Miller Chapter 3: Nursing Model for Promoting Wellness in Older Adults

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key concepts from Miller Chapter 3 on promoting wellness in older adults.

Theories of Aging

Concepts that explain biological, psychological, and social aging; no single theory fully explains aging; used to guide nursing interventions.

Functional Consequences Theory

Miller's theory that prompts nurses to consider effects of age-related changes, disease, environment, and lifestyle; distinguishes modifiable vs unmodifiable risk factors and guides interventions for positive outcomes.

Modifiable Risk Factors

Risk factors that can be changed or controlled through nursing interventions.

Unmodifiable Risk Factors

Risk factors that cannot be changed.

Wellness Outcomes

Positive outcomes aiming for functioning at the highest level of body, mind, and spirit and improved quality of life.

Positive Functional Consequences

Outcomes that facilitate the highest level of functioning, minimal dependency, and best quality of life.

Negative Functional Consequences

Outcomes that interfere with functioning or quality of life.

Risk Factors

Conditions that increase vulnerability to negative functional consequences; sources include diseases, environment, lifestyle, support, psychosocial factors, medication effects, and knowledge gaps.

Age-Related Changes

Inevitable, progressive, and irreversible changes that occur independently of extrinsic/pathologic conditions; physiologic changes are often degenerative; psychological/spiritual changes may include growth.

Age-Related Changes and Risk Factors

Combination of age-related changes and risk factors that increases vulnerability to negative functional consequences.

Nursing Interventions

Actions taken to address age-related changes and risk factors to achieve wellness outcomes.

Environment (as factor in aging)

External conditions that influence body, mind, spirit, and function; can be risk factors or interventions; nurses lead interprofessional care to optimize the environment.

Normal Changes With Aging in Healthy Adults

Representative physiologic aging changes such as declines in total body water, muscle mass, renal perfusion, cardiac reserves, max heart rate, lung capacity, and cerebral blood flow.

Medication History and Reconciliation

Process of documenting all medications and reconciling discrepancies to ensure safe, accurate medication use.

Caregivers in Nursing Care

Integral focus when risk factors cause dependency; caregivers are engaged and considered in care planning.

Holistic Focus

Attention to body, mind, and spirit; identify age-related changes and address risk factors from a holistic perspective.

Education Focus in Aging Theory

Educating older adults and caregivers about interventions to eliminate or minimize risk factors.

Functional Consequences Theory vs Functional Assessment

Functional Consequences Theory is broader; it distinguishes age-related changes, focuses on consequences, assesses factors affecting function, and guides interventions toward wellness outcomes.

Nursing Assessment Areas

Assessment of age-related changes, risk factors, and functional consequences to guide nursing care.

Interprofessional Collaboration in Aging Care

Environment that supports collaboration among health professionals; nurses lead and coordinate care for older adults.