Promoting Healthy Aging: A Clinical Reasoning Cycle Patient Assessment Interview

Running head: PROMOTING HEALTHY AGING
Promoting healthy aging
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1PROMOTING HEALTHY AGING
Introduction:
A very important aspect of quality care delivery is proper patient assessment and
processing of the situational issues faced by the patient (Lima, Newall, Jordan, Hamilton &
Kinney, 2016). Clinical reasoning cycle has been used in the healthcare industry as a useful tool
for optimally collecting and processing the information shared by the patient and arriving at a
care decision that is most suitable for the patient (Salminen, Zary, Björklund, Toth-Pal &
Leanderson, 2014). This assignment will attempt to utilize the framework provided by the
clinical reasoning cycle in order to conduct a patient assessment interview of an elderly patent
with the focus on promoting healthy aging and understand if there are any health issues faced by
the patient.
Patient situational analysis:
This first of the process is the patent situational analysis; for this interview, I had to visit
the house of a 72-year-old patient. In order to protect her privacy and the confidentiality of her
personal information, she will be called Suzanna. Suzanna had been an elderly widower who
lived alone in her house. The patient data revealed that she had suffered a major stroke in the
past year and has been disabled from her waist down ever since. Hence, the interview was set up
in her own house so that she can be comfortable and she would not have to suffer through her
mobility restrictions to come to the interview spot (Lima, Newall, Jordan, Hamilton & Kinney,
2016). When I approached her house I noticed that her entire house was very messy with various
articles cluttered all across the house. She apologized profusely forth mess that her house. I
noticed that the condition of the house increased her fall risk optimally and I asked her whether
she has any help with the household chores. Suzanna expressed that she has a community carer

2PROMOTING HEALTHY AGING
pay her a visit thrice a month but no matter how hard she has tried to keep the house clean, she
cannot cope with it due to her disability and age-related restrictions. According to her wishes, we
set up the interview in the living room after helping her sit comfortably on the sofa. The patient
had been slightly nervous while starting the interview however when I explained to her the
purpose of the interview the patient finally relaxed and was ready to proceed with the interview.
The resources that I carried with me for the interview includes a voice recorder, notebook, pen
and RLT model questionnaire for the interview.
Collection of cues:
In the next step of the study I attempted to collect cues and required information from the
patient based on the questionnaire model that I had taken with me. The nonverbal
communication traits are very important aspects while conducting patient assessment so as to
help the patient feel confident, valued and comfortable to share her personal information with the
healthcare staff (Morton, Fontaine, Hudak & Gallo, 2017). I approached the patient with casual
conversation so that the patent can easily interact with me and can share her issues and
grievances effectively. According to the Odell (2015), it has to mentioned, that while assessment
often the patients feel embarrassed and uncomfortable to share the personal details of their life
with a complete stranger. Hence, I attempted to discuss with her my own personal background,
how I started with a profession in the health care industry and how my journey as a care provider
has been. As the patent was comfortable with sharing information with me I started with the
questionnaire. I began with the information regarding her environment, her communication,
breathing, eating and drinking, eliminating, personal cleansing and dressing, body temperature,
mobilizing capabilities, working and playing, expressing her sexuality, sleeping and lastly about
dying. As per the Robert, Tilley and Petersen (2014), it is crucial for the care professionals to