Nursing Care Plan for Geriatric Depression and Social Anxiety Disorder

This report presents a comprehensive nursing care plan for a patient, Bob Jackson, diagnosed with geriatric depression and social anxiety disorder based on an interview analysis. The plan identifies two primary nursing diagnoses: geriatric depression leading to insomnia and social anxiety disorder. It outlines a care plan with the goal of reducing depression and social anxiety, promoting better sleep, and improving overall quality of life. The report details various risk factors associated with the patient's condition, including loneliness, helplessness, and potential for severe personality disorders, including suicidal ideation. The desired outcomes include behavioral improvements, increased social satisfaction, and effective coping mechanisms for emotional stress. The report suggests interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy to address negative thoughts and behaviors, interpersonal psychotherapy to improve mood and function, and the use of music and other therapeutic activities to alleviate depression. Additionally, it recommends interventions to manage social anxiety, including exercise, a calm communication approach, and pharmacological therapies like anxiolytics. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of these interventions in helping the patient lead a healthier life.

Q14. Considering the whole interview, which was organized in order to assess Bob Jackson’s
life it has been analyzed that he is a patient of depression. Apart from that he has a fright in
social appearance which means he is having a fear of socialization. His over thinking
personality is creating many hazards in his life and which in turn creates depression. Along
with that, due to such nature he cannot properly sleep at night and basically he spends
sleepless night. He has a massive fear centralizing his business and his thought process makes
him bound to think about his business situation during his absence after his death. From the
analysis of the interview, two nursing diagnoses can be discussed which requires nurses’
intervention. The main two nursing diagnoses are
a. Geriatric depression that leads to insomnia
b. Social anxiety disorder.
Q15. From the nursing diagnoses it is clear that Bob is suffering from geriatric depression
which is a mental disorder of feeling sadness all the time. A nursing care plan should be made
for such patient assessing his coping capabilities. The main goal of nursing care plan is to
reduce his depression and social anxiety disorder condition which will give him a peaceful
sleep at night and he will be able to lead a healthier life too. Various risk factors are
associated with the health condition of Bob which has been diagnosed in the interview. He
might feel loneliness, helplessness which will isolate him from the society and severe
personality disorder can also happen in his case. Even, in some worsened case, this
depression can lead to suicidal attempt also (Lemmens et al., 2017). After the nursing
intervention, the desired outcomes are that Bob will have behavioural manifestation after the
absence of the depression, he will have satisfaction with social circumstances, and also he
will find some alternative ways to deal with emotional stress as well as negative feelings.

In order to address his depression issue, nurses’ intervention with cognitive behavioural
therapy can be helpful. In this therapy the association among the feelings, thoughts and
behaviours are assessed. In this approach, nurses assist patients in identifying the negative
behaviour and thoughts, which is bringing changes to his mental health. It’s a hands-on
approach in which nurses will help him to locate the main problem and brainstorm the
solutions for that (Khokhar et al., 2017). Nurses will also assists Bob to write some self-
statements to counteract the negative thoughts he is carrying and after that he will be
motivated to find some new opportunities of positive thought (Johnsen & Friborg, 2015).
Another intervention can be providing interpersonal psychotherapy to Bob. In this method of
treatment procedure patients are encouraged to control mood and functions. Nurses will
check for the hobbies and other likings of Bob, so that he can be encouraged to do that in
order to refresh his mind while depressed. Nurses will encourage the patient to express his
feelings or anger if any (Fairburn et al., 2015).
Music is considered as one of the best therapies to overcome depression. Nurses can suggest
the patient to listen some soothing music or colouring a picture so that he can get out of the
depressed mental condition and he can also be suggested to keep some fresh flowers such as
lavender which is very therapeutic, beside his bed. It will also help the patient to sleep
peacefully throughout the night (Lemmens et al., 2017).
Another problem is social anxiety disorder with which Bob is suffering. It is the fear of
appearing in the society. Nurses’ intervention in this purpose can bring positive changes to
this issue. Nurse can tell the patient to enjoy some light exercise and encourage them to walk
on some fresh air which will make them refreshed (Mayo-Wilson et al., 2014).

Nurses will move Bob to a quite area and speak with calmness to Bob so that he can express
the real reason of fear which is creating social anxiety disorder and it will help him to feel
more secure while discussing his issues (Goldin et al., 2016).
Educating the patient is very much essential in such anxiety disorder cases. Some
pharmacological therapy such as, use of anxiolytics can be helpful for him to overcome the
issue of social anxiety disorder (Haug et al., 2015). All these nursing interventions will help
Bob to live a better life by reducing the main issues which have been diagnosed in the
interview.

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