Nursing Care Plan-self care deficit or risk for falls?

[brawhe]

I am in need of help. I just started the program and I am having problems with developing nursing care plans. I have a pt that has severe Parkinson's, dementia, depression, psychosis(hallucinations). The pt is unable to bath herself, feed, dress, walk without assistance. Would my primary diagnosis be a self care deficit or risk for falls.? Her tremors are severe, some days she is unable to talk. She tries to feed herself but the food does not make it to her mouth most of the time due to the tremors. I want to go with self care deficit....am I on the right track???

[sweetiepeas]

Are you doing a concept map? When we did ours we started with a medical diagnosis and then grouped symptoms into pods in an offshoot from the center. Then based on those we chose the correct Nanda diagnosis and then created interventions from there.

Not sure if that helps or not. I used our concept map book and it explained it pretty good. What book are you using?

Self-care deficit could be related to her depression and dementia. Risk for falls is related to things like impaired mobility, poor vision, medications, etc... secondary to parkinson's and dementia

[sweetiepeas]

Oh also think in terms of Maslow's hierarchy for self need. So you would start with physiological things first then safety and security, etc...

[callingtheshots]

Most schools frown upon the use of a "risk for" as the main diagnosis.

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

Most schools frown upon the use of a "risk for" as the main diagnosis.

Seconded - actual problems always have higher priority than risks. My most recent preceptor used the following hierarchy for Nursing Dx: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Pain, then the rest of Maslow's hierarchy.