Scenario: The family of a 62-year-old white female call your office and ask if you can see their family member. The person being requested to be seen is known to you for the last twenty years.
• She is your former supervisor and a fellow FNP.
• The family reports your colleague is demonstrating signs of dementia.
• They note that she has not been eating much for the past few weeks reporting she has a gnawing pain in her stomach. If she does eat she reports getting ‘full’ very quickly. She reports feeling mildly nauseous for the last few weeks.
• Your friend sustained a fall injury about 9 months ago from a ladder. She shattered some teeth and developed an infection. She is under the care of an oral surgeon.
• You have seen a few of her patients in your practice over the last couple weeks because ‘she is never in her office or available’ over the last few weeks.
• You reflect on your last few conversations with your colleague and think to yourself that you also thought she seemed ‘off her game’.
• You recommend her family take her to Urgent Care and you convince your colleague this is in her best interest.
• Labs drawn at Urgent Care reveal a Hgb of 8 and HCT of 24.
Please develop a discussion that responds to each of the following prompts.