Case

Can Mrs. Klausman Stay in Assisted Living?

Mrs. Klausman is a 92-year-old resident in an assisted living facility. She has a mild cognitive impairment and needs help with bathing and medication administration. Because of progressive arthritis, she is having difficulty eating. The silverware slips out of her hands and falls to the floor so that staff members must keep replacing it. Mrs. Klausman becomes visibly frustrated and embarrassed. The food service manager and the administrator decide to meet with Mrs. Klausman’s daughter and recommend that the family should hire a home care provider to assist Mrs. Klausman at mealtimes. The facility does not have staff resources to feed residents. The resident’s daughter is thinking whether a skilled nursing facility would be more appropriate for her mother.

Questions

1.  Identify and evaluate Mrs. Klausman’s deficit in self-feeding from different perspectives on what long-term care consists of.

2.  Should Mrs. Klausman be transferred to a skilled nursing facility? Explain.

3.  Is hiring a homemaker appropriate? Why or why not? What do you suggest?