CASE STUDY ONE
Julia McGraw
N309 Nursing of the Gerontological Client
Lakeview College of Nursing
May 22, 2011
Case study one
     I believe that Mr. Dea is dealing with the loss of his wife.  They were together for forty years and he is struggling to get by without her.  Because of this loss, he feels no need to eat or take care of himself in general.  He could also be having quite a challenging time getting around and doing some of his activities of daily living because of his fractured hip.  This could also make things difficult for him getting his groceries and errands that he would usually do.  It also seems he does not know how to enjoy life without his significant other.
     I would suggest that Mr. Dea wait to retire.  It would be best to not have another significant change in his life while he is still not over the loss of his wife.  He needs learn to cope and move on from one thing before losing another constant in his life.
     I would not recommend that he move out of town.  He has lived there for many years and is use to the area.  He also has support systems in the area, if he were to reach out, he has his neighbors, church, clubs, and friends.  Everything familiar to him is in this area.  Whether he moves or not, his wife will still be gone, which he will have to come to terms with.  I would not recommend that he sell his house.  If he really does want to be independent for as long as he possibly can, he needs to put effort into maintaining his health.  Selling his home would take him out of his own little spot in the world, making him less independent and possibly causing his depression to worsen.
    CASE STUDY ONE
     Moving into an independent retirement community or an assisted living complex, depending on how well he can care for himself would be an option.  He is not very social and is definitely missing human interaction, so living in these communities would be good for him.  There would also be food available, so there are chances of him eating healthier.  These communities also offer health care, so he might have better maintenance of his health.
     I would have them talk to a home health care agency.  A nurse could come by and address any needs he may have.  The nurse would also make suggestions on how to make adjustments to the activities that are difficult for Mr. Dea to perform.
     He needs to start eating healthy, well-balanced meals. He needs to talk with a dietician about the importance of a well balanced diet.  He also needs to stop smoking.  Teaching him all of the diseases and problems that smoking causes could help him see a reason to quit.  He needs to learn a healthy way to cope with the loss of his wife, so he can live his life and care about himself and others.  He could see a therapist or a support group to vent and learn how to healthily cope.  This is his biggest problem because it is the contributor to many of his health problems that he is or will be facing. He also needs his fractured hip to heal.  He does need to exercise, do his activities of daily living, and get back to doing things independently but he also must not over work himself to the point of further harm or preventing his fracture from healing.

CASE STUDY ONE
References
Bergland, A., & Kirkevold, M. (2001). Thriving -- a useful theoretical perspective to capture the experience of well-being among frail elderly in nursing homes?. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 36(3), 426-432. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Mauk, K. L. (Ed.). (2010). Gerontological nursing: Competencies for care (2nd ed.). Sudbury, 
     MA: Jones and Bartlett.