5. Emotional and Spiritual (Psychosocial)

Question 1

life events and stress factors

Answer 1

• retirement
• relocation
• chronic illness and functional impairment
• widowhood
• death of friends and fam
• ageist attitudes
• loss of autonomy

Question 2

Risk Factors that contribute to high levels of stress

Answer 2

-poor physical health

Impaired functional ability

Weak social support

Lack of economic resources

An immature developmental level

Narrow range of coping skills

Question 3

Factors that influence psychosocial function

Answer 3

Spirituality

Culture:

• influences perception on one’s psychosocial function
• cultural bound syndromes related to physical symptoms

Support system

Resilience
-ability to bounce back and recover physical and psychological health in the face of adversity by using coping mechanisms

Question 4

Negative consequences

when people don’t deal with stress well

Answer 4

Helplessness

Anxiety

Loneliness

Question 5

Assessment

Answer 5

Mini Mental Screening Exam (MMSE):
-assess 5 areas of cog. function- orientation, attention, memory, language, visual skills

Physical Appearance:
-clothing, grooming products, cosmetics, hygiene

Decision-making and executive function:
-assesses insight: the ability to understand the significance of the present situation

Affective Function:
-use the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) to assess for anxiety

Contact with Reality:

• delusion- fixed false beliefs
• hallucination- sensory experiences that have no bias in external stimulus
• illusion- misperceptions of external stimulus, has some basis in reality
• extreme withdrawal and isolation and clues to hallucination

Spirituality:
-FICA (faith, importance, community, address)

Social Support:
-ask questions