1.1.3 Infection Control Case Study 1

This case study is adapted from a real situation. All names are aliases, and any identifiers are removed for privacy.

Case Study

Gerald is a 69-year-old male recovering from a stroke which happened two months ago. He has been your client in the recovery rehabilitation wing of the long-term care home for one month. He lives in a two-bed room with another client. Two days ago, Gerald went out for four hours with his family. Today, he is saying he does not feel well. He reports feeling very tired and warm. He is not hungry and refuses breakfast, which is not normal for him. He states his stomach does not feel well, and that he feels sick. No other residents in his floor are ill with these symptoms.

Your Tasks

1. What questions will you ask Gerald to help determine the cause of his symptoms?
2. What physical signs will you look for to help understand what is happening?
3. What observations will you report to your supervisor?
4. What changes would you recommend regarding his room situation, based on the information you learned from the video, if any?

Write down your answers. You will then revisit these responses at the end of this chapter. If you think of additional answers as you progress through this chapter, please add them to your notes.