication bottles from her purse. She sat down to talk with Rosa about them and soon realized that Rosa had only a vague idea of what most of them were for and tended to take them whenever she felt she needed them.
In your own words, answer the questions below. You will submit a 1-2 page word document by Friday at 11:59PM. If you use any references, you must cite them.
List three factors about Rosa’s probable medication misuse that are the most alarming to you?
Develop three nursing diagnoses appropriate to this nursing study (Nursing diagnoses must be stated in concrete and measurable terms) and list 2 or 3 nursing intervention to address each diagnosed problem.