– Healthy Ageing and Chronic Conditions
Assessment 2 – Case study essay
Semester 2/2021
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Assessment details
Assessment 2: Case study essay
Weighting: 40%
Word count: There is a word limit of 2000 words (+/- 10%)
Submission details: via Blackboard> Assessments> Assessment 2>Turnitin link
Aim of assessment
The purpose for this case study essay is to enable students to produce a nurse-led case discussion of an older adult, using evidence-based information relevant to nurses and up-to-date Australian statistics, for improving the health and quality of life for elderly persons who have multiple comorbidities and care needs. Content should include discussion on the questions provided in the case study using a holistic approach.
Case study
Maria Russo is an 83-year-old lady with a rich Italian background. She migrated to Australia when she was 51 years and ever since has lived and worked in Australia, she is a widow who lives alone in her unit and has been independent with her activities of daily living. She has two daughters Gianna and Bianca who live nearby and are fully involved with the care of Maria. Mrs Russo presented to emergency department (ED) via ambulance following a fall in her garden. She had fractured her left NOF and has been to operation theatre (OT) for total hip replacement (THR). Mrs Russo is now day 7 post op.
Mrs Russo has a medical history of osteoarthritis and had a major stroke 5 years ago but managed to recover well after months of rehabilitation. She has moderate congestive cardiac failure, a mild cognitive impairment, NIDDM for ~ 20 yrs, with pain associated to neuropathy. She has had two recent transient Ischaemic attacks (TIAs) at home and managed to recover well after few days of staying in bed. Since she lost her husband, Mr Russo 7 years ago, she cycles through depression if she forgets to take her antidepressants. She wears glasses for her vision impairment related to glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathies. She also wears bilateral hearing aids.
During her stay in acute care ward, the nurses documented in her progress notes that Mrs Russo is:
- Underweight with a BMI of 14
- On admission looks quite dishevelled and dehydrated indicating possible neglect and poor care
- Very frail with multiple skin tears on her lower limbs and stage 1 pressure injury to her sacrum
- Old scars to lower legs with possible history of healed venous/arterial ulcers
- Might have been on the ground for over 8 hours before a neighbour found her
- Denies pain, but noticed to be grimacing and wincing during transfers and repositioning
- No recollection of memory of her having used her bowels 4 days before she presented in ED
- Developed delirium post-surgery that resolved after treatment and hydration
After nine days in acute care ward and three weeks in rehabilitation ward, Mrs Russo was not able to return home and care for herself. After a long discussion with the inter-disciplinary care team (MDT), her daughters Bianca and Giana reluctantly agreed to transfer Mrs Russo to an aged care facility where she will receive 24hr care. Health education during discharged included: medication compliance, hydration and nutrition, bowel management, skin care, prevention of skin tears as well as future advise on palliative care and end of life care.
Questions
- Outline the statistics (incidence and prevalence) of contemporary ageing in Australia and the impact of the ageing population to the health care system. In your discussion explain why nurses need to be culturally competent to care for older adults in Australia (approx. 200 words)
- Upon discharge, Mrs Russo and her daughters were given vital information and health education regarding her health issues and wellness. Explain why health promotion is important in the care of older adults (approx. 200 words)
- Identify the conditions that lead to hearing impairment of Mrs Russo and discuss the associated challenges for her as an older adult (approx. 200 words).
- Consider Mrs Russo’s chronic pain. What assessments will you undertake and what actions will be implemented to reduce/eliminate the pain (approx. 200 words)
- The occurrence of dementia, delirium and depression are common in older adults as seen in the case study of Mrs Russo. Explain in detail why the nurse needs to be able to distinguish between the three conditions (approx. 200 words)
- Mrs Russo’s progress notes highlighted some possibility of neglect and poor care at home. From your weekly readings and possible experiences, discuss the risk factors of the older adults that makes them more susceptible to elder abuse (approx. 200 words)
- Considering the transfer of Mrs Russo to an aged care facility, describe what attributes the registered nurse will need to have in order for Mrs Russo to adapt to her new and final home (approx. 200 words)
- Considering frailty of Mrs Russo, it is possible that she might enter her palliative/end of life care phase in the near future. Discuss the nurse’s role in end-of-life care (approx. 200 words)
Important details about your assessment
- This essay requires a standard essay introduction and conclusion.
- There is a word limit of 2000 words (+/- 10%) as per SNM Presentation and Assignment Guidelines.
- Marks will be allocated as per SNM Assessment Rubric & the essay specific criteria below.
- Submission instructions and the link is accessible under the ‘assessments’ tab.
- Students should refer to the SNM Presentation and Assignment Guide, ECU APA 7th Ed. Referencing Guide, and the SNM Marking Assessment Rubric.
- Graphs, tables and flow charts to support discussion will not be accepted.
Marking criteria:
Below you will find two tables: The first is the SNM generic marking rubric, the second is an interpretation of that rubric to help you recognise which areas are important (it shows you what elements you need to address in order to get full marks). The points in brackets show you how those elements are weighted, e.g. the introduction can get up to 5 points etc.
Case study specific criteria to be considered in conjunction with the SNM Assessment rubric: | Points Available | Rubric Points Available |
Introduction – 150 Words Introduction of older adult, comorbidities objectives and care needs.scope & structureGetting the reader’s interest | (5) | Structure/Presentation 20 |
Paper Formatting and Presentation Submitted via TurnitinCoversheet completed Title page Page numbersUse double-spacing throughout the entire paperSpacing MUST be consistent between the headings/subheadings and the textCorrect font, in black colour and same size font throughout | (5) | |
Paragraphing & Logic Logical arguments and logical connection between ideas. Well-developed paragraphs. Use of third personAppropriate professional language | (5) | |
Conclusion – 150 words Summary of key pointsDo not introduce new topicsNo references in the conclusion | (5) | |
Question 1 Outline the statistics (incidence and prevalence) of contemporary ageing in Australia and the impact of the ageing population to the health care system. In your discussion explain why nurses need to be culturally competent to care for older adults in Australia (approx. 200 words) | (5) | Content 40 |
Question 2 Upon discharge, Mrs Russo and her daughters were given vital information and health education regarding her health issues and wellness. Explain why health promotion is important in the care of older adults (approx. 200words) | (5) | |
Question 3 Identify the conditions that lead to hearing impairment of Mrs. Russo and discuss the associated challenges for her as an older adult (approx. 200 words) | (5) | |
Question 4 Consider Mrs Russo’s chronic pain. What assessments will you undertake and what actions will be implemented to reduce/eliminate the pain (approx. 200words) | (5) | |
Question 5 The occurrence of dementia, delirium and depression are common in older adults as seen in the case study of Mrs. Russo. Explain in detail why the nurse needs to be able to distinguish between the three conditions. (approx. 200 words) | (5) | |
Question 6 Mrs. Russo’s progress notes highlighted some possibility of neglect and poor care at home. From your weekly readings and possible experiences, discuss the risk factors of the older adults that makes them more susceptible to elder abuse. (approx. 200 words) | (5) | |
Question 7 Considering the transfer of Mrs. Russo to aged care facility, describe what attributes the Registered Nurse will need to have in order for Mrs. Russo to adapt to her new and final home. (approx. 200 words) | (5) | |
Question 8 Considering frailty of Mrs. Russo, it is possible that she might enter her palliative/end of life care phase in the near future. Discuss the nurse’s role in end-of-life care (approx. 200 words) | (5) | |
This section will be assessed all throughout the paper – Critical thinking skills | (20) | Application of Critical Thinking 20 |
Referencing & APA Strict APA 7th ed. is required in-text and in the reference section (double-space or single-space the reference list)If multiple sentences (a short paragraph for example), are supported by the same reference, cite immediately after the first sentence, and at the end of the section that uses that particular referenceMarks will not be awarded if in-text citations are not clearYou should use a minimum of 10 references of which at least 8 are journal articles. You can also use Government and organisational reports but make sure the sources are credible and that you understand the statistical data that is presented. All resources are up to 5 years old. Wikipedia and Dictionary.com will not be accepted as a reference source! | (10) | Referencing 10 |
English Language Grammar, spelling and punctuation were error free. Sophisticated use of all sentence and paragraph writing conventions were clearly demonstrated. Logical application of arguments throughout paper. | (10) | ELP 10 |