Case Study on Mrs. Brown

Older Adult Case Scenario

Mrs. Brown is a 75-year-old individual who is came to the health clinic for follow-up after she had a fall in her home and suffered some minor injuries to her wrist and bruising to her hip. Mrs. Brown also states that she has occasional memory loss and dizziness when she stands up. She was diagnosed with early Alzheimers Disease a year ago but is still able to perform all her activities of daily living (ADLs) independently. She is a widow and lives alone in an apartment. She has 2 adult children who live away with their own young families, but they are very supportive and visit her frequently as they live close by. Mrs. Brown tells the nurse that she is not ready to move into a long-term care (LTC) facility because she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and meeting up with her retired friends for tea. Moving into a LTC facility would require her to move further away from them.

1. Discuss the stage of psychosocial development that describes Mrs. Brown. Discuss whether she is successful in meeting this stage or not.

Drawing on Eriksons stages of psychosocial development, Mrs. Brown at age 75 years is in the final stage of integrity versus despair. This developmental stage involves reflecting back on ones life and either feeling fulfillment from a life well-lived (e.g., integrity) or regret over missed opportunities (e.g., despair). In this regard, Mrs. Brown demonstrates some integrity in recounting meaningful relationships with her children, grandchildren, and friends which contribute happiness to her life. Her ability to still live independently also provides Mrs. Brown with a valuable sense of life satisfaction. It is important to note, though, that Mrs. Browns early Alzheimers diagnosis and physical injuries represent losses that could understandably lead to despair over diminished capabilities compared to earlier times. Her reluctance to move into long-term care may indicate attempting to hold onto her autonomy.

Taken together, it is reasonable to suggest that Mrs. Brown is transitioning towards more despair but still demonstrates psychosocial strength in finding purpose through family relationships. Moreover, her support system plays a key role in promoting integrity by allowing her to retain a sense of connection and joy in daily life. With care and assistance tailored to her evolving needs, Mrs. Brown can hopefully achieve ego integrity despite physical and cognitive challenges arising. Her case represents the complex balance many elders navigate between finding acceptance and meaning versus functional decline and despair in advanced age.

2. What are the implications for...…al., 2022). Finally, even though her adult children live in geographic proximity, they will require learning skills such as care coordination to ensure Mrs. Browns well-being while living alone. Relevant and appropriate preparatory training will help ready them for their intensifying involvement in Mrs. Browns care (Snoun et al., 2022).

4. What type of nursing interventions would you implement for Mrs. Brown based on your identified health promotion topic?

Given the priority health promotion need is Alzheimers disease education and caregiving training, key nursing interventions for Mrs. Brown and her family should include referral to community-based dementia workshops, support groups and government resources on practical disease management techniques. This links them with specialized training and social connections. In addition, another nursing intervention should include private counseling sessions that are focused on adapting home environments, implementing cognitive stimulation, simplifying tasks, and fostering receptive communication to maintain Mrs. Browns ability to live independently as long as possible (Bachmann & Hruska, 2022). Finally, a useful nursing intervention should include providing Mrs. Browns adult children with appropriate print material concerning Alzheimers management and caregiver advice as well as providing them with hands-on caregiver skills such as supporting activities of daily living, providing supervision for safety, accessing respite services, and regulating healthcare and finances on Mrs. Browns behalf (Prez-Gonzlez et…