After discussing advance directives during a home visit, an older adult client decides to prepare documents for future care needs. Which actions by the nurse are appropriate in this situation?

Question

Select all that apply.
A) Telling the client that changes to the advance directive can be made at any time
B) Telling the client it is not necessary to make decisions about health care needs in the future
C) Giving a copy of the advance directives to the client's adult children
D) Educating the client about the purpose and types of life-sustaining measures
E) Having the client name an individual to be responsible for care decisions

Answer 1

Answer: A, C, D

The nurse should explain that if a decision is made on an advance directive, the decision can be changed. Clients should be instructed to provide a copy of their advance directives to their next of kin. The nurse needs to assess whether the client has an accurate understanding of life-sustaining measures and provide teaching on these measures if necessary. An advance directive does not mean that the client does not need to make any future decisions about health care. An individual to be responsible for care decisions is a durable power of attorney for health care and may or may not be included when creating an advance directive.