Exam 7: Managing Basic Physiological Needs

A 78-year-old client in your home care agency has a history of congestive heart failure and arthritis.She lives alone in a two-story home; the bathroom is on the first level,and her bedroom is on the second level.She reports that she has something "very upsetting" to tell you,and reports that she has been wetting the bed at night.What type of incontinence does she most likely have?

It is 3:00 AM.You are the night shift charge nurse on the east wing of a hospital.You are busy verifying that yesterday's orders were correctly transcribed when an elderly female patient who has ambulated to the desk calls your name.She seems upset when she says,"I can't sleep.I haven't gotten more than two consecutive hours' sleep since I was admitted the other day." Your response is:

An older adult has Alzheimer's disease.His wife says he gets up at night and wanders around the house.What suggestion given by the nurse would be most appropriate?

In implementing your nursing care plan for your client with constipation,what will you include in your plan?

Older adults with sleep apnea:

What client statement might encourage you to add the nursing diagnosis of constipation to the client's care plan?

In evaluating interventions for your client's problem of constipation,what best indicates progress toward resolution of the problem?

A 77-year-old woman reports that she has difficulty sleeping.The nurse asks her for a history of her sleep problems.What instruction should the nurse include in suggestions to improve her sleep?

When beginning an exercise program,an elderly client should first be assessed.What is important to include in the initial assessment for older adults of all ages?

You are a nurse on the Acute Care for the Elderly unit in a large academic medical center.One of the performance improvement projects of your unit is to implement a protocol to decrease the use of indwelling urinary catheters.The major reason for the choice of this project is that: