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Difficulty: MediumSupport Systems

While preparing a middle-aged client with chronic schizophrenia for discharge from an inpatient psychiatric unit, the client's elderly parent expresses profound exhaustion. The parent tearfully reports being the sole caregiver and expresses an inability to safely manage the client's complex daily medication regimen anymore. Which action should the nurse take to address this family's support needs?

  1. A
    Inform the parent that feeling overwhelmed is a standard aspect of the aging process that simply requires more rest.
  2. B
    State to the parent, 'Try not to worry; the updated medication regimen will keep the illness perfectly managed.'
  3. Initiate contact with a community mental health outreach program to arrange daily in-home medication administration.Answer
  4. D
    Postpone addressing the caregiver's statements and prioritize educating the client independently on medication side effects.

Answer

The most appropriate action is to initiate contact with a community mental health outreach program to arrange daily in-home medication administration.
The correct answer directly addresses the vulnerability in the client's support system by supplementing the caregiver's efforts with concrete community resources. This ensures medication adherence for the client while simultaneously alleviating the unmanageable burden placed on the elderly parent.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the caregiver's statement and physical presentation.
The elderly parent is experiencing severe caregiver role strain and explicitly states an inability to safely manage the client's care at home.
Identifying a breakdown in the primary family support system is essential for conducting safe and effective discharge planning.
2
Determine the priority nursing intervention based on the assessment.
The nurse must mobilize external community resources rather than relying on the exhausted parent.
When a family support system is inadequate or compromised, the nurse must advocate for alternative wrap-around services (like an Assertive Community Treatment team or home health) to ensure medication compliance and client safety.

Key Concept

Caregiver Role Strain and Community Resource Mobilization
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Topics

Support Systems

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