Geriatric Syndrome Flashcards
diseases that have a rapid onset and short duration
Acute Illness
Characteristics of acute Illness
- Usually self-limiting
- Responds readily to treatment
- Complications infrequent
- After illness return to previous level of functioning
diseases that are prolonged, do not resolved spontaneously and are ready cured completely
Chronic Illness
Characteristics of Chronic Illness
- Permanent impairments or deviation from normal
- Irreversible pathologic changes
- Residual Disability
- Special rehabilitation required
- Need for long-term medical and nursing management
Examples of Chronic Illness
Alzheimer’s Disease
Arthritis
Cancer
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Coronary Artery Disease
Diabetes
Heart Failure
Obesity
Stroke
chronic illness may have acute exacerbations in which an individual moves from a level of optimum functioning, with the illness well controlled, to a period of instability during which the individual may need assistance
Trajectory of Chronic Illness
7 Tasks of People With Chronic Illness
- Prevent & manage a crisis
- Carry out prescribed treatment regimen
- Control symptoms
- Reader Time
- Adjust to changes in course of disease
- Prevent social isolation
- Attempt to normalize interactions with sites
is a term used to describe unique health conditions in elderly patients that are multifunctional in cause and do not fit into discrete organ-based categories
Geriatric syndrome
is an impairment in mobility, balance, endurance, physical activity, muscle strengths, nutrition and cognition
Frailty
is the concurrent use of multiple medications, sometimes defined as four or more by a single person
Polypharmacy
Implications of polypharmacy
- Non-Adherence
- Adverse Drug Reactions
- Drug-Drug Interaction
- Medication Errors
is defined as the extent to which patients are not willing to follow the instructions they are given for prescribed treatments
Non-adherence
is a detrimental response to a given medication that is undesired, unintended, or unexpected in recommended dose
Adverse Drug Reactions
Clinical Manifestations of Adverse Drug Reaction
Nausea
Constipation
Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Urinary Incontinence
Muscle Aches
Sexual Dysfunction
Insomnia
Confusion
Dizziness
Orthostatic hypotension
Falls
May occur when two or more drugs are taken concurrently
Drug-Drug Interaction
Defined as taking the wrong medication or the wrong dose at the wrong time for wrong purpose
Medication Errors
Refers to the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of a given drug or what the body does to the drug
Pharmacokinetics
Refers to the biochemical or physiological interaction of drugs or what the drugs does to the body
Pharmacodynamics
Interventions/Nursing Considerations of Polypharmacy
- The nurses should be knowledgeable about drug therapy & the medications the individual is taking.
- The nurse should be vigilant about monitoring for adverse effects as well as evaluating the therapeutic effect.
- Monitor the patients serum blood urea nitrogen & creatinine.
- Monitor renal function & liver function test.
- Always consider non-pharmacologic approaches
- Instruct the patients to obtain all medications at a pharmacy.
Is an event which results in a person unintentionally coming to rest on the ground or another level
Falls
Risk factors For Falls
Intrinsic Factors:
- Cognitive Impairments
- Medication Alcohol
- Impaired Mobility
- Fall History
- Acute & Chronic Illness
- Elimination Problems
- Sensory Defects
- Frailty
- Postural Hypotension
Risk factors For Falls
Extrinsic Factors:
- Poor Lightning
- Poor Color Distinction
- Cluttered Environment
- Unfamiliar Environment
- Stairs
- Throw Rugs
- Unsuitable footwear
- Restraints
- Side rails
Strategies For Fall Prevention
- Modify the environment
- evaluate gait and balance
- Review medication
- Develop a fall prevention plan
- Restrain use
is any physical or mechanical device that involuntarily restraints a patient as means of controlling physical activity (e.g. waist restraints, wrist restraints, geriatrics chair)
Physical Restraint
Refers to the use of psychopharmacological drug for the purpose of discipline and/or convenience
Chemical Restraint
disturbance of consciousness with reduced ability to focus, sustain or shift attention
delirium
a change in cognition or development of a perceptual disturbance
delirium
is a normal adaptive reaction to new situations or perceived threats and can manifest as tachycardia and palpitations, insomnia and tachypnea
Anxiety
is characterized by persistent excessive worry with fluctuating severity of symptoms that include restlessness, irritability, sleep disturbance and impaired concentration
Generalized Anxiety
are characterized by an autonomic arousal that includes tachycardia, difficulty breathing, diaphoresis, light-headedness and severe wellness
Panic Attacks
Strategies For Care of Anxiety
- Instruct patients prior to painful procedures and self-management pain.
- Medication to treat anxiety include benzodiazepines, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)
is linked to a decreased quality of life, through loss of interest, motivation
Depression
is a significant risk for suicide
Depression
Strategies For Care of Depression
- aimed toward remission and prevention of recurrence
- Pharmacological therapies include TCH
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Exercise, Light Therapy, Alternative medicine and Counselling
involuntary leakage of urine
Urinary incontinence
the awakening from sleep to urinate
Nocturia
difficulty falling and staying asleep
Insomnia
the narrowing or loss of tone in pharyngeal airway
sleep apnea
neurological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move to relieve paresthesia or dysesthesias
Restless leg syndrome
Strategies For Care of Sleep Disorders
- Environment restructing
- Relaxation
- Sleep hygiene
- Aroma Therapy
- Herbal therapy
- Medications
an unrecognized, poorly diagnosed and poorly managed health problem that negatively impacts the quality and potentially quantity of life
Dysphagia
the act of swallowing in which a food or liquid bolus is transported from the mouth through the pharynx and esophagus into the stomach
Deglutition
is usually related to neuromuscular impairments affecting the tongue, pharynx, and upper esophageal sphincter
Oropharyngeal dysphagia
Strategies For Care of Dysphagia
- Compensatory eating Techniques
- Upright position with the arms and feet supported should be maintained for at least 30-60 minutes after eating. - A quiet room is preferable to decrease distractions and allow greater concentration on eating
- Diet modifications
- Oral hygiene
- Non-oral Feedings
is a lesion caused by unrelieved pressure with damage to the underlying tissue
Pressure Ulcers
Risk factors For Pressure Ulcers
- Advanced Age
- Immobility
- Malnutrition
- Diminished level of Consciousness
- Impaired sensation
is important for the client at risk with pressure ulcers
Nutrition
