Question

A nurse is caring for a client who is recovering from a stroke and has right-sided homonymous hemianopsia. To help the client adapt, the nurse should take which of the following actions?

A. Check the client's cheek on his affected side after eating to be sure no food remains there.
B. Encourage the client to sit upright with his head tilted slightly forward during meals.
C. Provide the client with eating utensils that have large handles.
D. Remind the client to look consciously at both sides of his meal tray.

Answer 1

To help a stroke patient with right-sided homonymous hemianopsia, the nurse should remind the patient to consciously look at both sides of the meal tray to ensure all the food and necessary objects are visible and accessible.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asked how a nurse can assist a client who is recovering from a stroke and suffers from right-sided homonymous hemianopsia, a condition where the client has lost the right half of the field of vision in both eyes. The nurse can take several actions to help the client adapt:

• Check the client's cheek on the affected side after eating to ensure no food remains, as the client may not feel or see any residual food.
• Encourage the client to sit upright during meals with the head tilted slightly forward, facilitating swallowing and reducing the risk of aspiration.
• Provide the client with eating utensils that have large handles to enhance grip and control.
• Remind the client to look consciously at both sides of the meal tray, which will help the client adjust to the loss of visual field by actively scanning the environment.

The correct action the nurse should take to help the client adapt to his condition is to remind the client to consciously look at both sides of the meal tray. This helps the client to compensate for the visual field loss by ensuring they see all of their food and any objects they may need during their meal.