Please respond to each post with a thought-provoking question and a reference to each post.
POST 1 VICTORIA
As the caregiver of my patient with multiple sclerosis, I have developed the nursing diagnosis: Caregiver role strain as evidenced by the caregiver’s reports of feeling overwhelmed related to the client’s increased need for care.
My SMART outcome for the caregiver is:
The caregiver will identify one person or resource to assist with at least one aspect of the client’s care at the next visit in 1 week.
Multiple sclerosis also referred to as MS is chronic, progressive disease affecting the myelin sheath. By damaging the myelin coating around nerves the impulses are interrupted causing impaired muscle and cognitive function. (Althoff et al, 2023) A client with MS can have difficulties with ADLs, walking, speech and memory loss causing the client to require extensive care.
Providing ongoing care for a loved one can cause stress on the caregiver. This increased stress can negatively impact the caregiver’s mental and physical health. The caregiver my experience a decrease in social activities and ignore their own health causing a decrease in quality of life. As the health of the caregiver decreases so does the care that is provided. (Liu et al, 2020)
It is important to recognize caregiver role strain both for the health of the caregiver and the client. Encouraging the caregiver to discuss feelings of being overwhelmed, social isolation and stress can help the caregiver feel as though they are not alone. The nurse can not only help the caregiver identify role strain but assist in finding resources, developing a support network and developing a plan for self care. (Mayo, 2024)
POST 2 STEVE
PES – Acute alterations in mental status as evidenced by decrease in consciousness and inappropriate response to stimuli.
A caregiver for a patient suffering from Epilepsy must be concerned with several complications as a result of the disorder. Epilepsy is a condition in which a patient has an acute onset of an altered level of consciousness that may also be accompanied by muscle twitching or jerking (Mayo Clinic, 2023). This sudden change can be very dangerous to the patient and will require the caregiver to pay close attention to their behavior. These patients are prone to falls, can cause car accidents, and are even at greater risk for drowning (Mayo Clinic, 2023). The caregiver must take precautions for patients with known seizures to prevent them from falling and causing additional trauma (Mayo Clinic, 2023). This may include assisting them when ambulating around, placing a tray table across them when sitting in a chair, and keeping the bed at the lowest level with the side rails raised. The patient can help control the frequency of seizures by identifying their triggers and also maintaining a proper medication regiment (Mayo Clinic, 2023).
A SMART outcome for this patient could be – The patient will demonstrate proper medication adherence by keeping a daily log for one month to be reviewed with their provider on the next office visit.
