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Book  Review  
  
Kazer,  Meredith  Wallace  and  Murphy,  Kathy.  Nursing  Case  Studies  on  Improving  Health-­‐‑Related  Quality  
of  Life  in  Older  Adults.  New  York,  NY:  Springer  Publishing.  2015.  ISBN-­‐‑10:	
  0826127037  ISBN-­‐‑13:	
  978-­‐‑
0826127037,  462  pp.  $75.00  (Hardcover).  

  
LaToya  Lewis-­‐‑Pierre  Ed.D-­‐‑CI,  MSN,  RN    
University  of  Miami  School  of  Nursing  and  Health  Studies  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Anthropology & Aging, Vol 37, No 1 (2016), pp.53-54 

 ISSN 2374-2267 (online) DOI 10.5195/aa.2016.151 
 

 

 

  
  

 
 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 United States License. 
 

This journal is published by the University Library System of the University of Pittsburgh as part of its 
D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program, and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 



Anthropology  &  Aging  
Vol  37,  No  1  (2016)        ISSN  2374-­‐‑2267  (online)        DOI  10.5195/aa.2016.151    http://anthro-­‐‑age.pitt.edu  
	
  

  
Lewis-­‐‑Pierre  |  Book  Review  53  

  
Book  Review  

Kazer,  Meredith  Wallace  and  Murphy,  Kathy.  Nursing  Case  Studies  on  Improving  Health-­‐‑Related  Quality  of  Life  in  
Older  Adults.  New  York,  NY:  Springer  Publishing.  2015.  ISBN-­‐‑10:	
  0826127037  ISBN-­‐‑13:	
  978-­‐‑0826127037,  462  pp.  
$75.00  (Hardcover).  

  
LaToya  Lewis-­‐‑Pierre  Ed.D-­‐‑CI,  MSN,  RN    
University  of  Miami  School  of  Nursing  and  Health  Studies  

  
 Nursing  Case  Studies  on  Improving  Health-­‐‑Related  Quality  of  Life  in  Older  Adults  focused  on  dissecting  

various  health  illnesses  and  relevant  strategies  to  improve  the  quality  of  life  in  the  older  patient  population.  
Together   with   forty-­‐‑six   multidisciplinary   authors,   the   text   addressed   patient   care   concerns   in   multiple  
patient  care  settings  which  include  acute  care,  home  care,  hospice  care,  and  assistive  living  facilities.    The  
book  is  organized  into  three  chapters:  1)  Foundations  of  life;  2)  Activities  to  enhance  the  quality  of  life;  3)  
Assessment   and   management   of   different   clinical   manifestations.   The   chapters   are   relevant   and  
comprehensive  with  the  overarching  themes  related  to  supporting  the  older  patient  at  various  stages  of  
health   from   coping   with   the   aging   process   to   promoting   a   peaceful   death.   The   book   is   organized   to  
“showcase  the  experiences  of  older  people  as  they  struggle  to  maintain  autonomy,  dignity,  and  a  sense  of  
self  amid  the  aging  process    and  declining  health”  (p.  xv).  

The  book  cleverly  provides  real-­‐‑life  case  studies  which  include  subjective  and  objective  information.  
Each  case  study  is  supported  by  extensive  literature  reviews  and  clinical  reasoning  questions.  In  addition,  
some  sections  include  ethical  and  cultural  considerations.  The  first  case  study  “Quality  of  Life”  describes  a  
very  real  situation  of  an  older  patient  who  has  lost  a  loved  one  and  is  experiencing  changes  in  her  health.  
The  scenario  includes  the  patient’s  concerns  and  the  goals  of  healthcare  providers  in  addressing  the  cultural  
and  role  considerations  of  the  patient.  Additionally,  thought  provoking  questions  relating  to  the  patient’s  
health  care  priorities  are  included.    

Another   chapter   that   would   interest   readers   is   “Autonomy”   by   Claire   Welford   and   Catherine  
Sweeney.  The  case  study  describes  promoting  quality  of  care  in  a  residential  living  facility.  The  authors  
suggest   multiple   strategies   that   promote   and   prohibit   autonomy   to   nursing   home   residents   which   are  
delineated  into:  person,  personality,  being  personal,  and  being  personalized.    Additional  sections  of  the  
chapter   give   examples   of   care   plan   principles.   Furthermore,   the   authors   emphasize   the   need   to   create  
realistic  expectations  between  the  residential  staff  and  patients  in  a  long-­‐‑term  care  environment.      

The   authors   in   chapter   13   titled   “Keeping   Me”,   focus   on   maintaining   the   residents’   feelings   of  
personal   identity.   The   case   study   effectively   described   the   circumstances   surrounding   the   resident’s  
admission  to  the  long-­‐‑term  care  facility  and  the  relevant  areas  for  health  care  providers  to  provide  care.  The  
chapter  addresses  the  goal  to  address  the  resident’s  “human  needs  and  preferences”  (p.  149).    The  authors  
also  focus  on  preserving  the  resident’s  previous  preferences  and  routines  to  support  the  resident’s  transition  
into  a  long-­‐‑term  care  facility  and  the  role  of  the  staff  members  to  get  to  know  the  residents  as  individuals.  

Several  chapters  focus  on  assessing  and  managing  the  clinical  challenges  that  occur  in  older  adults.  
In   chapter   27,   “Medication   Use      and   Overuse,”,   Diana   Mager   describes   the   common   incidence      of  
medication  mismanagement  in  older  adults.  Many  older  patients  become  confused  with  new  changes  to  
their  medication  routine  by  the  health  care  provider.  The  author  describes  the  frequent  incidence  of  Adverse  
Drug   Events   (ADE)   due   to   miscommunication   leading   to   serious   medication   side   effects   and   needing  
medical  attention.  Understanding  the  medication  regimen  is  an  important  aspect  of  health  care  maintenance  
and  the  topic  is  especially  significant  to  older  adults.  The  authors  suggest  individuals  who  care  for  older    
  
  
  



Anthropology  &  Aging  
Vol  37,  No  1  (2016)        ISSN  2374-­‐‑2267  (online)        DOI  10.5195/aa.2016.151    http://anthro-­‐‑age.pitt.edu  
	
  

  
  

Lewis-­‐‑Pierre  |  Book  Review  54  
       
adults  to  include  the  patient’s  family  in  the  doctor’s  appointments/visits  and  have  the  patient  verbalize  the  
new  medication  regimen  to  prevent  any  confusion.  

In   the   final   chapter,   “Dying   Well”,   Alison   Kris   continues   with   the   theme   of   managing   clinical  
challenges.  The  author  describes  a  patient’s  transition  from  receiving  a  terminal  diagnosis  to  her  death.  The  
case  study  includes  the  different  clinical  and  psychological  manifestations  associated  with  the  dying  process  
and   nursing   concerns.   Additionally,   the   author   describes   the   nurses’   hesitancy   with   administering  
morphine.  The  nurses  in  the  case  study  mentioned  that  “the  nurses  at  the  facility  were  upset  because  they  
felt  that  they  were  killing  her  with  the  morphine”  (p.424).    

This   book   is   relevant   to   multidisciplinary   health   care   clinicians,   students,   and   educators.    
Understanding  the  needs  of  the  aging  population  is  instrumental  toward  creating  a  supportive  environment  
for  the  individual  to  cope  and  transition  into  different  stages  of  life.  The  opportunities  to  provide  older  
patients  with  support  and  independence  is  beneficial  toward  promoting  quality  of  life.