For six weeks, I visited an 88-year-old man who had numerous physical problems and lived alone at home. He is legally blind, has difficulty hearing, is undergoing treatment for prostatic cancer, and has hypertension and high cholesterol. I was able to teach him more about his medications, vaccinations, and home safety; I monitored his blood pressure every week and taught him more about hypertension. One of his major problems was his “lack of appetite”, so I provided tips on how to increase his appetite along with a suggestion to consult with his physician about it. I followed up on this topic weekly with him and every time he stated his appetite was getting better and that his doctor was working with him to determine other ways to treat the problem.
I used therapeutic communication skills to help him verbalize any concerns or even just reminisce. He was able to open up about his career, family, and health concerns and he told me he was thankful to have someone to talk to. He also shared his love of music but said he misses being able to read sheet music so I played one of his favorite songs on the piano. Doing this really made him happy; his face was brighter than I had ever seen it! I also found out that one of his foster children was a girl I went to kindergarten with- small world! I feel fortunate to help him with both his physical and emotional health.
Angela Ramirez Cal State East Bay Nursing student
