Given that most elderly patients present with comorbidities, there isa high possibility of polypharmacy. To prevent problems associated with multiple drug interactions, it is necessary to eliminate duplicate medication during care transition to avoid toxic doses which promote adverse drug reaction (Unlu et al., 2020). Assessment of the treatment plan is crucial to prevent drug-drug interaction and avoid the associated adverse effects. Nurses should conduct medical reconciliation to avoid instances of prescription errors (Unlu et al., 2020). Lastly drug dosage review should be conducted to ensure that administered drugs are safe, with reduced incidences of adverse events.
The patient must be educated on the pathophysiology of his health condition and the importance of taking the prescribed medication (Inciardi et al., 2020). She should also adopt a healthy diet low on sodium, fats, and calories, and frequent physical exercise to promote her health (Mahmud et al., 2020). The patient should also be advised to stop smoking through the adoption of appropriate smoking cessation programs, to prevent the effects of tobacco smoke in worsening COPD symptoms. Consequently, she needs to frequently monitor her vitals to evaluate the treatment outcome. It is also necessary for the patient to sign up for cardiac rehabilitation which is crucial in improving the quality of life and even prolonging the patient’s life expectancy (Mahmud et al., 2020). Additional resources which will help the patient identify life modification strategies to promote health and independent living include ‘American Heart Association’, ‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’ and ‘National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’ among others.
To promote the patient’s recovery and prevent possibilities of readmission, it is necessary to advise the patients on the importance of complying with the medications prescribed at the indicated dose, frequency, and duration (Unlu et al., 2020). The patient must also be educated about the side effects to avoid unexpected symptoms which would otherwise make the patient stop using the drug.
Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of COPD, whereas tobacco smoke is also associated with increased increase exacerbation frequency. To help the patient stop smoking, and promote their quality of life it is necessary to consider referral to a smoking cessation counselor (Inciardi et al., 2020). The counselor will be able to evaluate the patient’s extend of addiction and develop the most effective cessation program to help the patient quit smoking.
The provided case study illustrates a patient with cardiorespiratory problems, which can lead to heart failure. The patient however received adequate care in the ICU, upon admission. It is however necessary to educate the patient on appropriate life modifications such as exercise and a healthy diet to promote well-being and prevent complications associated with these disorders.
Doenges, M. E., Moorhouse, M. F., & Murr, A. C. (2019). Nursing care plans: Guidelines for individualizing client care across the life span. FA Davis.
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