Information giving lifestyle 2
Information giving lifestyle 2
Written by Leya Bedar
Student brief
Ms Sharma is a 58-year-old woman who has been diagnosed with COPD and her condition has worsened. Please discuss how you can improve her condition by managing lifestyle factors.
Patient brief
Name: Milaya Sharma
DOB: 10/05/1963 = 59 years old
BACKGROUND
You were diagnosed with COPD a year ago. The treatments you have tried have not helped your condition.
You believe medication should be able to sort it out.
Condition details: COPD gives you a cough and shortness of breath. You cough all day and can barely walk a few steps without getting short of breath. Your coughing is making is difficult to do your job as a marketing officer at a cosmetics company.
LIFESTYLE
• DIET: You eat a healthy balanced diet
• EXERCISE: You do not exercise – you are too tired all the time and cough after walking a few steps.
• SMOKING:
– You smoke 25 cigarettes a day.
– You have been smoking since you were 16 and have never tried to stop.
– You believe the cigarettes are important for calming your nerves and have never been able to find anything that hits the spot the same way.
– You smoke whenever you feel stressed out or upset. Your job is getting very stressful right now because you have heard about upcoming redundancies in June.
– When you don’t smoke, you get a headache, feel tired, angry and dizzy.
• READINESS TO CHANGE: If the misconceptions are addressed, and the option to cut down gradually rather than quit all at once is mentioned and nicotine replacement therapy, you would be willing to reduce your smoking.
OTHER HISTORY
No past medical history.
Drug history: You have tried several different inhalers and taken them as prescribed. They have only helped a little. Can’t remember the names.
No allergies.
Family history: Dad smoked the same amount and he lived until 80. He died from a heart attack.
Occupation: Marketing officer at a cosmetics company.
You have two adult daughters who are off at university and visit home every month or so. You do not live with anyone.
You do not drink alcohol.
QUESTIONS TO ASK:
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What is going to happen if I don’t make any changes?
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My father smoked the same amount and he lived until 80. Why do I need to stop?
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I’ve been smoking for so long, what is the point in stopping now?
