Question

The home care nurse is visiting a male client who is recovering at home after suffering a brain attack (stroke) 2 weeks ago. The client's wife states that the client has difficulty feeding himself and difficulty with swallowing food and fluids. Which would be the initial nursing action?

1) Observe the client feeding himself.
2) Observe the wife feeding the client.
3) Arrange for a home health aide to assist at mealtimes.
4) Instruct the wife in the use of a feeding syringe to feed the client.

Answer 1

Option A). The initial nursing action should be to observe the client feeding himself to assess his difficulties and needs following a stroke, leading to tailored therapy and assistance.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a stroke victim is recuperating and has trouble swallowing or feeding himself, the first nursing intervention should be to watch the patient do it. This will enable the nurse to evaluate the client's skills and challenges directly. In order to customize the right therapy and support for the client, it is essential to assess issues with movement coordination, chewing, and swallowing reflexes, which are frequently impacted following a stroke. Interventions like speech-language pathologist-assisted swallowing treatment, dietary texture adjustments, or further supportive measures could be suggested after this examination.