A nurse is caring for a client who has asthma and allergies. The client asks the nurse about environmental influences they should avoid. The nurse should inform the client to avoid which of the following?

Choice A reason: Encourage the use of wide grip utensils. This action is not related to homonymous hemianopsia, but to the motor weakness or paralysis that may occur on the opposite side of the body after a stroke. Wide grip utensils can help the client hold and use them more easily.

Choice B reason: Remind the client to look for food on the left side of the tray. This action is appropriate because homonymous hemianopsia is a visual field loss on the same side of both eyes. A client who had a right sided stroke will have difficulty seeing the left side of their visual field. Reminding the client to look for food on the left side of the tray will help them eat more completely and prevent malnutrition.

Choice C reason: Provide a nonskid mat to alleviate plate movement. This action is not related to homonymous hemianopsia, but to the safety and stability of the client's eating environment. A nonskid mat can prevent the plate from sliding or falling off the tray.

Choice D reason: Encourage the client to use his right hand when feeding himself. This action is not related to homonymous hemianopsia, but to the motor weakness or paralysis that may occur on the opposite side of the body after a stroke. Encouraging the client to use his right hand can help him maintain his independence and function.

Choice A reason: A stroke involving the right cerebral hemisphere can affect the cognitive and emotional functions of the brain, such as judgment, impulse control, and emotional regulation³. This can lead to risky or inappropriate behaviors, such as acting impulsively or disregarding social norms. Therefore, the nurse should monitor the client for poor impulse control and provide appropriate interventions, such as education, cueing, feedback, and environmental modifications.
Choice B reason: A stroke involving the right cerebral hemisphere can affect the visual functions of the brain, such as depth perception, spatial orientation, and visual recognition³. However, the deficits are usually in the left visual field, not the right, because the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and the environment. Therefore, the nurse should monitor the client for deficits in the left visual field, not the right.
Choice C reason: A stroke involving the right cerebral hemisphere can affect the abstract reasoning functions of the brain, such as understanding metaphors, humor, or sarcasm. However, the ability to discriminate words and letters is more related to the language functions of the brain, which are mainly controlled by the left cerebral hemisphere. Therefore, the nurse should monitor the client for language deficits, such as aphasia or dysarthria, if the stroke involves the left cerebral hemisphere, not the right.
Choice D reason: A stroke involving the right cerebral hemisphere can affect the motor functions of the brain, such as movement, coordination, and balance³. However, the motor retardation, which is a slowing down of physical and mental activity, is more related to the mood functions of the brain, which are mainly controlled by the frontal lobe of the brain. Therefore, the nurse should monitor the client for motor retardation if the stroke involves the frontal lobe, not the right cerebral hemisphere.