Harold’s Discharge and Self- Management Plan

Running head: HAROLD’S DISCHARGE AND SELF- MANAGEMENT PLAN 1
Harold’s Discharge and Self- Management Plan
Name
Institution

HAROLD’S DISCHARGE AND SELF- MANAGEMENT PLAN 2
Harold’s Discharge and Self- Management Plan
Colorectal cancer is one of the most serious cancer diseases which are responsible for
most cancer deaths in Australia. Despite its prevalence and the magnitude of its impacts, the
cancer can be managed if appropriate interventions are implemented. John is a 65-year patient
who has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. His assessment revealed that Harold has been
facing these problems because of his lifestyle. From his medical history, it was observed that
Harold has not been exercising and eating healthy foods. At the same time, he has been engaging
in harmful behaviors such as alcoholism. This paper develops a discharge plan for Harold and all
the follow-up activities that should be granted to him after his transition from the healthcare to
home setting.
How to Execute the Education and Self-Management Plan
John has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. During the assessment, it was found out
that the patient has no history of cancer in his family. However, although there is genetic linkage
with cancer, the screening results proved that he has the disease. His age alongside the risky
behaviors like physical inactivity, poor dieting, and alcoholism might have made him vulnerable
to the disease. After the completion of the surgery, it is not time to discharge the patient and give
him an opportunity to be in charge of his care at home. the discharge process must be done by
adopting a multidisciplinary approach because it has involve the participation of different
practitioners like surgeon, social workers, counselors, oncologists, nurses, and physicians. Each
of these stakeholders should be present because they have a significant contribution to make to
ensure that the patient manages his condition well and is put in the right path to recovery and
regaining of his health.

HAROLD’S DISCHARGE AND SELF- MANAGEMENT PLAN 3
When designing the discharge and self-management plan, the practitioner should ensure
that everything is done to the perfection. Meaning, a care plan should encompass a wide range of
aspects related to colorectal cancer management. The care plan should be designed to help in
empowering the patient to engage in self-care (Van Cutsem, Cervantes, Nordlinger & Arnold,
2014). he will have to be taught about self-care because once discharged, he will be sent home
where he might be the only one responsible for the management of his condition unless he is in a
position to be given a full and continuous support by his family, relatives, friends and the loved
ones. The education plan will, hence, encompass all the issues to do with dieting, physical
activity, alcohol usage, compliance to medication, and the management of social, psychological,
and spiritual aspects of the patient’s life (Kerscher, Chua, Gasser, Maeder, Kunzmann, Isbert &
Pelz, 2013). Each of these must be catered for because without them, the patient might not be
regarded to have received a holistic care that he deserves.
First and foremost, the self-management plan will have to include a detailed description
of the recurrence of colorectal cancer. Recurrence, as its name suggests, simply refers to the
reappearance (Brenner, Stock & Hoffmeister, 2013). Once the colorectal cancer is treated, it
might again reappear some time back in the same spot that where it had been diagnosed. Since
patients are not professionals, they must be educated and provided with the information that
they need to know about the recurrence (Douillard, Oliner, Siena, Tabernero, Burkes, Barugel &
Rivera, 2013). For this reason, therefore, when designing the self-management plan for John, he
will have to be given adequate information on how to know if the disease has reappeared on
his body. He will have to be informed about the signs and symptoms like weight loss, fatigue,
abdominal pain, stool changes, constipation, production of black or bloody stool, and the