Reflective Writing - Interaction between Elderly Patients and Healthcare Providers
Added on 2019-10-30
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Running head: REFLECTIVE WRITING 1Reflective WritingStudent’s NameUniversity Affiliation
REFLECTIVE WRITING 2IntroductionThis write-up is a reflection of lifespan stage and health related concepts that happen to be most challenging when dealing with elderly patients. It discusses how a health care worker can modify his/her perception and behaviour when dealing with the elderly patients to minimise potential challenges and provide effective health care. The essay follows the case study of Dorothy, a 71-year old Greek widow who had been presented to the emergency unit following a broken arm as a result of fall at her home. The primary contributing factor for this incident is alcohol due to isolation from friends, family and her late husband. The patient experiences memory loss, forgetfulness fatigue, depression and has aggressive behaviour which she attributesit to the feeling of being judged by others. Although the patient had been diagnosed with dementia, there is a concern she might forget to take her medication to relieve pain in the broken arm. Also, the patient is verbally aggressive and non-compliant at the hospital something which makes it hard for the physicists to monitor her situation effectively. All these problems caused her; falls, loss of memory, black out and not being able to stand for long, things which make it hard for the patient to be discharged since she may return to her drinking routine. Factors Influencing Interaction between Elderly Patients and Healthcare ProvidersThere are a myriad of factors that determine the quality of service delivered by a physicist in regard to his interaction with the patient, but in this write up we will look at the two most common healthcare constructs. Patient behaviour/ cooperation; from the case scenario, it is evident that the patient did not cooperate fully with the service being provided. At time, the healthcare provider was worried
REFLECTIVE WRITING 3that the patient could be discharged only to go home to resume her drinking. The patient also attributes her verbally aggressive behaviour to the feeling of being judged by others. Provider’s level of competence; from the case scenario, we can point out that the healthcare provider is competent in his work. He understands that opioids and alcohol have adverse effects on the body, hence the need for alcohol withdrawal program. Throughout the case scenario, it is well presented that the doctor is versed in his work and his level of competence high.Why the above constructs are most challenging?First, the patient’s cooperation and involvement are very challenging since it helps in determining the quality of healthcare service delivery. Clinical outcome depends entirely on the behaviour of the patient and ability to give information or cooperation with the healthcare providers (Drenth-van Maanen et al., 2009). Even if a nurse does her job well and the client doesnot follow medical orders, the objective will not be achieved. For example, non-compliance of Dorothy at the hospital will make it hard for the physicist to provide effective, quality care for the patient. Patient’s trust is also significant in achieving the desired results. Ekdahl et al., (2010)assert that providing more information about a disease or a condition can not only help improve patient/doctor interaction but also ease the process of treatment.Second, the practitioner's knowledge, competence and technical skills are also challenging since they determine the quality of healthcare service (Lerolle et al., 2010). Hence, health experts need to improve their competencies to deliver standard services. If a health care provider is not competent enough or does not have the required skills, it will be hard to provide effective health care, especially for the aggressive and non compliant elderly patients.
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