A nurse is caring for an elderly patient who was in a motor vehicle accident because he thought the stop light was green. The patient asks the nurse if he should no longer drive. Which response by the nurse is most therapeutic?
a. "Yes, you should stop driving. As you age, your cognitive function declines, and becoming confused puts everyone else on the road at risk."
b. "Yes, you should ask family members to drive you around from now on. Your reflex skills have declined so much you can't avoid an accident."
c. "No, as you age, you lose the ability to see colors. You need to think about stoplights in a new way. If the top is illuminated, it means stop, and if the bottom is illuminated, it means go."
d. "No, instead you should see your ophthalmologist and get some glasses to help you see better."
C
Part of the normal aging process is an inability to see colors. Much as with a younger adult who is color blind, the nurse should teach the patient new ways to adapt to his deficit. This patient's accident was not due to impaired cognitive function or reflexes. Glasses will not assist the patient in color discrimination.
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