Older Adult Exam

Fundamentals

Nurses should educate older adult clients who are unable to ____ about _______.

Drive, meals on wheels

Older adults can improve nutritional intake by using nursing interventions like

Serving small, frequent meals

What do older adults require?

Sources of complete proteins

What are some complete proteins?

Poultry (chicken, duck, turkey), eggs, dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese) beef, pork, and soy products (tofu and edamame)

Intimacy versus Isolation

Success of task would be establishing relationships and commitments.

Integrity versus Despair

Success of this task involves a retrospective look back on life and either feeling satisfied that life was well lived (integrity) or regretting choices and missed opportunities (despair).

If you have a dementia patient that wanders at night looking for his possessions what do you do?

Keep that persons personal items within reach.

What do you say to a patients daughter who feels guilty about having to leave?

“You are feeling drawn in more than one direction”

What do you do when an older adult is having body image concerns about having to take out their dentures?

Validate or clarify by identifying that they seem worried and asking if they are concerned about others seeing them without their teeth.

What’s respite care?

It’s temporary care that gives family members temporary relief from the stress of providing care for a family member.

How can you prevent disorientation upon awakening at night to use the bathroom in older adults?

Install a night light in their room.

How could you help older adults with dementia that tend to wander at night to stay in bed and sleep, to reduce risk of falls?

Put them on a routine bathroom schedule.

Older adults that have anxiety and difficulty sleeping benefit from a nightly routine that includes…

Getting ready for bed at the same time each night.

Older adults that have difficulty sleeping at night over extended periods of time are often disturbed at night with…

Chronic pain and illness that does not allow them to sleep well.

What should you do if you have an older adult who experiences difficulty sleeping?

Evaluate the client for further contributing factors such as pain and illness when considering causes for interrupted sleep patterns.

For older adults in LTC or home setting the first step when somebody is found on the floor is to do what?

Assess the patient for injuries.

Where is elder abuse most often seen?

In a home setting where the client lives with family members or a caregiver.

What is the concern when older adults don’t want to remove their dentures prior to a surgery or procedure?

That they can block the airway.

What are some signs of elder abuse?

Unusual bruises, sings of neglect such as hygiene concerns, unexpected or significant weight loss, repeated missed medical appointments and fearfulness around caregivers.