Alterations in Pulmonary and Kidney Function: Case Study

Introduction

Alterations in pulmonary and kidney functions are associated with various other medical problems. Patients suffering from such related disorders are always obliged to have regular health checkups from their medical practitioners because they are required to stay on specific prescribed medication. Additionally, apart from body illnesses, these patients suffer from other psychosocial, physiological and other problems related to their living status. Ms. Sallie Fisher Mae is patient who has had a history of some of the most critical illnesses such as CHF, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension. Moreover, she has other lifestyle problems that limit her chances of living a healthy and less painful life. Some of the issues that affect and worsen Ms. Fisher's health condition day after the other include the following:

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• Old age
• Isolation
• Lack of appetite or poor nutrition
• Exposure to unhealthy environmental conditions and ignorance

Old Age

According to her health history, Sallie Mae is of 82 years old. Older adults are vulnerable to suffer from different illnesses because of the weakened immune system. Hence, the age is one of the lifestyle problems that significantly influence the deterioration of her health since her body cells are weak to fight the pathogens attacking her various body organs such as heart and lungs sufficiently.

Isolation

From the video "Home Visit" and her health history, it is evident that Ms. Fisher is an isolated elderly and sick woman. First, she lives alone since her husband passed away sometimes back. Second, her only daughter is most of the time committed to her work and family and has less or no time for her ailing mother. Thus, it becomes difficult for Sallie to take care of herself sufficiently and appropriately of which is necessary for someone like her and this further affects her health since she lacks vital psychosocial needs essential for recovery.

Poor Nutrition

It is evident from the conversation between Sallie and the health expertise, Kay, and Christina, that her diet is poor and inappropriate for an ailing person. When asked by Kay whether she has been eating, she says that does not have an appetite and the best she does is to drink a cup of soup. She even admits that she does not care about how she lives since her husband died. It is recommended that elderly or ailing people should always prioritize their diet because that is the time the body needs the food most. Sallie does not appreciate this fact, and it is dangerous to her health.

Unhealthy Environment and Ignorance

As she briefs Kay and Christina about Woody, her husband, Sallie says that he could not quit cigarettes. According to health professionals, smoking is one of the primary causes of lungs disorders and other fatal body complications. Thus, this can be one of the roots of the numerous apparent illnesses including bilateral lungs. Moreover, when asked about the oxygen, she says that it was of no use to her indicating that she is ignorant about some critical aspects of life.

Interventions

The nurse or medical interventions are essential considering the above problems associated with Sallie's lifestyle. Some of the interventions include the following.

Regular Visits

It includes appointing a nurse who can regularly visit Sallie at her house at least four times in a week and if possible giving the responsibility to the same practitioner. The nurse can even prepare food and encourage her to eat by explaining why it is important to maintain her diet considering her health conditions (Beswick, 2008).

Education Programs

An experienced medical officer can be tasked with conducting scheduled educational sessions with the client. The programs can be done at her house most of the time, but some should be taken outside to a different place (Czaja, 2009). The sessions will involve the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how achieve it.

Frequent Medical Check-Ups

Sallie should be given numerous appointments to conduct medical check-ups on her including physical and X-ray tests. They should always be undertaken within the health facilities. The check-ups will involve testing the body's response to medication and the apparent pathogens or sicknesses present. (Krogsboll, 2011).

Regular Visits so Social Places

The nurse(s) tasked with the duty of visiting Sallie at her home should be instructed to utilize some of these occasions to take her to various social places particularly where there are many children and seniors (Gardner, 2011). It involves taking and leaving her with experienced caregivers for the seniors most probably for the entire day to avoid inconveniencing the nurse with her duties at the hospital.

Rationales for the Interventions

First, scholars suggest that visiting senior people who are ailing have significant positive implications on their health and their recovery process. By visiting, it makes them feel important, and this enhances their will to live encouraging them to fight whatever they are suffering from (Beswick, 2008). Correspondingly, by having someone to talk to and interact with considering that her daughter is unable to look after her, Sallie will feel motivated, and she can probably stop ignoring how she lives. The visits will include encouraging her to eat, and this will be a significant step forward in her recovery process. Moreover, it will make her feel comfortable and at peace knowing that there are people who care about her and this is an essential aspect to overcome conditions such as hypertension, bradycardia or hypotension.

Second, Sallie is vulnerable to many illnesses considering her health history and the apparent lifestyle; thus, regular medical check-ups are vital aspects to her. Through them, the doctor will be able to detect any health risk that requires urgent attention and will be in a position to provide her with the necessary advice or treatment (Krogsboll, 2011). Also, she is likely to have a lot of stress because of the isolated life she is living, and the check-ups will be of significance in providing the medical officer with the relevant information to diagnose and give her the right remedy in case of issues related to mental and emotional aspects. Hence, the check-ups are essential in preventing and overcoming specific critical medical problems such as blood pressure and pulse rate disorders.

Third, providing Sallie with reliable and appropriate information will enable her to manage her health and living conditions. It will encourage her to appreciate recommendations and warnings about her health and the manner in which she should take care of herself such as maintaining a healthy environment and nutrition (Czaja, 2009). She will be able to understand the importance of taking precautions such as obeying the doctor's orders. Additionally, the education programs are critical since they help in relieving stress implying that Ms. Fisher will have little to think about her solitary life and this is an essential aspect in fighting back the sicknesses. Hence, utilizing the programs as medical interventions are significant in giving her a happier and healthier late life.

Last, social support has been approved to have significant positive implications for the health and well-being of older people. The life of Sallie can be impacted substantially by taking part in the various activities at the senior citizens' centers such as musical entertainments, group discussions and singing among others. She can have the company she lacks by staying alone at home and also she will be in a position to share her experience with other people her age of which will help relieve stress and appreciate she deserves happiness (Gardner, 2011). Moreover, the local outings will shift her mind away from tormenting aspects such as the death of her husband and her sickness, and this will keep her body active to fight the diseases.

Conclusion

In conclusion, despite having a history of chronic illnesses, Sallie does not contribute enough to counter the miserableness in her life. She allows other issues to add adversely to her torments. However, with her cooperation and interventions from the medical practitioners, things can be different and can have a healthier and happier life that it is now. Hence, she is supposed to play along and allow others to assist her but not pushing them away as she did by rejecting the oxygen offered to her.

References

Beswick, A. D., Rees, K., Dieppe, P., Ayis, S., Gooberman-Hill, R., Horwood, J., & Ebrahim, S. (2008). Complex interventions to improve physical function and maintain independent living in elderly people: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, 371(9614), 725-735.

Czaja, S. J., Rogers, W. A., Fisk, A. D., Charness, N., & Sharit, J. (2009). Designing for older adults: Principles and creative human factors approaches. CRC press.

Gardner, P. J. (2011). Natural neighborhood networks-Important social networks in the lives of older adults aging in place. Journal of Aging Studies, 25(3), 263-271.

Krogsboll, L. T., Jorgensen, K. J., & Gotzsche, P. C. (2011). General health checks for reducing morbidity and mortality from disease. status and date: New, published in, (2).

Scripted Dialogue

Nurse: Good afternoon Ms. Fisher, my name is (student's name), and I will be attending to you today since your regular nurse is off-duty today.

Sallie: Nice to meet you (student's name), I am glad you came.

Nurse: I understand you have been experiencing several body complications recently.

Sallie: Yes, in fact, Kay had told me she would come with some groceries and drugs to help with my hypotension and low pulse rates, conditions she said I have been experiencing for several days.

(The nurse reaches out to a bag she came had carried with her)

Nurse: Oh, I almost forgot, here they are. Kay told me about them and no way I could have forgotten to buy them.

(Sallie hesitates before letting out a sigh and little painful laughter)

Sallie: Thank you, mmmh...you are just as lovely as her.

Nurse: (laughs softly)...we must ensure you are okay...you are always in our prayers. Well, I hope you already know what to do with those, Kay told me she explained to you.

Sallie: Yes, she did...

Nurse: Nice, then I will go ahead and have some tests on you to understand what we are dealing with today. (Takes out a stethoscope from her bag and goes towards Sallie)

(After 5 minutes)

Nurse: Mmmh, it looks like you are not doing bad today and with time you be stable...but how much do you go outside the house?

Sallie: Never since I was discharged from the hospital last week.

Nurse: Okay, it seems I will recommend for someone be sent here to take you out tomorrow and enjoy some views, will it be fine with you

Sallie: Okay, I would love that...

Nurse: Nice... (As she packs her stuff in the bag) I will update Kay on today's session. Let me prepare some soup for you before I leave

Sallie: Okay, thank you...