The nurse is assisting with the admission of an older adult client who fell at home 3 days ago. The client has a fractured hip, malnutrition, and dehydration. Which of the following lab values should indicate to the nurse that the patient has prolonged malnutrition?

A. Decreased impulse conduction speed

Aging causes slower nerve conduction due to loss of myelin and reduced neurotransmitter activity, leading to slower reflexes and response times.

B. Atherosclerosis and decreased cellular respiration

These factors affect circulation and energy production but are not primary causes of slowed neurologic responses.

C. Inadequate tissue oxygenation

Can affect brain function acutely, but it's not the main cause of chronic, gradual slowing in the elderly.

D. Loss of neurons in the brain

While this occurs with aging, slowed reflexes are more specifically linked to nerve impulse transmission rather than neuron quantity alone.

A. Obtain the health history from the client’s medical record.

This provides objective and historical data, not subjective information from the client.

B. Leave the client a questionnaire to fill out in private.

Many older adults may have vision or literacy issues. Also, this does not encourage interaction needed for accurate subjective data collection.

C. Allow sufficient time for the client to respond to questions.

Older adults may need more time to process information and recall experiences. Patience supports effective subjective data collection.

D. Talk to the family members to obtain the client’s health history.

Family input may be helpful, but subjective data should come from the client when possible to reflect their experience.