Clinical Reasoning Cycle Geriatric Patients - Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Clinical Reasoning Cycle for Geriatric Patients. Answer: Introduction: There are numerous complications related to geriatric care given that the physical and mental heaths of those patients are under deprived and the immunity is usually compromised (Min et al., 2013). The aging population of the world has now become a matter of concern in the healthcare industry. According to a report provided by National Institute of Health, the projected number of geriatric population will reach 17% of the total world population in 2050 from the current 8.5% as of now. This calls for more efficient and quicker actions to treat such an enormous old age population (Worlds older population grows dramatically, 2016). Utilization of various techniques and care planning helps in providing a more efficient care service quickly. Clinical reasoning cycle is a tool, which helps caregivers providing the best possible outcome in regards to patient safety (Levett-Jones, 2013). The reports aims to discuss the use of clinical reasoning cycle to treat an 89 year old female patient, n amed Amalie Jones who had been living alone after her husbands death and facing constant deterioration of health. The Functional consequences Theory for geriatric care was provided by Miller in 2015 which provide a conceptual framework to promote geriatric patient safety in and helps the nurses and practitioners to develop a wellness promotion plan for diagnosing the illness and give best outcome (Hunter. 2016). The service provided to the patients apart from addressing the obvious physical support provided even more in depth care focusing on emotional as well as psychological needs and assess the cross talk of these aspects to provide a more focused patient centred care (Birren et al., 2013). It is important to assess the interrelationship of the clinical reasoning cycle steps with respect to the patients current condition, which will be discussed in the essay. The case of an 89-year-old female, named Amalie Jones, living all by herself in a one-storey apartment she shared with her husband who passed away two years ago. This incident has largely influenced the patients psychological and social health. Consideration of the patients condition, helps to assess the current condition with regards to the analysis if the patients history (Salminen et al., 2014). 89-year-old Amalies health has been constantly deteriorating for the past couple of years, which forced her to pull out from activity. She is frequently visited by her son and daughter but she refuses to take help from them in assumption that she will become their burden. Currently, Amalie had stiffness in joint, inflammation in foot extremities, pain in joints, mainly knee, hip and back. Moving joints is difficult, slow bowel movement, momentary light-headedness, partial vision impairment, weight loss and sometimes forgets to take her pain medication. The cues for Amalies assessment helped the caregivers, understand the markers leading up to the top priority for care service (Audtat et al., 2013). The clinical cues, which indicate joint pain and movement difficulty from RA and osteoporosis, related to swelling of feet and joints. The current medications are doses of paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Thyroxine and hydrochloroquinone. Amalie seems to be suffering from age related morbidities. The patient as of late has developed macular degeneration for which she withdrew from driving. Movement is difficult for her, due to her history of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as well as osteoarthritis. This had subjected her to house arrest, which will eventually force her into isolation and make her more depressed. This step defines the processing of the collected information of the patient, followed by interpretation, discrimination, relation, inferring and corresponding those data with evidence based research and predicting the best outcome for the patient (Audtat et al., 2013). The current condition of the patient is very common in geriatrics like rheumatoid arthritis as well as macular degeneration. Chances of macular degeneration are very high in geriatric patients about 85% and rheumatoid arthritis is about 25-45% more in elderly women (Kobak Bes, 2017). Macular degeneration is supposedly the leading cause for loss of vision in geriatric patients. It is an incurable eye disease which progresses rapidly leading to permanent damage that is loss of vision. The central portion of the retina slowly starts to degenerate which makes the central view blurry. The degeneration is caused by deposition of certain substances called reasons drusen under the macula (Wong et al., 2014). This causes loss of peripheral vision and ultimate blindness. This condition is the reason for which Amalie had to quit driving. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory disease which is chronic in nature that causes body zone antibodies to attack self cells mainly in joints and the extremities of the body. This causes swelling which in case of the patient was observed in joints, feet et cetera. Progressive degeneration of the joints made it difficult for the patient to move and perform other activities. The patient was also observed to have osteoarthritis which caused her restricted mobility and Limited the movement of her joints (Otter et al., 2010). Amalie is undergoing macular degeneration, which in future will lead to permanent damage if left untreated. The pain medication she receives is not enough as her condition is progressing with her age. This kind of situation will be further enhanced if the patient is subjected to falling. Falling is the leading cause of hospitalization in ge riatric patients (Clegg et al., 2013). She is suffering fatigue due to the autoimmune condition, which induces the occasional light-headedness and constipation. This step of clinical reasoning cycle is used to identify the patient condition and issues. Structure of the clinical reasoning cycle is to identify the patient's current condition and issues (Levett-Jones, 2013). The main conditions troubling the patient are as follows partial impaired vision which might be a potential cause of fall associated risks and injury. The care that's the patient needs is treatment from joint stiffness and overcoming mobility limitations. This causes her pain and also increase the risk of fall associated injury given the circumstances that she lives alone. The last assessment of risk that can be identified is the occasional lightheadedness she experiences. Rheumatoid arthritis along with osteoarthritis facilitates the patient's susceptibility to falling associated injury. The patient Orphan forgets to take her medication and only takes them when the pain is severe this issue can be addressed with patient centered education or referring her to a nursing care home In this portion, top priority if care was pain management and minimizing the risk of falling to achieve the best patient outcome. In this step of clinical reasoning cycle the goals, which will provide the best possible patient outcome, are analyzed and based on that intervention is set (Hayes, 2016). This form of approach is specific measurable achievable realistic and timely smart. Considering the age of the patient the pathological condition the psychological stress living environment and the social status the goal for this assessment would be to ensure that the risk of falling is minimized. The patient needs to be educated on safety measurements that she can implement herself or a point someone to take care of her. Thirdly emotional and psychological support is to be provided to the patient to prevent social isolation and clinical depression (Sadock Sadock, 2011). The next step of clinical reasoning cycle is to take necessary actions to address the current patient condition. Intervention procedures would be physiotherapy that would help her mobility and recover from joint ache. Various exercises can be implemented on her to improve her sense of balance and strengthen knees joints at cetera. It must be made sure that the patients living conditions are free from fall risk. This can be ensured buy lowering the height of a bed putting railings on the side of a bed improving the lighting conditions et cetera. This segment of the critical reasoning cycle addresses evaluation of the goal of the care plan and predicting the patient outcome. It is essential to evaluate the intervention procedures setup during nursing care the outcome of the Patient Safety will be evaluated according to the performance and improvement after patient's current condition (Kable et al., 2013). Improvement can be observed if the patient is completely dependent on herself shows more interest in social interactions take some medicines properly regularly follows up with her children and allow them to help her physical problems will be minimized. Complete success of the integration procedures can be analyzed when the patient will be free from the limitations she currently faces. The safety measurements undertaken will be successful if the fall associated risk is minimized and no further hospitalization is recorded concerning that issue. Lastly, critical reasoning cycle ends with the reflection on the set goals for the clinical assessment of the patient. From this case study I learnt about the complications which are associated with the geriatric care not just physical but psychological conditions that might affect the patient's physical and mental health. Firstly I would have prevented the fall associated risk as much as possible to ensure that the patient's condition is not further under Jeopardy. Secondly I would provide alternative medication to minimize her pain related to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis like disease modifying antiemetic drugs (DMARD) (Singh et al., 2016). I would have suggested resting and referred her to a nursing care home so that she does not have to do physical activity alone this would have made sure that the patient was under constant monitoring which food have reduced the chances of falling. The clinical reasoning cycle made it easier for me to make an efficient care plan for the patient and analyze the situation better to achieve best patient outcome. Conclusion: The above discussion makes it clear that clinical reasoning cycle is an important technique which helps achieving the best possible outcome for the patient. This technique allows caregivers to understand, assess, evaluate and predict the best possible outcome for the patient. The discussion addresses the implications and consequences which are important part of geriatric care. It is important to note that geriatric care requires both physical and mental health assessment to derive a more focused patient centered care. The report will help future caregivers to understand the importance of falling in geriatric patients and how easy it is for such patients to succumb to social isolation. The report will also help the caregiver to set evidence-based goals to achieve best possible patient outcome with regards to critical thoughts and analysis implementing patient history and general knowledge. References: Audtat, M. C., Laurin, S., Sanche, G., Bque, C., Fon, N. C., Blais, J. 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