What instructions should be given to E.B.'s daughter concerning safety around the home?
What will be an ideal response?
• A predischarge home safety evaluation will need to be done. If a home health agency is needed
for E.B., personnel will look for dangerous situations that might promote falls such as throw rugs,
small pets, places where uneven surfaces come together, and holes in carpets or linoleum. Are the
doorways wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair? If no home care is ordered or needed, E.B.
and his daughter will need to be alert to the dangers.
• He will need adaptive equipment in his home or apartment: elevated toilet seat, shower seat,
hand-held showerhead, grab bars in the bathroom, and a ramp into the home.
• He will require medication teaching: names of medications, proper dose, how often to take, when
to take (before or after meals), why they are taken, special precautions, when to call the physician.
• Treatments and dressing changes: Family members need to be taught how to use any equipment
and change dressings before he leaves the hospital, where to get supplies, and how to dispose of
soiled dressings.
• A referral for home health services might be needed. Ensure that the family has educational
materials and a list of community resources available to help with information and emotional
support for the daughter and E.B.
• Make certain the shoe he is wearing fits well and does not have a loose or torn sole. Watch for wear
on the shoe, and replace it as needed.
• Because of the loss of weight on one side of E.B.'s body, he will lose his balance easily at first. Assist
him as much as needed to maintain balance, especially on stairs.
• He should use only a wheelchair designed for amputees, because the loss of weight in front might
cause a regular wheelchair to tip backward.
You might also like to view...
On the Celsius scale, water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C. In addition, body temperature is
98.6°C. Indicate whether the statement is true or false
When providing tertiary prevention, the nurse should include:
a. Education b. Prevention c. Referral d. Detection
For which diagnosis would the nurse administer a sulfonamide?
a. Prostatitis b. Pyelonephritis c. Urinary tract infection d. Conjunctivitis
Which of the following activities would be grounds for a client to bring a malpractice suit against a nurse? The situation in which the nurse:
1. Seduces the client to have sexual relations 2. Tells the client he will be secluded if he refuses medications 3. Permits the client to refuse lithium and the client's condition worsens 4. Places the client on suicide precautions over the client's objection