Nursing Facilities Case Summary

After reading the case, "Nursing Facilities Case: Mary", one can't help but to feel sympathy for the family members involved with making the decision to do a hip replacement on such a frail body.

Should Mary's family members authorize the double hip replacement? What factors should be considered? Who else, if anyone, should be considered? What are the implications of that decision on the parties invlved: Mary, her children, the faculty staff?

This is a tough decision to make for a family member with the existing medical conditions like that of Mary's. Apparently, Mary was a very active person and self reliant in her younger days of life. However, as she aged, so did her vitality to recover from such an extensive procedure. Careful thought must be given to the fact that she has had a heart attack in the past and that she is diabetic before making this type of decision. Diabetic patients have an increased risk for problems during or after their surgery such as: infections, healing slower, and increased risk for heart

After a double hip replacement for a healthy person is a very difficult, imagine the round-the-clock assistance that Mary will need. In this case, the family members may need to have a meeting with the facility director, staff nurses, and those assigned to her care to make sure that they are capable of providing the help she will need during recovery to include therapy. By Mary not having cognitive abilities and unable to make her own decisions for her health care needs, the family must be in close communication with the attending physician to help make the right decision for Mary as well. However, is Mary considered a suitable candidate for a hip replacement surgery? Will she be able to participate in the recovery