Running Head: ADVOCACY FOR THE ELDER

Advocacy for the Elder

N.D.
Bay Path University

Running Head: ADVOCACY FOR THE ELDER

Advocacy for the Elder

CASE: Mrs. Jones is an eighty-five-old mother of five who lives in a three room
apartment with her husband. She and her husband live on less than $3000.00 per month social
security benefit. They are on Medicare with no drug plan. Mrs. Jones has been placed on a new
medication costing $365.00 per month. They cannot afford this medication. How would you
advocate for this family?
To advocate for Mrs. Jones family a nurse would need to examine family health
insurance, living situation, financial resources, and transportation availability. First of all, Mrs.
Jones, who is an eighty-five-old female, would greatly benefit from a healthcare provider with a
geriatric background and knowledge. Lewis et all states that care of older adults present
challenges that require skilled assessment and creative adaptations of nursing interventions
(2012, p.72). Aligning older adult social services can a be a challenge due to functional decline,
more than one chronic condition, financial constraints, or inadequate health coverage; therefore,
seeking help from case managers or social workers can be very helpful.
While examining Mrs. Jones situation, a nurse should access her health insurance
coverage. According to Horton and Johnson, some elderlies may delay seeking medical
attention or obtaining prescription drugs because of the financial burden (2010, p.363). Mrs.
Jones Medicare plan without drug coverage. Considering that Mrs. Jones is from a local
community in Springfield, MA, a nurse may look into local services for elders that may provide
assistance with obtaining an adequate insurance coverage for the expensive drug. One of the
local organizations that provide support to senior citizens in Springfield, MA is Greater
Springfield Senior Services, Inc. (GSSI). The organization provides assistance with case

Running Head: ADVOCACY FOR THE ELDER

management, home care, money management, meals assistance, congregate housing and variety
of other services.
Medicare offers insurance for prescription drugs to everyone who has Medicare plan A or
Medicare plan B. Medicare plan D offers coverage for prescription drugs. Mrs. Jones financial
situation needs to be more closely examined to see which plan would better suit her needs.
Medicare prescription plans also based on monthly income and in Mrs. Jones case knowing exact
income is very important, as it will determine what kind coverage she can qualify and what
would be the monthly payment for it. Like it was mentioned above, organizations such as GSSSI
would be a great place to find more information about prescription drug coverage.
A nurse should also review the prescribed medicine for Mrs. Jones with the ordering
physician and check if the genetic medication was prescribed or the brand name drug; is it
possible to use a less expensive medication; or if this drug combination is less expensive in a
different form. From my personal experience, some of the medications can get very expensive
depending on the dosage and a form that its ordered. Not all pharmacies are able to fill a scrip at
the same price. One particular example is oral suspension form of Vancomycin antibiotic. I had
patients call my unit after discharge saying that they are not able to fill the prescription as an oral
suspension of this drug is very expensive and takes days for pharmacists to mix. I have done
some research and found out that our own, Baystate Pharmacy within the hospital, can fill the
same prescription for a fraction of that cost. Therefore, investigating into the prescribed drug an
affordable pharmacy is one other choice for Mrs. Jones.
Additionally, a nurse should examine Mrs. Jones living arrangements. The case scenario
described that Mrs. Jones lives with her husband in a three room apartment. Mrs. Jones has five

Running Head: ADVOCACY FOR THE ELDER

children, who presumably all grown as well. A nurse should examine if the apartment that Mrs.
Jones lives with her husband in is appropriate for the couple to live in. As we know, Mrs. Jones
is 85 years old and her physical strength and functional ability may not be there to take care of
such place. Furthermore, having a bigger apartment can be costlier than having a one-bedroom
apartment.
The nurse taking care of Mrs. Jones has numerous social aspects that need to be
addressed. Taking care of geriatric patients involves multiple disciplines and the goals are to
preserve functional abilities and improve elders quality of life. (Jarvis, 2016, p. 831). As an
advocate for the elderly, nurse needs to find out about local resources and guide Mrs. Jones in the
right direction.

Running Head: ADVOCACY FOR THE ELDER

References
Greater Springfield Senior Services, Inc. (n.d.). About Us.
Retrieved March 04, 2016, from https://www.gsssi.org/about-us.html
Horton, S., & Johnson, R. J. (2010). Improving access to health care for uninsured elderly
patients. Public Health Nursing, 27(4), 362-370. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1446.2010.00866.x
Jarvis, C. (2016). Physical examination & health assessment (7th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier
Lewis, S., Dirksen, S., Heitkmper, M., Bucher, L., & Camera, I. (2011). Medical-surgical
nursing: Assessment and management of clinical problems (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO:
Elsevier/Mosby