A 75-year-old female recovering from a broken hip is being discharged from a healthcare facility. After completing her care plan after discharge, the nurse learns that her patient has a 78-year-old husband with dementia that she cares for at home. He has been staying with other family members during her convalescence. Which of these is the correct course of action for the nurse?

Case management as a nurse involves creating care plans that continue after a patient leaves your care. This may include identifying and helping the patient utilize proper external resources to ensure their safety and health at home. In this case, the nurse needs to re-evaluate and revise her care plan for her patient. The nurse should initiate a discussion of the patient’s needs (with her family as well) to determine the best care plan. Never base a care plan on assumptions or intuition or alienate the patient from this process.