Assignment
Clare describes a typical day where she sleeps late because she was not able to rest well at night. She has a cup of coffee and reads the newspaper. She watches TV or reads a book for the rest of the morning. Her mid day meal is usually something left over in the refrigerator. Sometimes she just has a snack of something. She says that her afternoon activities depend on what she feels like doing. Usually she takes a nap and tidies up around the house. She mentions the yard is getting over run with weeds and she just doesn't have the ability to take care of it. She states she is worried that she cannot do all the yard work nor has the financial ability to hire it done. She watches the nightly news and then goes to bed.
The nurse asks some questions specifically about depression and her mental state.
She says that she is still quite lonely after the death of her husband and that feels very alone. She no longer finds joy in her yard work like she once did. Her financial situation is a little strained. She worries about money and the ability to pay all her bills. She is often tired and low on energy because she's not sleeping well. She says the doctor drew blood to see if she was low on some vitamins or hormones. She does not know the results, but she thinks something is wrong. The nurse asks some questions about suicide. She says she has thought about it, but no real plan to do it. She thinks it would be better to be with her husband and she doesn't care if she dies. She has no history of self-harm or anything like it in her family history. She does have a hunting rifle that belonged to her husband, but she says she would even know how to load it.
Task
A. Does Clare have symptoms of depression (consider the Geriatric Depression Scale)?
B. What are some specific findings that support your answer?
C. What are some specific questions that should be asked about her depression at this time?
D. What are some depression risk factors present? What are some that could be present that need to be inquired about?
E. What is the result of the safety component of the assessment? Is she safe to be left alone or should she have someone with her?