Exam 31: Common Legal and Ethical Issues

A nurse working in an emergency department is caring for an 89-year-old woman who was brought to the hospital by her daughter for a fracture of the right arm. The woman is wheelchair dependent and lives with her widowed daughter who is the primary caregiver. The daughter states that her mother got up out of the wheelchair unassisted to go to the bathroom and fell. The patient cannot recall the circumstances of the fall. The patient is weeping and cradling her right arm. The patient's history reveals two previous wrist fractures over the course of the past year. The nurse notes several large ecchymotic areas on the right hand and left arm and on the left side of the body and the back. The ecchymoses are in various stages of healing. Upon assessment, the patient is non-weight-bearing (NWB). The nurse suspects physical abuse based on which of the following findings? (Select all that apply.)

Which of the following statements made by a family caregiver would a nurse consider most indicative of elder abuse?

The nurse is providing care to a client diagnosed with dementia. What option is an example of the appropriate use of implied consent by the nurse?

A nurse suspects elder mistreatment in which of the following patients seen in the emergency department? (Select all that apply.)

A nurse suspects that her next-door neighbor, an older woman, is a victim of elder abuse by her daughter. What is the appropriate action for the nurse to do in this situation?

A frail, elderly widow is admitted to the hospital after sustaining a fall. The client lives alone and has no living relatives. After cognitive testing reveals mild cognitive impairment, the interdisciplinary team on the Acute Care for the Elderly Unit recommends long-term care placement and that a durable power of attorney for health care (DPOA-HC) be established. When the client seems confused over what a DPOA-HC's responsibilities are, the nurse responds that:

A nurse is preparing education for a group of older adults and caregivers at a senior center on elder abuse. The nurse is preparing to discuss seniors who are more likely to be abused or neglected. The nurse includes which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

Which option is an example of elder exploitation?

An older woman tearfully tells a nurse, "I must buy my neighbor all of his groceries, or he will not drive me to the store or the doctor." This is an example of which type of elder mistreatment?

When a cognitively impaired, wealthy, white client is noted to have burns on her upper back, her son states that the patient burned herself when attempting to shower. Which statement by a member of the team reflects a need for further education on elder abuse? (Select all that apply.)