Nursing Care Plan for Older Adults with Parkinson’s Disease (Case Study Sample)

Nursing Care Plan for Older Adults with Parkinson’s Disease Nursing Care Plan: NURS 1270 Name Institutional Affiliations Date Nursing Care Plan for Older Adults with Parkinson’s Disease Introduction This essay comprehensively describes a nursing care plan for an older adult with Parkinson’s disease. The entire essay involves an assessment of his personal information, general growth and development stage, reasons why he qualifies for inclusion under the vulnerable populations, and availability of local services and resources to help him achieve optimum health and independence. A nursing care plan is a formal way of assessing a patient’s current needs and identifying a patient’s potential healthcare needs and risks. It has been defined as a vehicle for communication, recording the provided care, recording reimbursement, and enhancing continuity of care across the healthcare divide (Toney-Butler & Thayer, 2022). Consequently, this healthcare plan is used to assess and promote the healthcare and independence of a 72-year-old adult who experiences symptoms of Parkinson’s disease like uncontrollable movements, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. Aging contributes significantly to Parkinson’s disease, and patients often develop mental and behavioral changes, fatigue, memory difficulties, and sleep problems. Many people develop Parkinson’s disease past 60 years, although 5% to 10% develop it at age 50 (National Institute on Aging, 2022). Therefore, this issue must be properly assessed since it places the subjects at risk of other age-related issues like memory loss. Personal information Mr. John Smith is a 72-year-old male adult recently admitted to the nursing home. Before this, he had been under acute care for Arthritis which had been successfully managed. During the intake assessment, his family noted that he had suffered tremors on both hands during the past two years and generally had stiff limbs. However, these symptoms have worsened over time. As a result, he recently began experiencing challenges with balance and coordination, leading to at least two falls in the past two months. Currently, Mr. Smith is on Levodopa medication to manage his symptoms. The family noted that although the medication had effectively controlled the stiffness of his limbs and the tremors, the symptoms have worsened lately, and they fear the drugs may not help any better in the future. In addition, the family reported that they had noted a slurred change in his speech. He also began developing difficulties with swallowing, coughing, and choking during meals. Besides, the family reports that the stiffness in his limbs has made difficult his mobility and completing daily tasks like dressing and eating independently. Further, upon assessment, he discovered he needed help for ALL ADLs. Developmental Theory Information Erikson’s developmental theory places Mr. John Smith in the final psychosocial developmental stage of integrity vs. despair (Orenstein & Lewis, 2022). This stage involves a retrospection of life by the older adults and feeling either satisfied with a life well-lived or regretful of the choices made in life and missed opportunities. According to Erickson, integrity means reflecting retrospectively on life with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. This is characterized by acceptance, lack of regret, feeling peaceful, a sense of wholeness, and feelings of wisdom (Chung, 2018). On the other hand, Erickson contends that despair involves retrospectively looking back at life with shame, regret, and disappointment. The integrity vs. despair stage is often triggered by life events like terminal illnesses, changes in major roles, retirement, and the loss of a spouse (Chung, 2018). At this stage, the subject begins tackling the issues of their mortality. Erickson’s developmental theory is important in Mr. John Smith’s assessment to determine how he feels about the life he has lived. This is essential as it contributes to his overall quality of life and thus provides important information to help care providers formulate a befitting care plan for him. Activity exercise is the most relevant of Gordon’s Functional Health Patterns in Mr. John Smith’s case. Activity exercise involves performing daily activities like walking, physical exercises, eating, bathing, toileting, and bathing (Gengo e Silva Butcher & Jones, 2021). Mr. John Smith finds challenges in doing these activities. He finds problems in toileting, bathing, eating, grooming, and dressing. Activity exercise also encompasses issues of gait. Equally, Mr. John Smith has problems with gait and has been reported to suffer from imbalance and poor coordination leading to falls. Consequently, addressing these issues of balance, coordination, and self-care is important to reduce Mr. John Smith’s dependency levels and protect him from injuries from falls. These interventions will generally improve his quality of life. Vulnerable Populations Mr. John Smith qualifies to be included in the vulnerable population. Age is an important factor in establishing vulnerability in healthcare. Mr. John Smith fits the vulnerable group, as seen from the dimensions of aged-care vulnerability like physical, psychological, and social vulnerability (Sanchini et al., 2022). Vulnerable populations often risk harm or neglect arising from physical and social isolations related to the progression of Parkinson’s disease and other memory loss issues. Consequently, they may feel rejected and indifferent by others. In addition, vulnerable populations may face economic hardships, reducing their quality of life. In the case of Mr. John Smith, he has been under close care in the acute care unit and may have suffered from physical and social isolation. Equally, his stiffness and occasional memory loss place him at risk of more falls, injuries, and further isolation. Local services in the Niagara region Older adults like Mr. John Smith require specialized care to help them perform daily activities and improve their quality of life. The Niagara region has various local services that can help this vulnerable population. One such service is the Seniors Community Program which offers a variety of social, wellness, and outreach services to older adults. They offer non-medical programs, including online programming, in-person group sessions, and in-home services. The programs are meant to help older adults remain safe and independent as long as possible (Niagara Region, n.d.). Another local service is Older Adult Care, a program tailored to help older adults connect with local programs and services that provide the senior population with healthcare, support, social opportunities, and recreational activities. These services include advocacy and social action for seniors, assisted living for high-risk seniors, exercise and fall prevention programs, home and community care support, and mental health services. The primary aim is to ensure older adults live comfortably within and without their homes (hnhbhealthline.ca, n.d.). Conclusion This essay provides a healthcare plan for Mr. John Smith, an older adult with Parkinson’s disease. The essay emphasizes the need for assessing his personal information, developmental stage, vulnerability as a member of the elderly population, and local services in the Niagara region that he can seek to help address these issues. Additionally, the essay highlights the importance of Erickson’s developmental theory (integrity vs. despair) in understanding Smith’s retrospection of life. Lastly, including local services in the Niagara region, like the Seniors Community Program and Older Adult Care, will likely help him achieve independence and improved quality of life. References Barnish, M. S., Horton, S. M. C., Butterfint, Z. R., Clark, A. B., Atkinson, R. A., & Deane, K. H. O. (2017). Speech and communication in Parkinson’s disease: a cross-sectional exploratory study in the UK. BMJ Open, 7(5), e014642. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014642 Chung, D. (2018). The Eight Stages of Psychosocial Protective Development: Developmental Psychology. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science, 08(06), 369–398. https://doi.org/10.4236/jbbs.2018.86024 Gengo e Silva Butcher, R. de C., & Jones, D. A. (2021). 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