You are a nurse meeting for the first time with a stage 3 Alzheimer's patient who is newly referred to your home health agency
Which assessment data about the patient and caregiver(s) would be most important to acquire during your first visit to the family's home? a. Is the house design such that patient access to exits and stairways can be restricted?
b. Does the family understand that the disease is likely to prove fatal within 3 to 5 years?
c. What resources is the patient's family able to access in their particular community?
d. What activities or memories are most comforting and calming for the patient?
A
Wandering, impulsivity, and impaired judgment are significant issues in stage 3 Alzheimer's disease. Unrestricted access to exits and stairways would permit elopement or present a significant fall risk, respectively, and of the assessment choices here, should be the assessment priority because they so directly affect the patient's safety. The other choices are not essential to cover during the initial assessment.
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