The family of an older adult brings the patient to the healthcare provider because the patient seems to be confused or depressed at times. What approach by the nurse can best obtain valuable information about the underlying problem?
a. Talk to the patient in a normal voice while standing away from him or her.
b. Whisper questions to the patient to deter-mine if the questions can be understood.
c. Ask the family to explain the activity pat-terns of the patient.
d. Ask the family for a list of what the pa-tient usually eats.
A
The nurse can determine if the patient has a hearing impairment by standing a distance from him or her and speaking in a normal tone of voice. Hearing loss can cause the patient to be depressed or seem to be confused. The focus of the assessment needs to be on the patient, not the family. Whispering is inappropriate because this is not a level at which communication usually occurs. The patient's activity level can be affected by many things other than hearing. The dietary pattern of the patient is not important at this time.
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