Care of Aging Population NCLEX Interactive

The nurse just secured a job on an older adult unit at a large teaching hospital. The nurse remembers learning that most older adults are living in which setting?

A. Nursing homes

B. Assisted living facilities

C. Institutional settings

D. Personal residence

D. Personal residence

Rationale: Most older adults live in their own home with a spouse, alone, or with another family member.

A nurse is assessing a client who has just entered the age-range to be considered a senior. The client asks, “I have never seen a doctor before. Now that I am a senior citizen, what should I do differently?” Which teaching will the nurse provide? Select all that apply.

A. Check your blood pressure regularly

B. Engage in activities to exercise your mind

C. Consider retirement

D. Get regular physical check-ups

E. Exercise regularly

ABDE

Rationale: Clients reaching the senior age range should continue to participate in activities that they enjoy. The nurse should recommend regular check-ups, including blood pressure checks and regular exercise for the mind and body. Retirement is not required but an individual consideration.

An older couple who are residents in different halls at a nursing home and require the same levels of care have formed a new relationship and ask to live together. What is the charge nurse's best action?

A. Suggest alternative, non-physical forms of intimacy

B. Arrange for the two clients to share a room

C. Designate a time when one client's door could be locked during the day

D. Offer supervised visitation for one hour every day

B. Arrange for the two clients to share a room

Rationale: Older people in an institutional setting have a right to privacy. They should be able to share a room and have privacy as long as they both require the same level of care and can be placed on the same unit. Locking a door in a nursing home is not feasible due to fire safety regulations. Instead, the charge could hang a "do not disturb" sign on the clients' door. Supervised visitation doesn't provide total privacy.

The staff development trainer reviews the concept of holistic care with a group of new graduate nurses. Which statement indicates that additional information about this concept is required?

A. “It promotes quality of life.”

B. “It focuses on healing the body, mind, and spirit.”

C. “It reduces the amount of work when giving care.”

D. “It promotes recovering and learning from an illness.”

C. “It reduces the amount of work when giving care.”

Rationale: Holistic care does not focus on the actions or amount of work required when providing this type of care. Holistic care promotes quality of life, focuses on healing the body, mind, and spirit, and promotes recovering and learning from an illness.

A nurse who works in an inner-city clinic provides care for a large number of the older black clients. Which health promotion activity best reflects the specific health needs of this population?

A. A blood sugar and blood pressure monitoring program

B. An education session on the positive health effects of good nutrition

C. A screening mammography campaign for older black women

D. A program that teaches black men the importance of prostate health screening

A. A blood sugar and blood pressure monitoring program

Rationale: Diabetes and hypertension are disproportionately prevalent among black older adults. While teaching on nutrition, breast cancer, and prostate screening may be beneficial, these are not linked to the specific health needs of this population.

The nurse sees an older client sitting in a geriatric chair with a tray placed on top so the client can’t get up. What should the nurse do first?

A. Remove the tray

B. Apply a vest restraint

C. Apply one wrist restraint

D. Check the client's vital signs

A. Remove the tray

Rationale: Anything that physically restricts a client’s movement, such as a geriatric chair, can be considered a restraint. The nurse should remove the tray from the chair. Improperly used restraining devices can not only violate regulations concerning their use but also result in litigation for false imprisonment and negligence. Unless there is an order for a restraint, the nurse should not apply a vest or wrist restraint.

The nursing staff at an assisted living facility are learning how to safeguard themselves legally. Which action would indicate that the staff needs additional education?

A. Investigating whether liability insurance is sufficient

B. Ensuring that work performed by unlicensed assistive personnel is performed adequately

C. Avoiding the admission of clients who have living wills or advance directives

D. Assessing the competence of employees under their supervision

C. Avoiding the admission of clients who have living wills or advance directives

Rationale: It is unnecessary and unacceptable to deny residence to individuals with living wills or advance directives. Investigating about sufficient liability insurance and ensuring those under supervision are competent and work is performed adequately are all measures that can help to protect gerontological nurses from legal liability.

A nurse works to protect vulnerable populations and reduce health disparities. Which nursing actions work toward that goal? Select all that apply.

A. The nurse teaches each client about preventive care.

B. The nurse incorporates clients’ belief systems into the plan of care.

C. The nurse communicates a nonjudgmental attitude toward health belief systems.

D. The nurse asks the client how the care system can incorporate the clients’ health beliefs.

E. The nurse acknowledges that the clients in subgroups will not change their beliefs or actions.

ABCD

Rationale: Health promotion interventions, such as teaching about prevention and early detection of certain conditions, are particularly important when caring for older adults who are members of a minority group. Nurses communicate nonjudgmental attitudes and ask open-ended questions to elicit information about each person’s life experiences and cultural influences. Nurses need to be aware of the health beliefs that influence their clients so they can adapt their interventions accordingly.

The nurse notes that an 80-year-old client plays golf twice a week and visits with family and grandchildren whenever possible. What impact does this client’s activities have on the aging process?

A. Reduce the rate of declining function

B. Enhance the rate of declining function

C. Encourage the development of chronic illnesses

D. Negatively influence the treatment of acute illnesses

A. Reduce the rate of declining function

Rationale: Mental, physical, and social activity can reduce the rate and degree of declining function with age. This client’s activities will not enhance the rate of declining functioning. There is no evidence to support that these activities encourage the development of chronic illnesses or negatively impact the treatment of acute illnesses.