. A home health nurse meets with the family of a 90-year-old woman who is living independently but needs help to remain at home. The family is arguing about who is going to provide that care or who will pay for it

Question

The nurse's plan of care should focus on:
A) Accessing who is going to be involved in the care of the patient so that assignments can be given
B) Allowing the patient to negotiate the situation with her family to create trust and understanding
C) Providing family access to a professional problem-solver, such as an attorney to provide legal advice to the woman
D) Accessing and facilitating family member communication and design interventions that focus on coping behaviors

Answer 1

Ans: D
Feedback: The plan of care needs to assess family functioning to determine how the particular family will cope with the woman's changing health and increased family responsibilities. If the family is chaotic or disorganized, promoting coping behaviors becomes a priority in the plan of care. Option A, accessing who is going to be involved in the care of the patient, is a good start but "giving assignments" is inappropriate. Option B is incorrect; the nurse should always work as agent for the patient to help to facilitate a plan of care, especially when the family is not coping well. Option C is incorrect; the professional problem-solver in this case needs to be the nurse.