The nurse is caring for an older client who was brought to the emergency department by a daughter after she noted a change in the client's behavior over the past two days. The client has no history of a mental illness, yet the daughter describes the client as being confused after having a fall at home. When assessing the client's biological domain, which data is critical in identifying the underlying cause of the client's condition?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

It would be important to know that the client spent an entire day in high temperatures as the sudden change in behavior and fall point to the client being dehydrated. It is unlikely that the change in the client's behavior indicates the development of schizophrenia, therefore, knowing the brother's history of the mental illness is irrelevant to this assessment. For some older adults, living alone can predispose clients to having unwitnessed falls, however, this fact alone does not provide any more critical data to determine what caused the sudden onset of confusion. Although substance use can impact healthy aging for older adults, one glass of wine per evening is not considered problematic for males.

The Nurse Is Caring for an Older Client Who Was