An elderly patient is scheduled to take six medications each morning. What should the nurse know to do when administering these medications?
a. Allow extra time to administer all of the medications.
b. Allow the patient to take only the medications she can swallow.
c. Crush all of the medications before giving them.
d. Leave the medication at the bedside so the patient can take them slowly.
ANS: A
Allow extra time to administer medication to the elderly. These individuals often are slower at swallowing medications and water. The nurse must be present for the administration of every medication.
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