Case Study: Bio psychosocial Assessment
Case Study: Bio psychosocial Assessment
Permalink:
Karen is a 40-year-old African American female. She is divorced and the mother of a 20-year-old daughter, Sarah. Sarah has a daughter who is 1½ years old. Karen lives in Queens, New York, with her mother, daughter, and granddaughter. Karen has a brother who is married with a child. She is very close to her family.
Karen works full-time as an emergency room nurse. She has had this job for more than 15 years. Her ex-husband was an alcoholic, and he left Karen and Sarah when Sarah was born. Karen has no history of drug or alcohol abuse. Karen raised Sarah as a single parent, and Sarah has no contact with her father. Karen and Sarah regularly attend the same local Christian church as Karen’s mother. The family considers itself religious. The church community is very important in the family’s life.
Six years ago, Karen was working a shift in the emergency room. Although she followed standard universal precautions, Karen was stuck by a needle through her glove. She followed appropriate protocol for a needle stick according to hospital policy. Ultimately, Karen grew ill and she was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Karen has taken antiretroviral therapy for several years. She has had a good response to treatment. She is fully adherent to the HIV/AIDS treatment regimen. Karen’s family is aware of her HIV status but has not disclosed her status to friends or members of the church community.
Karen was recently admitted to the hospital with a new diagnosis of leukemia. She was told that her condition was aggressive and she needed a series of treatments including chemotherapy. While on chemotherapy, Karen had an extremely difficult time. She had numerous painful and deteriorating side effects. Throughout all of this, Karen kept a bright sense of humor and the hope that she would recover. Her daughter and granddaughter were always in her thoughts. Karen’s mother spent many days and nights in the hospital. Karen allowed her daughter and granddaughter to visit on occasion, but she never told her daughter how bad her condition was.
Karen was in the hospital for nearly a month. On some days, she was bright and cheerful. On others, she was so sedated on pain medication that she was not coherent. After multiple rounds of chemotherapy, Karen did not respond. Her doctors ultimately told her that there was nothing else they could offer her. Karen and her mother were devastated. At this point, Karen was weak, gaunt, and had little ability to care for herself. Her wish was to go home to die. Karen’s family tried to take her home, but they could not care for her alone. Karen fell and developed a high fever that they could not control. Karen was readmitted to the hospital for a short stay and was ultimately transferred to a hospice facility where she died. Her family was with her around the clock during this time.
© 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 1 of 2
Resources for Assignment InterRAI. (2011). MDS 3.0. Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality- Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/NursingHomeQualityInits/Downloads/Archive- Draft-of-the-MDS-30-Nursing-Home-Comprehensive-NC-Version-1140.pdf Matrix Home Care. (2012). Medical social work assessment. Retrieved from http://www.matrixhomecare.com/Forms/Medical%20SoSoci%20Work%20Assessment.pd f Social Work Outcomes Task Force of the Social Work Section, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals. (n.d.). Social work assessment tool. Retrieved from https://www.nhpco.org/sites/default/files/public/nchpp/SWAT_Information_Booklet.pdf © 2014 Laureate Education, Inc. Page 2 of 2
- SOCW 8205/SOCW 6205