Nurse's Pocket Guide

impaired ENVIRONMENTAL INTERPRETATION SYNDROME
when taking time for themselves. Without adequate support
and respite, the caregiver cannot meet the needs of the client.
• Discuss caregiver burden, if appropriate. (Refer to NDs Caregiver
Role Strain; risk for Caregiver Role Strain for additional
interventions.)
• Provide educational materials and list of available resources,
help lines, websites, etc., as desired, to assist SO(s) in coping
with long-term care issues.
• Identify appropriate community resources (e.g., Alzheimer’s
Disease and Related Disorders Association [ARDA]; stroke or
brain injury support group; senior support groups; clergy;
social services; or respite care) to provide client/SO with support
and assist with problem solving.
NURSING PRIORITY NO. 4. To promote wellness (Teaching/
Discharge Considerations):
• Provide specific information about disease process/prognosis
and client’s particular needs. Individuals with conditions
requiring ongoing monitoring of their environment usually
need more social and behavioral support than medical management,
although medical concerns will occur occasionally.
• Review age-appropriate ongoing treatment and social needs
and appropriate resources for client and family.
• Develop plan of care with family to meet client’s and SO’s
individual needs.
• Reinforce that caregiver cannot physically watch client at all
times.
• Perform home assessment/identify safety issues, such as locking
up medications/poisonous substances and locking exterior
doors to prevent client from wandering off while SO is
engaged in other household activities, or removing
matches/smoking material and knobs from the stove to prevent
client from turning on burner and leaving it unattended.
• Refer to appropriate outside resources, such as adult day care,
homemaker services, or support groups. Provides assistance
and promotes problem solving.
Documentation Focus
ASSESSMENT/REASSESSMENT
• Assessment findings, including degree of impairment.
• Involvement/availability of family members to provide care.
PLANNING
• Plan of care and who is involved in planning.
• Teaching plan.
Information in brackets added by the authors to clarify and enhance
the use of nursing diagnoses.
286 Cultural Collaborative Community/Home Care