A 70-year-old tells a nurse, "I am worried that I'm losing my mind, I have difficulty remembering names as well as I used to, and I missed two health care appointments in the past month because I forgot about them."

Question

The nurse initiates a memory training program, although the nurse has been unable to identify any risk factors that might affect the older adult's cognitive abilities. Which of the following questions is the best approach to evaluating the effectiveness of the memory training program?

A) "Have you seen an improvement in your memory?"
B) "Are you less worried about your memory now?"
C) "How have the memory training techniques helped you?"
D) "Are you using the memory training techniques now?"

Answer 1

Ans: C
The question, "How have the memory training techniques helped you?," allows the older adult to tell the nurse how memory training has helped and is more open-ended than the other options. It also communicates positive expectations. The question helps identify the techniques that are most effective for the individual.