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A Case Study of a Patient Suffering with a Long Term Health Problem

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A Case Study of a Patient Suffering with a Long Term Health Problem
A Case study of A Patient Suffering With A Long Term Health Problem

The care and management of patients suffering with a long term condition is an integral part of the nurse’s role. With approximately 15 million people in the UK suffering from at least one chronic illness (DoH, 2012), it becomes apparent why the Department of Health (DoH) and the National Health Service (NHS) have had to put in to place advice and guidelines in order that the appropriate measures are taken to ensure that these patients are cared for in the most productive way. This essay is going to discuss the issues that are associated with long term conditions and chronic illness. The focus of this discussion is going to be a case study on a patient who is currently an inpatient in an intermediate care setting. To maintain patient confidentiality, the patient will be known as Mrs P for the sake of this essay. The patient in question is an 84 year old lady who lives with her 86 year old husband in a small semi-detached house (See attached appendix for a full history of Mrs P). Mrs P was initially admitted in to hospital after a succession of falls in a short proximity of time and has since been newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological disease effecting the neurons within the brain (Lang et al,2001). The main symptoms that sufferers experience are tremors, rigidity and slowness of movement. Other symptoms can include pain, fatigue, constipation and depression (Parkinson UK, 2012). For Mrs P, the symptoms that she experienced were closely associated with her ability to move safely which resulted in the falls that occurred. For this reason, the topic of mobility as an actual problem and falls being the potential problem has been identified and has been chosen as an area of focus in relation to Parkinson’s as a long term condition. To be able to analyse this discussion, a model of nursing will be used which in this case is Roper, Logan and


References: Age UK. 2012. Preventing Falls in Later Life. [Online] Available at: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/campaign/falls/?ito=2256&itc=0&gclid=CIeahpaSmbECFVQ8fAodEgkkkw. (Accessed 6 July 2012) Allen, N.E., C.G Aragon, A., G. Moore,. D. Robertson and L. Whelan. 2008. Rehabilitation and The Interdisciplinary Team. In: Parkinson’s Disease In The Older Patient. Edited by Hindle, J and J. Playfer. 2nd Ed. Oxon: Radcliffe Publishing Limited. Bishop, M., D British Association of Occupational Therapists and College of Occupational Therapists. 2012. How OT Can Help. [Online] Available at: http://www.cot.co.uk/about-ot/how-ot-can-help. (Accessed 1 August 2012) Dawson, T.M, Department of Health (DoH). 2004. Chronic Disease Management. London: Department of Health Publications. Hauser, R.A and T.A. Zesiewicz. 2000. The Drug Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease in Elderly People. In: Parkinson’s Disease and Parkinsonism in the Elderly. Edited by Koller. W.C and J. Meara. Cambridge: University Press. Horak, F.B and L.A Lang, A.E., L.M. Shulman and W.J. Weiner. 2001. Parkinson’s Disease. A Complete Guide For Patients and Families. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press. 47. Lang, A.E., L.M. Shulman and W.J. Weiner. 2001. Parkinson’s Disease. A Complete Guide For Patients and Families. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press. 51. Logan, W.W., N. Roper and A.J. Tierney. 1998. The Elements of Nursing. A Model for Nursing Based on A Model of Living. 4th Ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. 103. Logan, W.W., N. Roper and A.J. Tierney. 1998. The Elements of Nursing. A Model for Nursing Based on A Model of Living. 4th Ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. 283. NHS Choices NICE. 2004. Falls: The assessment and prevention of falls in older people. [Online] Available at: http://publications.nice.org.uk/falls-cg21/key-priorities-for-implementation. (Accessed 6 July 2012) NICE Parkinson UK. 2012. What is Parkinson’s? [Online] Available at: http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about_parkinsons/what_is_parkinsons.aspx (Accessed: 5 July 2012) Roberts, H and P Swinn, L. 2005. Parkinson’s Disease. Theory and Practice for Nurses. London: Whurr Publishers. 2-3. Appendix
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