Reference no: EM133718692

Question

You are a social worker in the behavioral health department at a primary care clinic. One of the physicians on your team refers a patient to you for a psychosocial assessment because he is concerned about her wellbeing. The patient is a 85 year old female who was being seen by her primary care physician for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The patient is in good cognitive health, but she has an unsteady gait, and her physician is concerned she is not taking her medication routinely nor using her oxygen as directed. He also worries that she may be continuing to smoke. During your first meeting, the patient is cooperative and willing to answer your questions, though she does express some irritation that she has to see a social worker. The patient moved in with her adult daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren (ages 2, 5, and 8) about six months ago because her daughter was concerned about the patient living alone. The patient shared, "My daughter worried that I was not safe being on my own, but my daughter needs to look in the mirror. She is the one with the problems; not me." The patient subsequently revealed that her.