Blood pressure alerts

Monitoring a patient's or a resident's blood pressure is more than just taking the blood pressure recording the result and giving a pill. A facility should have parameters for when a resident's blood pressure reaches a specific parameter and the physician should be notified, including when a standard fax is adequate or when a phone call should be made to alert the doctor.

A person's blood pressure must be evaluated along with any other symptoms that are exhibited. A blood pressure of 77/36 is of grave concern because it the individual's vital organs such as kidneys, brain and lungs may not be getting adequate oxygen. If the resident is responding appropriately, the blood pressure should immediately be rechecked to determine if it is an accurate reading or if it is operator error or mechanical malfunction. If it is indeed an accurate result, the resident maybe exhibiting other symptoms such as non-responsiveness, confusion, dizziness, inability to speak. Medical intervention is necessary, the sooner the better. The resident needs to be evaluated/assessed.

Like wise if the blood pressure is high, the blood pressure needs to be evaluated. If the resident is responding appropriately, the blood pressure should immediately be rechecked to determine if it is an accurate reading. If is is indeed an accurate result, the resident maybe exhibiting other symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, inability to raise both arms, smile or other symptoms of stroke. The resident should immediately be transported to the hospital and the physician notified.

It is more helpful if the resident's physician determines the parameters for which he wishes to be notified.

New nurses

I did a visit at a facility today. I shared my concerns with the facility nurse and she responded as if her responsibility was to only send a fax to the doctor and failed to alert him to why he was receiving the fax. I could not determine if she did not have the scope of knowledge to realized that a blood pressure of 77/36 and/or a blood pressure of 211/114 was a serious medical problem. I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt I just don't think she gets it.

Lots of changes happening at the state level. Our state government expanded the definition of financial exploitation of the elderly which was a good start. Training for individuals in the financial institutions, family members and facilities is paramount to preventing the exploitation of our senior citizens. It is very unfortunate when exploitation occurs and the ramifications for the senior involved is wide spread. This past week a news paper had a story where a gentleman was robbed of over 2 million dollars by a woman who promised marriage and companionship. Although the courts said she will pay the money back the reality is that probably will not happen as scamming elderly men was how she made her living. Keeping in contact and having frank discussions about financial matters with loved ones is the most effective means of protection against financial exploitation from crooks.