Care of the Elderly ILA Flashcards
What are the risks of PEG feeding?
Risks include bowel perforation, wound infection, peritonitis, aspiration, death.
What is autonomy?
The right for an individual to make his or her own choice.
What is justice?
A concept that emphasizes fairness and equality among individuals.
What is beneficence?
The principle of acting with the best interest of the other in mind.
What is non-maleficence?
The principle that “above all, do no harm,” as stated in the Hippocratic Oath.
What is lasting power of attorney?
A lasting power of attorney is a legal document that lets you (the ‘donor’) appoint people (known as ‘attorneys’) to make decisions on your behalf. It could be used if you became unable to make your own decisions.
There are 2 types of lasting power of attorney:
• health and welfare
• property and financial affairs
What is the Court of Protection?
The Court of Protection makes decisions and appoints deputies to act on behalf of people who are unable to make decisions about their personal health, finance or welfare.
Who is a court appointed deputy?
You need to apply to the Court of Protection to act as someone’s deputy and make decisions on their behalf. You would use this if the person in question has already lost capacity to grant a LPA.
What is an IMCA?
Independent Mental Capacity Advocate
An IMCA safeguards the rights of people who:
• are facing a decision about a long-term move or about serious medical treatment;
• lack capacity to make a specified decision at the time it needs to be made; and
• have nobody else who is willing and able to represent them or be consulted in the process of working out their best interests, other than paid staff.
When withdrawing treatment, basic care must always still be provided. What does this include?
Oral food/fluid is basic care.
Tube feeding/parenteral fluids is medical treatment.
Basic care must always be offered.
Medical treatment must if offered if it will be of ‘overall benefit’ to the patient.
What is frailty?
State of increased vulnerability resulting from ageing associated decline in reserve and function across multiple physiologic systems such that the ability to cope with everyday or acute stressors is compromised.
It is not inevitable, not simply due to multiple long term conditions and not irreversible
What are the 5 M’s of geriatric giants?
Mind- dementia ,delirium, depression
Mobility- falls
Medications- polypharmacy, AEs
Multi-complexity- biopsychosocial situations
Matters most- individual meaningful health outcomes and preferences
What is a comprehensive geriatric assessment?
Medical assessment- doctor, nurse, pharmacist, dietician, SaLT
Functional assessment-OT,PT,SaLT
Psychological assessment
Doctor, nurse, OT, psychologist
Social and environmental assessment
OT, SW
What is the role of the medical assessment?
Problem list
Co-morbid conditions and disease severity
Medication review
Nutritional status
What is the role of the functional assessment?
Activities of daily living
Activity/exercise status
Gait and balance
What is the role of the psychological assessment?
Cognitive status testing
Mood/depression testing
What is the role of the social and environmental assessment?
Informal support needs and assets
Eligibility/need for carers
Home safety
Following an initial fall, what is the risk of having another one within a year?
66%
What percentage of over 65s fall each year?
28-35%
What are the common risk factors for falls?
Previous falls Fear of falling Balance problems Gait and mobility problems Pain Drugs- GTN, BBs, diuretics, a-blockers, sedatives, SSRIs Cardiovascular conditions Cognitive impairment Urinary incontinence Stroke Diabetes
What is Alzheimer’s disease? (pathophysiology)
- Global atrophy
- Intracellular neurofibrillary tangles made from tau protein-> disrupt the microtubules in nerves
- Extra-cellular beta-amyloid plaques -> disrupt nerve communication at synapses -> causes nerve degeneration
What are the 5 A’s of Alzheimer’s?
- Amnesia
- Aphasia
- Apraxia- deficit in voluntary motor skills (ADLs)
- Agnosia- difficulty recognising things or faces
- Apathy- lack of motivation
What is the treatment for Alzheimer’s?
Anticholinesterase inhibitors e.g. donepezil, rivastigmine, galantine
What are the characteristic features for Lewy Body Dementia?
Day-to-day fluctuating cognition, visual hallucinations, sleep disturbance, recurrent falls, parkinsonism (TRAP)
What are the characteristic features of vascular dementia?
Step-wise deterioration in cognition (but can be generalised decline), sundowning, mood plays a bigger role, inappropriate behaviour, can get focal neurology, fits, nocturnal confusion
What medications should you not give in LBD?
Typical anti-psychotics
Anti-cholinergics (can worsen cognition)
What is Picks disease?
A type of frontotemporal dementia- disinhibition, antisocial behaviour, personality changes, knife-blade atrophy
Tends to affect younger people
What is normal pressure hydrocephalus?
A triad of ‘wet, wacky, wobbly’ – urinary incontinence, dementia, gait disturbance. Due to ↑CSF, but ventricles dilate
Name 3 cognitive assessment tools, other than MMSE?
Addenbrookes cognitive examination-III (ACE-III)
Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA)
Abbreviated mental test score (AMT)
6-Item cognitive impairment test (6CIT)
General practitioner assessment of cognition (GPCOG)
What is mild cognitive impairment?
Cognitive impairment but minimal impairment of ADL’s
Define delirium. Name the 2 types?
Delirium = acute, transient, reversible state of fluctuating impairment of consciousness, cognition, and perception
- Hyperactive = agitation, inappropriate behaviour, hallucinations
- Hypoactive = lethargy, reduced concentration
Name 5 causes of delirium?
Drug use, e.g. anticholinergics, opioids, steroids, benzodiazipines
Electrolyte abnormalities, e.g. ↓/↑ Na+, ↑Ca2+,↓Glucose, ↑urea
Lack of drug (withdrawal),
Infection, e.g. UTI or pneumonia
Reduced sensory input (blind, deaf)
Intracranial problems (stroke, post-Ictal, meningitis, subdural haematoma)
Urinary retention and constipation
Malnutrition, e.g. thiamine, nicotinic acid, B12 deficiency
Name 5 investigations which are part of the delirium screen?
Bloods:
FBC (WCC for infection, anaemia, MCV), U&Es (urea, AKI or Na+, K+), LFT (liver failure, or alcohol abuse)
blood glucose, TFTs (hypothyroid), ↑Ca2+ (bones stones, groans, psychic moans)
haematinics (B12 and folate), INR (Warfarin, bleeding risk)
Septic Screen
urine dipstick
chest X-ray
blood cultures
ECG Malaria films Lumbar Puncture EEG CT / MRI
Name 3 supportive methods of management for delirium?
Supportive management: alter environment → help with reorientation
- Clocks and calendars
- Side room
- Sleep hygiene – discourage napping
- Adequate lighting
- Continuity of care
- Access to hearing aids / glasses