Case study:
Nikola is a 56-year-old woman, who is having trouble coping with life. She was recently laid off from her job and is having trouble finding another. She is worried about finances because she has a small pension that she can't use until she is 65. She is receiving some government financial assistance which she says is "barely enough to pay rent." She lives alone and has been eating poorly, saying, "I can't afford to buy much food" and eats two small meals a day. She visits the food bank weekly, mostly getting pasta and canned food. She says she drinks a small glass of water with her meals. She hasn't showered for a week and her clothes are dirty. She says she had a bath last week. Her hair is oily and matted at the back. You notice her fingernails are rough with dirt under the nails. Her skin is dry, and scaly and there is a fissure on her right heel. Her lips are dry and cracked and she has bleeding gums. She says she has not been to a dentist in years.