An elderly patient is seen crying quietly in her room. When being comforted by the nurse, the patient says that all she wants is to be able to hear well so that she can hear her grandchildren's laughter and the daily news report on the radio. Which of the following can the nurse do to assist this patient to have a better quality of life?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient is stating that her quality of life would be improved if she could hear well. The best approach for the nurse to help improve this patient's quality of life would be to coordinate a meeting of healthcare providers to discuss the patient's hearing deficit and determine what can be done to achieve the patient's goal. The nurse should not minimize the patient's desire by discussing other ways to enjoy her grandchildren. The nurse should also not remind the patient that hearing is often lost during the aging process because this will not help to improve the patient's quality of life. The nurse should not just console the patient, nor should she document that the patient is depressed, because there is no evidence to support this statement.

An Elderly Patient Is Seen Crying Quietly in Her Room