NURSING PRIORITY NO. 1. To assess degree of impaired function:
• Inquire about/observe physical condition of care receiver and surroundings as appropriate.
• Assess caregiver’s current state of functioning (e.g., hours of sleep, nutritional intake, personal appearance, demeanor).
• Determine use of prescription/over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, alcohol to deal with situation.
• Identify safety issues concerning caregiver and receiver.
• Assess current actions of caregiver and how they are received by care receiver (e.g., caregiver may be trying to be helpful but is not perceived as helpful; may be too protective or may have unrealistic expectations of care receiver). May lead to misunderstanding and conflict.
• Note choice/frequency of social involvement and recreational activities.
• Determine use/effectiveness of resources and support systems.
NURSING PRIORITY NO. 2. To identify the causative/contributing factors relating to the impairment:
• Note presence of high-risk situations (e.g., elderly client with total self-care dependence, or family with several small children with one child requiring extensive assistance due to physical condition/developmental delays). May necessitate role reversal resulting in added stress or place excessive demands on parenting skills.
• Determine current knowledge of the situation, noting misconceptions, lack of information.May interfere with caregiver/ care receiver response to illness/condition.
• Identify relationship of caregiver to care receiver (e.g., spouse/lover, parent/child, sibling, friend).
• Ascertain proximity of caregiver to care