Case study 3 Tuesday 17 May 2016, 8.00 am Alana is entering the end-of-life stag
ID: 127898 • Letter: C
Question
Case study 3
Tuesday 17 May 2016, 8.00 am Alana is entering the end-of-life stage. She often has difficulty breathing. She likes Mai to stroke her arm and apply massage oil. One morning she whispers to Mai that she doesn’t have the energy to see her friends and extended family anymore. She asks if Mai can tell them that she loves them but she can’t see them anymore. As Mai is helping her out of bed, Alana says, ‘I don’t think I can have a shower today’. Mai tells her that is all right and that she can bathe her in her room instead. Just as Mai is reassuring her, Alana groans with pain. She clutches her chest and starts to cry. Mai knows she is allowed to watch Alana self-medicate so she makes sure the pain-relief tablet is taken. Alana’s family is aware that Alana is entering the end of her life and Alana’s husband would like Alana to die at home surrounded by her family members. Alana expresses that she is more comfortable in the hospice and would prefer to remain there.
How can the support worker assist the person accessing services to choose the location of their end-of-life care?
What might a support worker observe and document about pain for a person and how should this be reported?
Identify two strategies that Mai implements to manage Alana’s pain and provide comfort.
Identify a problem-solving strategy that Mai implements to manage Alana’s pain and still maintain personal hygiene.
Explanation / Answer
1). How can the support worker assist the person accessing services to choose the location of their end-of-life care?
The support worker has to convey the interests of Alana about her healthcare to her family members. As the opinions of Alana and her family members (including her husband) seem different, it is necessary to arrange the services referred by Alana to increase her comfort and feeling of being supported.
2). The support worker has to identify the location and severity of the pain and must be reported to her family members to get the help of concerned healthcare professional