Question

A client is admitted to the psychiatric inpatient unit after being found walking on a highway at night talking to herself. the client is unkempt and appears thin and dirty. what would be the best way to assess the client's nutritional status and changes significant to mental health status?

Answer 1

To assess the client's nutritional status and changes significant to mental health status, a healthcare provider can conduct a comprehensive evaluation that includes physical examination, dietary history, and laboratory tests. This can help identify signs of malnourishment, nutritional deficiencies, and gather information on the client's eating habits.

Step-by-step explanation:

Assessing the client's nutritional status and changes significant to mental health status can be done through a comprehensive evaluation that includes physical examination, dietary history, and laboratory tests.

During the physical examination, the healthcare provider can assess the client's overall appearance, including signs of malnourishment such as being unkempt, thin, and dirty. The provider can also check for signs of nutritional deficiencies, such as dry skin, brittle hair and nails, and swelling.

Additionally, the healthcare provider can ask the client about their eating habits, appetite, and weight changes to gather information on their dietary patterns. Laboratory tests, such as blood tests, can further assess the client's nutritional status by measuring nutrient levels in the body.

Answer 2

The best way to assess the client's nutritional status and changes related to the mental health status is to ask questions first from the person who brought the patient if he or she knows the patient, if not that would be from the significant others may it be the parents or the spouse as they know the client. This can be done by calling them if they are not around. In addition, for nutritional status, one can perform a BMI by checking weight and height to know the status of the patient and also doing some laboratory tests.