The parish nurse notes that an older adult client has had a 5 lb (2.3 kg) weight loss since a check-up one month ago. The client has good hygiene, still drives a car, and lives alone. To which agency should the nurse refer this client?

A. The Senior Citizen Center: The Senior Citizen Center is a resource that offers a variety of services to older adults, including social activities, meal programs, and support services. Given the client's recent weight loss and living alone, referring them to the Senior Citizen Center could provide access to resources and support that might help address potential underlying issues such as social isolation or inadequate nutrition.

B. The Social Security Administration office: The Social Security Administration (SSA) office handles matters related to social security benefits, such as retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. While important, it does not provide the kind of immediate support and services related to the client's weight loss and daily needs.

C. The Adult Day Care Center: The Adult Day Care Center provides daytime care and activities for older adults who need supervision or assistance during the day. Since the client drives and lives alone, this may not be the most appropriate referral unless there are additional concerns about daily supervision or care needs.

D. The Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) office: The WIC program provides nutrition assistance to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, and young children. It is not relevant for older adults, so this would not be the appropriate agency for addressing the client’s needs related to weight loss.

A) Provide dorm teaching sessions about the need to finish prescribed antibiotic doses:
While educating about antibiotic adherence is important, it is not specifically targeted to meningococcal meningitis. This intervention is more relevant to managing infections rather than preventing meningococcal meningitis, which is primarily preventable through vaccination.

B) Encourage incoming freshmen to obtain the meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine prior to dorm living:
Meningococcal meningitis is a significant risk in college environments due to close living conditions. The meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine is effective in preventing the disease. Encouraging incoming freshmen to receive this vaccine before starting dorm life directly addresses the prevention of meningococcal meningitis and is the most effective measure for reducing incidence in this high-risk population.

C) Require documentation from incoming freshmen that Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) vaccinations are current:
While Hib vaccinations are important for preventing certain bacterial infections, they are not specifically related to meningococcal meningitis. The Hib vaccine is not a primary prevention method for meningococcal disease, making this measure less relevant for addressing meningococcal meningitis.

D) Develop a clinic protocol for the prophylactic use of isoniazid for positive reactors:
Isoniazid is used for tuberculosis prophylaxis, not for preventing meningococcal meningitis. Developing a protocol for isoniazid would not impact the incidence of meningococcal meningitis and is therefore not relevant to this particular prevention goal.