Mrs Brody recently visited her General Practitioner (GP), for a review of her rheumatoid arthritis. The GP is concerned that because of her increasing physical and cognitive frailty she will no longer...

Mrs Brody recently visited her General Practitioner (GP), for a review of her rheumatoid arthritis. The GP is concerned that because of her increasing physical and cognitive frailty she will no longer be able to care for Mr Brody at home. The GP refers Mrs Brody to a geriatrician for a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA).

Before the assessment is undertaken, Mrs Brody falls heavily in the shower and fractures her hip. Mr Brody calls their daughter Stella in great distress. It is Stella, who from inter-state, calls an ambulance and after assessing Mrs Brody the paramedics transfer her to the Emergency Department (ED). As you are getting Mrs Brody settled into ED Cubicle 3, you overhear another staff member saying “try and get the old lady in cube3 home ASAP. She’s just a geri-syndrome”. Mrs Brody hears this too and asks you “what’s a geri-syndrome? I can’t go home like this. Who will look after my husband?” Mrs Brody then starts to cry.

As the newest RN (staff member) in the ED, how will you respond to this situation? In your 150 word answer you can choose to focus on either Assessment 3 Criteria 2a only, or 2b only (& as well as Criterium 1 and 3!). However, you are encouraged to join in the discussion by responding – collegially – to other students’ posts from any perspective.