Hypertension, Asthma, and Arthritis Client, Essay Example

My placement was at Seniors Home Care and I worked in attending an elderly woman, 87, suffering from hypertension, asthma, and arthritis. It was a difficult task because it was my first encounter with a person suffering from multiple problems. The patient had three children; two sons and a daughter. I received help from nurses at the home care and the children of the old woman. The husband of the woman died 56 years ago and thus the children are the close members who offer help to the patient. Social workers came in occasionally when their need was indispensable.

The whole program still comes vivid to my mind, as it was full of many challenges. Hypertension is an extremely serious condition that needs close attention and quick action whenever it strikes. At some instance, the patient was hospitalized because of bleeding more than 15 minutes. Her blood pressure was so high that it led to nose bleeding. Challenge was also in her condition of asthma. Hypertension requires exercise, but it was difficult exercising for the patient as she had breathing difficulty because of asthma. I had to observe the room of the patient constantly to ensure that it was not dusty. I asked her daughter who offered most of the needed help to ensure that the room was clean always. She cooperated, and the woman improved.

I can say that the experience had both positives and negatives. Communicating with an elderly woman needed patience and perseverance. The woman was a smoker, and we had to rely on counseling and help her to abandon smoking, which was a recipe for hypertension and asthma. The positive part of this undertaking was in the experience I gained. I involved the family; two sons and the daughter, in establishing medical history of the client. I was able to develop solutions for the challenges I faced and thus, I feel experienced in handling a client with multiple problems such as the case of this elderly woman.

The program was concerned with the incontinence of the patient where she could not control urination while sneezing. The aim was to help the patient cope improve and cope with the problem of incontinence. I established that the condition that of stress incontinence. I prescribed reduction of fluid intake and a bit of kegel exercises, which helped to strengthen the patient’s pelvic floor. The patient had to wear absorbent pads to help in preventing any leakage. We concentrated on therapeutic needs, physical needs, promoting communication, helping in personal hygiene and discouraging smoking. I administered analgesics for arthritis, which helped the patient feel strong enough to cope with half hour exercises five days a week. I administered the treatment well and ensured that other interventions took place according to the treatment plan. However, I did not consider the spiritual needs and recreational needs of the old woman at times, which made recovery a slow process. The treatment was a success in the end because the woman improved immensely. She was able to abandon smoking, her incontinence ceased, and the hypertension, asthma, and arthritis conditions, improved.

Although hypertension and asthma are difficult conditions to deal with at ago, I learned the importance of nursing care for a patient suffering from multiple diseases. I have learned that conditions involving multiple problems need a holistic approach in progression to avoid adding problems to clients.

Since I hope to meet such a patient again, I will ensure that my goals will help bring down high blood pressure, improve breeding and make him, or her able to exercise as this helps in managing high blood pressure, which is the most serious. I will ensure that I involve the family of the patient fully in discussions and plan for recovery for the patient.