As the nurse plans to instruct a chronically ill older adult about the changes needed to maintain his health, what statement is most appropriate to consider in establishing goals for behavior change?

Question

a. Management of the client's chronic disease rests on the client and caregiver; goals should be set in collaboration.
b. The client will be able to make needed changes in his life if the nurse provides accurate written instructions.
c. Psychological functioning is usually impaired only to a small extent in a client with chronic illness.
d. The client's values, culture, and beliefs have little to do with the types of changes he will be able to make.

Answer 1

ANS: A
The shape and stability of the illness trajectory is influenced by the combined effort, atti-tudes, and beliefs held by the older adult, family, significant others, and health care provid-ers. It is a shared process and all goals need to be set in collaboration. Written instructions alone do not ensure that the client will be able to make the needed changes. Chronic disease impacts physiological functioning greatly. Values, culture, and beliefs greatly impact whether or not the client will make changes and how the changes will be made.