Scenario: Abuse
Mr. CO is a 75, year old male. He was admitted to your unit with Pulmonary Fibrosis. As you are walking towards his room to administer medications you hear his son say to him in a nasty tone of voice: “Stop being so stubborn. I need you to give me access to your bank accounts. You’re going to die alone unless you start cooperating”. As you enter he room, the son leaves quickly and you notice the patient has tears in his eyes. You ask “Is everything okay?” Mr. CO shakes his head yes, but remains nonverbal and does not make eye contact. You administer his medications and leave the room.
•What types of elder abuse did you notice in the scenario? (give examples and explain) •What signs, (in the scenario) if any suggest that the nurse should ask some follow up questions? •As a nurse in this scenario what is your next action? •How can older adults protect themselves from ever becoming victims of abuse or mistreatment?
· Your response should be 70+ words
· Read the scenario and the post below, then respond to the post
· Response should ask for clarification or describe a situation that illustrates the points being made. Simply agree or disagree and state why you agree or disagree
In this scenario Mr. CO is experiencing financial and emotional abuse through domestic mistreatment by his son. Mr. CO is experiencing financial abuse as his son is demanding access to his father’s bank account. Financial abuse can be described when one take’s advantage of an elderly for their money and/or benefit. Mr. CO is experiencing emotional abuse due to the comments made by his son. His son stated, “Stop being so stubborn,” and, “You’re going to die alone unless you start cooperating,” causing Mr. CO to tear up. Comments like these can be emotionally harming, the tone and choice of words used could make the victim feel embarrassed, threatened, or guilty. Emotional abuse is when one uses another person’s emotions to manipulate them.
When the nurse asked Mr. CO if he was okay and he had no eye contact or didn’t speak, but said yes, the nurse should know something is bothering the patient. After hearing the way the patient’s son spoke to him, I would offer to sit in the room and ask, “How is your day?,” or, “Has there been something on your mind that you’d like to talk about?”. If my patient doesn’t want to speak I’d just sit with him to keep him company, if that’s alright with them. If my patient wants to talk, especially about the abuse, I would ask follow-up questions such as, “Is there anything else your son does or says that upsets you?,” or, “How long has this type of behavior from your son begun to occur?”. Based on my patient’s responses I would gear my questions relating to his answers. I would continue to follow-up and ask if there was anything I could do to help protect Mr. CO, such as obtaining resources, getting help, reporting a case, or setting up an advanced medical directive, living will, or to assign a general power of attorney.
A way older adult can protect themselves from being victims of abuse or maltreatment is to report their concerns and any physical evidence. Also, since elder abuse suspects have mainly been close relatives the older adults can set up a living will or an advanced medical directive beforehand to ensure their wishes regarding medical treatment are met.
Movie Review (Bucket List) • Give a summary of the movie • How was the older person and aging portrayed? • Would you want the life that the movie projected of the older adult? • What were your overall feelings after watching the movie?
Movies: • Group 1: The Notebook • Group 2: The Bucket List • Group 3: UP • Group 4: The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons • Group 5: The Intern
· Your response should be 70+ words
· Read the scenario and the post below, then respond to the post
· Response should ask for clarification or describe a situation that illustrates the points being made. Simply agree or disagree and state why you agree or disagree
The Bucket List is the story of two older adult cancer patients who were at crossroads in their lives. One is corporate billionaire, Edward Cole, played by Jack Nicholson and the other is working class mechanic, Carter Chambers, played by Morgan Freeman. They share a hospital room and discover they share a desire to spend the time they have left doing everything they ever wanted to do before they “kick the bucket” and an unrealized need to come to terms with who they are. Together they embark on the road trip of a lifetime, becoming friends along the way and learning to live life to the fullest. Each adventure adds another check to their list, all done with insight and humor.
They were portrayed has having come to terms to with who they are and the reality of their situation and chose to live out their dreams and garner as much happiness from the time they have left. They are depicted as going against the stereotypes of aging that is present in our society today. The movie shows that a person is never too old to do what makes them happy in life.
My overall feelings are that I should live everyday like it’s my last regardless of what people think. Why do we wait until something tragic happens in our lives or till we come to the end of our lives before we realize we haven’t actually done the things that make us happy but have been focused on things that get us through life? While reality makes it hard to live everyday like it’s your last, there has to be a better balance between getting through life and living everyday like it’s your last.
Directions: Musculoskeletal • A 72, year old man lived a fairly sedentary lifestyle as an accountant. Now that he is retired, he recognizes the need to be active to maintain his health as long as possible. He is concerned, however, that it is too late for him to start exercising because he has never engaged in such activities. What encouragement, if any can you give him? What suggestions can you make for an exercise program?
· Your response should be 70+ words
· Read the scenario and the post below, then respond to the post
· Response should ask for clarification or describe a situation that illustrates the points being made. Simply agree or disagree and state why you agree or disagree
Exercise is a medicine of its own when we think about. It’s never too late to engage in any physical activity regardless of the age bracket. Anybody can exercise as long as they follow the health guidelines, and know exact activities to engage in. According to health line, it stated that exercise has been shown to improve mood, decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. It also can increase your energy to carry on with daily activities. One older Study have shown that 6 weeks of regular exercise, reduced feelings of fatigue.
Since he has a sedentary lifestyle, is never too late to involve in any activities. Before he start to exercise i will encourage him to seek a physician recommendation on what type of exercise he should get involved, considering his lifestyle. It’s really important to get a physician involved because they have a history of your health, and it will benefit him in the long round. I will also suggest he start exercising in a slow pace, not high intensity activities.I will also advise him to take frequent walks, whether going for a stroll in the neighborhood, park or even going to the store. Also i will suggest they get involve in a low intense exercise 2 0r 3 times in a week,like doing yoga, dumbbell strength training, water aerobics. This exercise are easier on the body, and they are a great way to get the blood flowing while reducing the risk of injury.
Directions: End of Life • An 80, year old woman was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and weakness. She lives alone. Her children are supportive and help her around the house but do not live with her. Her husband of 51 years died within the last 6 months. She is grieving the loss, but she is relieved and feels guilty as he was an abusive spouse. How do you assist her in coping with her loss?
· Your response should be 70+ words
· Read the scenario and the post below, then respond to it
· Response should ask for clarification or describe a situation that illustrates the points being made. Simply agree or disagree and state why you agree or disagree
The death of a loved one is never easy to go through. No two people will grieve the same and there is no length of time for it. From personal experience, I still grieve the loss of my father 18 years ago. Grief is just one of those unexplained human emotions that has no real set path of beginning, middle, and end. We could grieve for a day, or we could grieve for years.
It has only been six months since he passed, so her grief is still pretty fresh. I think it is important to help guide her in understanding that all of her feelings are valid, every one of them. She is valid in her feelings of grief for the loss of her husband and partner of over half a century. But she is also valid in her feelings of relief as he was abusive.
As nurses, we could spend time with her and speak with her using therapeutic techniques and communication. Does she want to talk about her marriage or family? Is she a person who likes to trade stories as a way of talking out their feelings? Or would she just rather someone sit with her and hold her hand? She could be feeling alone with the loss of her husband and her children living their own lives. These are all things we could do to help her process her grief and also give her some companionship while she is in our care.
