Q1- I would choose one because the way I see and assess Eve’s condition living on her own is not safe. She needed further assessment and continuous support. She also mentioned feeling lonely when the daughter is not around since her son stated to the Nurse assessor that she had 6-7 repeated episodes of falls as seen on CCTV. As identified, the home set-up shown in the scenario has many trip hazards that may contribute to additional risk factors in Eve’s condition. It would be appropriate to coordinate all Eve’s issues to a designated healthcare team to deal with her specific healthcare needs, such as the Dementia Nursing team, to make a further assessment and evaluate her present Dementia status, Physiotherapist and Occupational therapies to assess her mobility status and what equipment is needed or rearrangement around her house to keep her safe and might need additional carers to support her daily living activities, extra help to make prepare her meal.
Q2- It depends. If Eve has mental capacity, she may still be capable of making decisions for herself. She has the right to choose what care she needs. But, if her condition worsens and she becomes incapable of making her own decisions, she might need to secure a Special-power-of-attorney that will provide rights among her children to act on her behalf. Eve’s son and daughter could arrange and hopefully compromise what is best for their mother. Considering that the daughter can help and visit Eve physically as she lives closer to her house rather than the son who lives 100 miles away, although the son’s participation is also essential, monitoring Eve’s whereabouts inside the house, then I would consider both of their actions are vital in Eve’s care needs. If there are areas of care that both children could not fully provide, then the issues would be escalated, and a decision would be arranged coming from the designated Healthcare teams for further advice and additional support needs for Eve. She might need a package of care.
Q3- I would choose 2; I do not think putting a black mat as a hole is an effective way to keep Eve safe, and not accessing the kitchen will exacerbate her mental condition. Providing collaborative support from social care teams and other healthcare organisations within the local area where she lives would create better support for Eve’s situation. I would assess the whole house area and identify the probable cause of falls and other risk hazards. Advise and help rearrange the house furniture and keep the lounge tidy, advise to eliminate clutter, and keep the area as clear and clean as possible. Advise for additional support like a stair lift so that she could have access to her bedroom, other equipment such as a walking frame, and easy access to the toilet, or if she might need a commode in the lounge and a trolley for her food.
Q4 – I could not hear the phone conversation properly as the recording had many background noises.
