An older adult client takes medication three times a day and becomes confused about which medication should be taken at which time. The client refuses to use a pill sorter with slots for different times, saying "Those are for old people."
What action by the nurse would be most helpful?
a.
Arrange medications by time in a drawer.
b.
Encourage the client to use easy-open tops.
c.
Put color-coded stickers on the bottle caps.
d.
Write a list of when to take each medication.
ANS: C
Color-coded stickers are a fast, easy-to-remember system. One color is for morning meds, one for evening meds, and the third color is for nighttime meds. Arranging medications by time in a drawer might be helpful if the person doesn't accidentally put them back in the wrong spot. Easy-open tops are not related. Writing a list might be helpful, but not if it gets misplaced. With stickers on the medication bottles themselves, the reminder is always with the medication.
You might also like to view...
When the nurse is assessing a patient for urinary retention, which of the following questions should be included?
A) "Do you have dribbling urine?" B) "Are you following a fluid-restricted diet?" C) "Do you experience shortness of breath?" D) "Are you experiencing vertigo?"
The parent of a child profoundly affected by a gene alteration says, "I don't understand how something so small can cause such problems." How should the nurse respond?
1. "The effects depend on the environment in which the child is raised." 2. "Some children are affected even more than your child." 3. "The degree of effect depends on which gene is damaged and what kind of damage is done." 4. "We don't think about how we are potentially changing our genes when we expose ourselves to chemical substances."
The nurse takes into consideration that the patient with AIDS dementia complex (ADC) is at risk for injury due to:
a. manic behavior. b. numbness and muscle weakness. c. suicidal ideation. d. difficulty concentrating.
A nurse assesses an older adult for dietary habits. Which of the following statements by the client should the nurse identify as a positive dietary habit for cardiovascular functioning?
A) "I avoid meat, and eat nuts instead." B) "I don't eat vegetables." C) "I drink 4 glasses of wine a day." D) "I limit my salt to 3,500 grams per day."