Mrs. Fatma is a 70 year old widow of 9 months. She lives alone in a...

Mrs. Fatma is a 70 year old widow of 9 months. She lives alone in a low-income housing complex for elders. Her two children live with their families in a city approximately 150 miles away. She has always enjoyed cooking for her family, however, now that she is alone, she does not cook for herself. As a result, she has developed irregular eating patterns and tends to prepare soup and toast meals. She gets little exercise and has had bouts of insomnia since her husband's death. For the past month, Mrs. Fatma has been having a problem with constipation. She states she has a bowel movement about every 3 to 4 days and her stools are hard and painful to excrete. Mrs. Brown decides to attend the health fair sponsored by the housing complex and seeks assistance from the county public health nurse.

Physical examination:

• Height: 162 cm
• Weight: 65 kg
• Temperature: 36.2 C
• Pulse: 82 bpm
• Respiration: 20 b/m
• Blood pressure: 128/74 mmhg
• Active bowel sound, Abdomen slightly distended.

Diagnostic Data:

• CBC: Hgb   10.8
• Urinalysis negative



1 - Identify risk factors that lead to the development of the problem.

2- Identify the appropriate nursing diagnosis for this case.

3- Mention 6 nursing interventions that could be applied for Mrs. Fatma