A written assignment that evaluates comprehensive approaches to nursing assessment for an older person with multiple health problems. The account should reflect on how the multidisciplinary team and other agencies including the family, may contribute to these assessment approaches. Particular attention should be paid to national policies in this area and evidence of best practice.
The patient that will be discussed within this assignment is a 70 year old male admitted to hospital following a stroke. Pressure ulcer risk assessments and nutritional risk assessments will be discussed within this assignment looking at how they are used in the assessment of an older people with multiple health problems.
A stroke occurs when there has been a disturbance or cut off of blood flow within the brain, this disturbance damages or destroys brain cells preventing these cells from doing their job. Damage to the brain causes problems with bodily functions and can also affect mental processes (Stroke Association, 2010). A stroke can cause sudden weakness or paralysis which often only affects one side of the body and is one of the most common symptoms of a stroke. It can also cause swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), speech and language (dysphasia) can be affected also, patient may have difficulty in understanding and basic things such as reading and writing following stroke. Problems with eyesight, perception and interpretation, mental processes, bladder and bowels, mood swings, sensation and pain can all be experienced by an individual following a stroke (NHS Choices, 2008).
Strokes are a major health problem within the United Kingdom (Mant et al, 2004). The National Audit Office (2005) states that approximately 110,000 people yearly suffer a stroke and over 900,000 people are living with the effects of stroke in England, many of which whom depend upon others to help them