Reference no: EM133692279

Question

Imagine that you are the charge nurse on a palliative-care unit. You are assembling a palliative-care team for Matthew, a 76-year-old patient who has suffered from diabetes for 40 years. He is married and lives with his wife of 52 years; she has macular degeneration and cannot drive, but is otherwise healthy. They have children who are adults with families and live in the state but work full time. Matthew now has several secondary issues. He lost his left leg (to a below-the-knee amputation, or BKA) 10 years ago; he has a pressure ulcer on his stump; he requires hemodialysis at a treatment facility 10 miles from his house three times a week; and he has severe neuropathic pain in his right foot and both hands. He has a pure motor hemiplegia (PMH) of hypertension (HTN), hypercholesterolemia, stroke, retinopathy, and most recently he has had some confusion; his family notes a slow cognitive decline that is a bit worse since he was admitted to your unit. Who would you include on his team and why?