E2: Older Adults Flashcards
What age is OA?
65+
Most OA are still…
active and contributing to society; very few live in long-term care facilities
What is the key to OA?
Help them live longer but fulfilled lives with dignity and independence
Why are there so many older adults?
- Improved standard of living
- Improved nutrition
- Progress in medical care
- Increased health consciousness
What are examples of how medical care has progress?
-Prevention and treatment of diseases like Influenza
-Medications
-Chemo and radiation
-Insulin
-Medical Technology like heart and lung machines used for bypass surgeries
-Catheters
-Stints
-Organ transplant
___% of men and __% of women are 65+
23% men
15% women
________ are the fastest growing segment in 85+ group
Centenarians
By, 2050, 1 million will be 100 years or older
Use most health care dollars __________
in last 7 years of life
What does the phrase “Graying of America” mean and its goal?
Care will continue to shift from hospitals to community
Goal: To maintain functional independence and delay entry into more formalized healthcare settings
-assisted living
-long term care
instead use daycares, at home care, aging in place, nonprofessional caregivers
Common chronic conditions in OA?
HTN
Arthritis
Heart disease
Cancer
Diabetes
Asthma
Chronic respiratory
stroke
What is the continuing Erikson developmental stage from MA to OA? Positive end results?
Generativity vs stagnation
-active involvement
-other absorption
-promotion of next generation
-capacity of care
What is the final stage of Erikson’s developmental stage in OA?
Integrity vs Despair
-acceptance of past life and life as it is now
-reconciliation for what was hoped for and what is now
-openness to life
-serenity, wisdom
-acceptance of death
-reflection and closeure
What is the roles and relationships of OA?
-children independent
-death or illness of loved ones
-retirement
-changes in health status
-becoming a grandparent or great
What are misconceptions of OA?
- Disease is normal and unavoidable (it is not normal and can be avoided)
- Health promotion is not important for OA since their lives are almost over (just as important and can gain same benefits as YA or MA)
- Damage to health resulting from inactivity or poor nutrition is irreversible (never too old to relinquish bad habits or develop healthier habits)
- Ageist beliefs about older adults (prevents older adults from living longer, healthier, & independent lives)
We can have an impact on morbidity by decreasing risk factors and improving health care, it would be possible to postpone the onset of chronic disease until an age is closer to death by:
- Exercise and diet
- Quit smoking
- Prevent falls
- Preventive care
The decline in health is in old age is primarily due to
unhealthy lifestyle choices in earlier years
Coping and stress in OA
-Decreasing physical strength
-Retirement and lower/fixed income
-Death of parents, spouse, friends
-New relationship with adult children
-Slower physical and cognitive responses
-Keeping active and involved
-Making satisfying loving arrangements
What are interventions for stress in OA
Support during coping & address spirituality
Older adult assessment:
A functional, physical, social and mental assessment of patient, caregivers, environment
What is the goals of older adult assessment?
-Minimize hospitalizations
-decrease over-prescription of meds
-maintain health
-Establish complete diagnosis that are frequently over looked (dementia, depression, hearing/ vision deficet, falls, poor nutrition)
Key principles of older adult assessment:
-Holistic view
-Individualized patient centered care
-Client/caregiver as an active partner
-Focus on functional ability (How you frame Q’s: “How do you manage stairs at home” not “Can you do stairs”
-Multidisciplinary
-Specialized knowledge (normal age related changes & appropriate lab values)
Health promotion in older adults includes
-Healthy weight
-Healthy diet
-Staying active
-Fall prevention
-Maintaining relationships
-regular medical checkups
-flu shot, pneumonia shot
-screenings
Important key to successful older adult assessment:
Use of special tools tailored for seniors
-allows for early detection
-predicts service needs
-instruments should always be evidence based with good validity and reliability
Describe the SPICES assessment
S leep Disorders
P roblems with eating and feeding
I ncontinence
C onfusion
E vidence of falls
S kin breakdown
We can make complex connections btwn things that may seem unrelated at first in older adults. This can make things clearer and help guide plans of care