The healthcare environment requires a fundamental focus on the patient’s safety, independence, and a sound healing environment. Such background may only exist where there are evidence-based practice and effective decision-making. Max’s case study provides a practical demonstration of how medication choice and self-response may affect a patient’s safety and recovery. Some of the issues portrayed are common among sick people within various age groups and the implication of choices.
The primary safety concern for Max is the reaction that he is experiencing with the pain-relieving medication ingested. Notably, Max is a pleasurable individual who chooses his activities according to his desires. However, he feels confused and tired, and it would indicate that the patient has an adverse reaction to the Demerol medicine ingested. Max is experiencing severe pain, and he grants it a score of 8 on a scale of 1-10. Notably, Demerol is not the right choice for the 70-year-old patient because it may have negative reactions, such as lethargy and drowsiness.
Thus, stopping the medication would be one of the critical interventions to manage Max’s treatment. The clinicians can then review his recovery behavior and findings recorded within his health files. Identifying the cause of his sleepy behavior would be critical in understanding the implications of the medicines used during hip replacement surgery. Similarly, monitoring his move through different slip hazards or using an armband to affirm that he is at fall risk would be ideal. Importantly, discharge planning would enable Max to reintegrate with the family members at home.
Succinctly, the management of hip replacement pain is a notable exercise that requires all relevant personnel – wife, and caregivers. A good therapy would include putting ice caps on the surgical hip three times a day for the first week. Taking the pain management medication, as specified by the doctors, would also be ideal. Lee et al. (2018) assert that home-based care and rehabilitation should also receive the attention it deserves just as hospital care. Thus, Max’s recovery will depend on the coordination between the relatives and the physicians while he is at home.
Reference
Lee, I. F.-K., Yau, F. N., Yim, S. S.-H., & Lee, D. T.-F. (2018). Evaluating the impact of a home-based rehabilitation service on older people and their caregivers: A matched-control quasi-experimental study. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 13, 1727−1737. Web.