A 38-yr-old patient who has had a spinal cord injury returned home following a stay in a rehabilitation facility. The home care nurse notes the spouse is performing many of the activities that the patient had been managing unassisted during rehabilitation. The appropriate nursing action at this phase of rehabilitation is to

Question

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The best action by the nurse will be to involve all parties in developing an optimal plan of care. Because family members who will be assisting with the patient's ongoing care need to believe their input is important,telling the spouse that the patient can perform activities independently is not the best choice. Reminding the patient about the importance of independence may not change the behaviors of the spouse. Supporting the activities of the spouse will lead to ongoing dependency by the patient.

A 38-Yr-Old Patient Who Has Had a Spinal Cord Injury