Getting Attached

I did a reassessment today on a patient I had seen near the beginning of the summer. I didn’t see him for over 3 weeks while I was in long-term care, and in those three weeks he had his leg amputated! He had a very bad ulcer on his foot when I left and I am not sure if it was related to his DM or just a very bad pressure sore. This news came as quite a surprise when I went to reassess him.

I have taken quite a liking to this older gentleman, and today I had some extra time, which allowed me to have several conversations with he and his wife and the nurses in charge of his care. He is a rather picky eater, and so I did my best to provide him with more appealing meals, and to ensure he receives the supplements he has been prescribed. I put into practice the information I learned from that ADA article we read about liberalizing diets for older adults. I was very thankful to have read that article, and to have research supporting my decision to make exceptions and allow him items that did not fit into the set meal pattern of his prescribed diet. The RD I was working with fully supported the decision as well.

Yesterday I was thrilled to see two patients from long-term care, who had been in pretty bad shape, out and about in motorized wheel chairs looking as happy as could be. It put a smile on my face that lasted the whole way home.