Medical Evaluation: 82-Year-Old Patient With Depression Case Study

Introduction

According to Roper-Logan and Tierney’s nursing model, the assessment procedures and diagnostic measures are dependent on the patient’s physical, mental and psychological factors. For instance, Roper et al. (2008) argue that patients’ lifetime activities and health will be largely influenced by the prevailing physical, socio-cultural, environmental, psychological, economic and political factors. Thereby, recommending that medical assessment should be specific and holistic in nature as described in the case study below.

Assessment

The consultation revealed that my patient, Mrs. Annie Jones (82 years old), stayed alone in an old Victorian house. Further consultations indicated that Mrs. Jones had collapsed the previous night while she attempted to visit her lavatory. This even worsened off when her nephew admitted to having picked her up on her way to work and that she might have slept on her chilly floor the entire night. Her extreme level of weakness unfolded when the patient admitted that she lacked the strength to stand on her feet and to head back to her sleeping bed on a disastrous night. Mrs. Jones appeared to have lost her memory, her body temperature fell to 35⁰C and she appeared to be very anxious.

Diagnosis

After a comprehensive examination of the symptoms portrayed by Mrs. Jones above, it was in order to diagnose that she was suffering from depression which is actually a poor mental state where the mind feels unhappy. Mrs. Jones stood high chances of succumbing to this condition as she was very old and had been left to stay in solitude. She also portrayed typical diagnostic symptoms of stress and depression since; she grew too weak to even sustain her emaciated body weight!

Mrs. Jones’ emaciated body, deteriorated diet; occasional incontinence, slight sensory organs impairment and constipation spoke volumes on the magnitude of her depression. However, it is worth noting that some signs, for instance, low temperature and red areas visible in her sacrum could be secondary signs obtained as a result of her recurring sleep on the cold floor and the impacts of her repeated falls respectively since they are not directly associated with depression.

Nursing Interventions

According to Roper et al. (2008), there are 12 basic fundamentals of upholding a healthy lifestyle namely: One, maintaining a safe environment, i.e. to eliminate depression pre-disposing factors for example at an old age of 82, Mrs. Jones should not live in solitude. Two, communication, this could have played a major role in allowing her to disclose her major problems at their early stages. Three, personal cleansing and dressing, with a personal aid Mrs. Jones might have prevented the fall. Four, controlling body temperature since Mrs. Jones’ body temperature was very low, she was required to be either transferred to a smaller house or to be regularly kept warm by the installation of air conditioners and fans to boost her body temperature and breathing especially during the cold nights and many more.

Summary

Since the therapeutic treatment for depression is unique to each and every individual, it is advisable for Mrs. Jones to be medically treated by designing mechanisms to enable her to join an exercise referral scheme, increase her diet and optimum meals consumption, avoid drugs and alcoholism and manage her anxiety. These could be achieved by advising her to undergo cognitive therapy, psychological counselling and administration of proper medicines and tranquilizers.

Reference

Roper, N., Logan, W. & Tierney, A. (2008) The Roper-Logan-Tierney Model of Nursing Based on Activities of Living. Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone.