Essay Sample on Tools in the Life Review and Reminiscence Form

Introduction

Robert Butler (1974) established that successful aging was characterized by the ability to work via losses and still maintain self-esteem (Kropf & Cummings, 2017). Robert developed the life review tool which provides older people with the chance to counter guilt and regrets and at the end feel good about themselves (Kropf & Cummings, 2017). Life review form has been found to be significant both on psychological well-being and life satisfaction. This paper is a summary of data that has already been gathered using a provided life review and reminiscence form. The paper summarizes the tools in the life review and reminiscence form. The paper also integrates the different forms and Erickson's theory in summarizing the data collected using the life and reminiscence form.

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According to Haber (2006) using the life review form to interview clients determines the degree to which the clients achieve ego integrity. Disgust and/or death are possible manifestation of failed ego integration achievement. As such nurses may use a guided interview in providing continuity sense and encounter human need for connectedness or nurses may encourage the elders write their life experience on assigned topics and then encourage sharing of the information with other group members (Haber, 2006). As such reviewing the life of the client through the years aids in balancing the highs and the lows with a completeness sense other than view life on the regret perspective.

Data was collected from a 68 year old man through interview after obtaining consent from the patient prior to the interview. The elder volunteer is Mr. HMC, a former teacher currently living alone in Ohio.

Using the seven assessment forms, the Home Safety assessment Check List indicate that the patient is exposed to the risk of fall since there are safety hazards evident from the home environment. The home environment is not safe for him as he is not willing to electrical pathways and grab the bar in the bathroom. HMC has no family around as they are out of the state. Mr. HMC has no need to contact family. These findings are significant as the fall hazard, fire hazard, fall risk are revealed which form the basis for action to be taken. His family should be contacted as the elderly needs family and friend support.

The 5 minute hearing assessment test reveals that HMC has hearing difficult especially over the phone but he is unwilling to consider the possibility to use hearing aid. He is also resistant to finding a helper. Hearing problem results to miscommunication while inappropriate responses made due to miscommunication leads to misunderstanding hazard. The patient is encouraged to consider the possibility of using hearing aids to boost his communication.

The Mini-Mental Status Exam revealed HMC's inability to recall recent activities and events as well as his inability to construct full sentence. The significance of these findings is that memory loss hazards and miscommunication hazards are established respectively. Mr. HMC is unwilling to learn correct sentence fragments but is however willing to be engaged in activities that boost his memory. Mr. HMC is engaged in activities that boost his memory and is not forced to construct correct sentence fragments. The correct structure is expected be gained through the engaging activities. In addition, Mr. HMC is engaged to psychiatrist so that Alzheimer detection screening or cognitive disorder screening is performed.

The Depression Scale assessment established HMC was depressed and hopeless and also had trouble falling asleep. The findings are significant as self-harm hazards and insomnia hazards can be established. Mr. HMC is willing to undergo monitoring and counseling but is unwilling to use sleeping pills. As such, he has been recommended to a monitoring and counseling programs in a nearby health facility and he is expected to consider taking sleeping pills after counseling.

The other assessment form, Mini Nutrition Screening, established that HMC was unable to eat without supervision and only eats selectively, he has at least two fruits and vegetables serving per day and consumes less that 3 cups of fluid a day. The finding that he takes at least two or more fruits a day is significant as it ensures that he is healthy while taking less than 3 cups of fluids a day reveals a possibility of constipation risk. The finding that he is unable to eat without supervision is significant in that it suggest a risk of malnutrition. Mr. HMC is unwilling to increase his fluid consumption quantities and has problem feeding with the help of an assistant. He has been encouraged to increase his fluid consumption and observe his nutrition behaviors.

The Burden Scale form revealed that HMC responds to verbal communication although he may not always communicate discomfort, makes occasional slight body changes since he is unable to make frequent independent changes and he occasionally takes a diet supplement. These findings are significant in that sensory perception risk, mobility risk and nutrition hazard has been established. It would be good to refer to the State agency for a caregiver to assist patient at home. Thus, the patient health presents some serious concerns in all different aspects in the assessment forms which can put the patient to great dangers.

The Erickson developmental stage that suits my volunteer is the ego integrity versus despair stage which has wisdom as its basic virtue. In this stage, the elders(65 years and above) tend to slow down their productivity, explore their life as retired citizens, and contemplate accomplishments(). Elders develop integrity if they consider themselves to have led a successful life(). If the elders consider their life as unproductive, they may feel guilty about their past and become dissatisfied with their life as they have the sense that they did not accomplish their goals in life.(). As a result, depression and hopelessness may manifest. Mr. HMC fails to appreciate his life and is depressed. He also fails to explore his life at this advanced age. Again he lives alone and considers it unimportant to contact his family. However, he meets the development characteristics of this stage in that his productivity is reduced.

Conclusion

The five major health issues identified from the interview are: mental health, access to health care, substance abuse, physical health and nutrition.. Mental health issue such as depression are not part of aging (Major health issues to be discussed by WHO Health Assembly, 2013). As indicated the client is advised to have screening to establish possibility of Alzheimer's Diseases a common type of dementia. The client should seek accurate diagnosis which ensures management. Most seniors do not take their health seriously despite having access to health care (Major health issues to be discussed by WHO Health Assembly, 2013). Elders should be sensitized on the importance of their health so as to reduce cases of death from cases which are manageable. Substance abuse refers to misuse of drugs or alcohol in quantities that harm the body. Although Mr. HMC does not use sleeping pills and doesn't abuse them, perhaps he should consider having them but in levels prescribed by a health practitioner. Physical activities aid in preventing certain diseases and relieving depression (Major health issues to be discussed by WHO Health Assembly, 2013). Mr. HMC should consider having a helper so that he can regularly exercise and change body position regularly. Nutrition implies having balanced diet and food intake in nutrient rich foods to aid in growth and metabolism. Mr. HMC should be helped in feeding as he does not often take food when under no supervision.

References

Haber, D. (2006). Life Review: Implementation, Theory, Research, and Therapy. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 63(2), 153-171. doi:10.2190/da9g-rhk5-n9jp-t6cc

Kropf, N. P., & Cummings, S. M. (2017). Reminiscence and Life Review. Oxford Scholarship Online. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190214623.003.0011

Major health issues to be discussed by WHO Health Assembly. (2013). PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News, 679(1), 3-3. doi:10.1007/s40274-013-0423-5