Reference no: EM133229006

Question: Gerald, 80 years old, had a sleeping disorder and was tired most of the day and lonely at night. His wife of 45 years had recently moved into their sewing room, where she slept on the couch at night because she could no longer cope with his loud snoring. He sometimes even seemed to stop breathing, which kept her awake watching his abdomen rise and fall, or not. Sometimes he would awaken suddenly, gasping for air. However, Gerald had tolerated it because he thought nothing could be done. Because it had become a threat to his marriage, he became motivated to investigate possible solutions. Gerald said to his nurse clinician, "This isn't anything, but it upsets my wife." Although he did not admit it, he was also worried because he was beginning to feel rather weak and listless during the day. When he consulted the clinic nurse, Gerald was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. He found that some very practical means of dealing with this problem of sleep apnea were available, and if these were not effective, the nurse reassured him that additional medical interventions could be helpful.

Based on your reading what would be "very practical means"?

How much does Medicare cover for a CPAP? YUP, makes me angry too!

Chapter 18 Physical Activity and Exercise

Tom, 75 years old, lost his wife Ella a year ago and had been feeling down and tired much of each day. He had retired at age 70 from his job as a housing contractor and had spent much of his time with Ella. They had been married for 50 years. He now sometimes seemed to sit in front of the television most of the day without actually remembering what it was that he had seen. Many of the couple's friends had moved away or relocated to retirement settings, and other than his daughter, who lived about 45 minutes from his house, Tom rarely saw anyone anymore. He had lived like this for nearly a year, and it had become his daily pattern of life. Tom took the initiative after a suggestion from his daughter to go to the local senior citizen center. He went and had lunch there nearly every day. At one point he was asked if he would allow a nursing student to spend time with him during her semester in a gerontology course. He agreed. In the course of her assessment, she (and he) found that his activity level was nearly completely sedentary. She gave Tom information about the ramifications of such a sedentary life. She pointed out that the center had an exercise class every day between 10 am and 12 noon. Because he came every day (except Saturday and Sunday) for lunch, it seemed a good thing to do. Tom said to his nursing student, "This isn't anything I am really interested in doing, but I will give it a try." Though he did not admit it, he was also worried because he usually felt weak and listless during the day after his lunch. When he did attend the first class, he found that there were basic exercises and more advanced ones for elders who had participated regularly for 6 months. He found after a few weeks that he was enjoying the social aspect of the exercise, if not the exercise itself. After nearly a year of fairly regular participation, Tom began playing golf with some of the men from the center. Once he attended a dance.

What is subjective and objective?

What does your local senior center offer? Cost?