A crucial part of the nursing care plan, a change in the lifestyle of most of the family members must be made so that further improvements could be observed. One of the most important issues to focus on, the so-called “pitting,” or cutaneous, edema that Mother B has, must be tended to in a proper manner. It is necessary that the edema should not progress until it turns into generalized. In other words, it is crucial that the key reasons for the disease development should be defined. Apart from the nutrition issues, which will be analyzed below, a range of changes of the Mother B’s lifestyle must be made. First and most obvious, it will be highly recommended that the sedentary lifestyle should be substituted with a more active one. In other words, it is recommended that Mother B should take regular daily walks (Atkin, 2013).
Seeing how the aforementioned pitting edema is usually accompanied by varicose veins, it will be necessary to carry out a therapy, which will provide either treatment of the condition, in case Mother B has the aforementioned disease, or an efficient prevention of the problem, if Mother B has not developed the given problem yet. To address the problem of varicose veins, it will be required to use compression stockings. Naturally, surgery seems to be the best choice possible in the given situation, seeing how it will help get rid of the problem for a considerable time; however, taking Mother B’s age into account, one must admit that the procedure may have a very negative effect on her heart and, therefore, cause even more health concerns. Mr. B, who is diagnosed with diabetes, should adopt a less sedentary lifestyle as well (Biddle, Davies, Khunti, & Yates, 2012).
Suggested dietary modifications
As the official data states, the key to the problems of the family that has been monitored concerns rather poor nutrition; particularly, extremely high rates of fats and sucrose. It is essential to keep in mind that some of the diseases have been considered as hereditary; for instance, the fact that one of the family members has diabetes can be explained by the hereditary predisposition of the patient. Herein lies the key to defining the nutrition features for not only the specified family member, but also for the Mother B and Mrs. B. Indeed, seeing how the son has developed diabetes, it is suggested that the mother is under a considerable threat of developing the specified disease in the future as well. Hence, it is required that the nutrition strategy adopted in the family should be shifted towards reducing the number of fats assumed on a daily basis, as well as the consumption of sucrose. However, low sugar levels in blood may also trigger drastic consequences in Mr. B’s health; therefore, it is important that Mr. B.’s daily intake of food should not be lower than the one of his medicine. Otherwise, a rapid drop of blood sugar and the following health problems will ensue. Finally, in the light of the fact that Philippino people, whom the mother of the family belongs to are predisposed to increased rates of sodium, it will be necessary to restrict the daily intake of salt and the products that contain it (Amadora-Nolasco, 2008; Tejero & Fowler, 2012).
Finally, the fact that Mother B’s pitting edema has most likely been caused by increased consumption of water suggests that the aforementioned element of her daily meals intake should be reduced to 1.5 – 2 liters. While cutting down the consumption of liquid and specifically water is quite dangerous and may lead to body dehydration, the overconsumption of liquid, in its turn, will trigger a rapid progress of the disease. The results may be drastic; therefore, the amount o water consumed on a daily basis must be must be cut to the minimum (1.5–2 liters). Instead, the food that contains large amounts of fluid, e.g., soups, juice, fruits, etc. must be included into the menu.
Summarizing the diet mentioned above, it will be reasonable to suggest that the family should follow the principles of a balanced diet and reduce the amounts of sugar, fats and water consumed (Biddle, Davies, Khunti, & Yates, 2012).
Medical screening needs
For the family in question to maintain stable high health status, it will be required to conduct regular medical screening. Though the introduction of a balanced diet is clearly the first and the most important step towards improving the current situation, regular checks will also need to be carried out in order to spot the possible instances of recidivism and prevent them at the earliest stage of their development (Atkin, 2013).
Complementary therapies and education tools
Apart from making the aforementioned change and taking regular health checks, the members of the family under discussion will need to undergo several complementary therapies. First and most obvious, the pitting edema, which has developed in the Mother B’s ankles and legs, needs to be addressed. In addition, as far as Mr. B’s diabetes is concerned, it will be necessary to visit doctor for regular blood sugar rate checks. For the family to be aware of the health issues that they have to deal with and the threats that they face, regular consultations with the general practitioner will be required (Biddle, Davies, Khunti, & Yates, 2012).
Reference List
Amadora-Nolasco, F. (2008). Women’s health challenges in a low-income Philippine urban neighborhood. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 10(2), 92.
Atkin, S. (2013). Bilateral pitting oedema with multiple aetiologies. Australian Journal of Herbal Medicine, 25(2), 79–82.
Biddle, S. J. H., Davies, M., Khunti, K., & Yates, T. (2012). Standing up to diabetes: sedentary behavior matters. Encyclopedia of Women in Today’s World, 1, 385–387.
Tejero, K. & Fowler, C. (2012). Migration of women from the Philippines: implications for healthcare delivery. International Journal of Social Economics, 23(8), 46–75.