An older adult client tells the nurse, "I am worried about how I will pay for my hospital bill." The client is being discharged, is being referred to home health care, and the new plan of care involves extremely expensive drugs
Which response by the nurse is appropriate?
A) "You need to focus on recovering and not worry about finances."
B) "I'll have someone from the business office come and set up your payment plan."
C) "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will work out okay."
D) "Much of your care will be covered by Medicare."
Answer: D
The Medicare amendments to the Social Security Act and their subsequent expansions provide a national and state health insurance program that includes extremely expensive hospital care and prescription drug coverage for adults over the age of 65. Ignoring the client's concerns by telling him not to worry is not therapeutic communication and does little, if anything, to confront the client's concerns. Passing the concern to the business office does not address the client's concerns. Nurses should have some knowledge about the payment sources of their clients, especially those who have automatic coverage with Medicare because of their age.
You might also like to view...
The nurse is interviewing a client whose chief complaint is abdominal pain. What information requested by the nurse is part of a focus assessment?
A) "Have you had any problems with your breathing lately?" B) "How long have you had this pain, and what does the pain feel like? Can you rate the pain on a scale of 0 to 10?" C) "Do you smoke? If so, how many packs per day do you smoke?" D) "Have you had any swelling in your feet or ankles?
A patient is being treated for a massive myocardial infarction. His wife has just arrived in the emergency department and grabs the nurse's arm demanding to know what is happening. Which initial nursing response is indicated?
1. "Your husband needs my full attention right now." 2. "Someone call security." 3. "Take your hands off me." 4. "Please go back to the waiting area."
The patient with a stage III pressure ulcer that will not heal is horrified about being hooked up to a unit providing voltage stimulus to the wound. The nurse explains that the electrical stimulation will:
a. sterilize the wound. b. increase blood vessel growth. c. cause the ulcer to close by scabbing. d. coagulate the drainage.
The ethical principle of _________________________ requires nurses to provide care for all clients, including clients who are HIV positive
Fill in the blank(s) with correct word