Introduction

Question 1

Older adults comprise at least __% of patients across physical therapy clinical settings

Answer 1

40

Question 2

At what age is an individual considered an older adult?

Answer 2

65

Question 3

Life expectancy has increased in recent years due to what 4 things?

Answer 3

• Advanced health care
• Improved infectious disease control
• Advances in infant/child care
• Improvements in nutrition and sanitation

Question 4

What are the 3 signs that an individual is aging successfully?

Answer 4

1) absence of disease and disability
2) high cognitive and physical functioning
3) active engagement with life

Question 5

Describe a usual aging syndrom

Answer 5

One in which suboptimal lifestyle leads to chronic health problems that affect function and thus the ability to readily engage in family or community activities

Question 6

What can be defined as the capacity to function across many domains (physical, functional, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual) to one’s satisfaction and in spite of one’s medical conditions

Answer 6

Optimal Aging

Question 7

What role can PTs play in reducing the effects of chronic disease processes?

Answer 7

By promoting restorative and accommodative changes that stop or reverse the vicious downward functional cycle, allowing the individual to achieve optimal aging in the presence of chronic health conditions

Question 8

What does the slippery slope of aging represent?

Answer 8

The general decline in overall physiological ability that is observed with increasing age

Question 9

What are the 4 functional thresholds on Schwartz’s slope of aging?

Answer 9

• fun
• function
• frailty
• failure

Question 10

Describe the role a PT can play on patients and their slippery slope

Answer 10

They can maximize the movement related physiological ability of older patients to keep them at their optimal functional level and with highest physiological RESERVE

Question 11

What percentage of older adults engage in regular leisure-time physical activity?

Answer 11

20%

Question 12

What are the 3 key elements of evidence-informed (based) practice?

Answer 12

• Best available scientific evidence
• Clinical experience and judgment of the practitioner
• Patient preferences and motivations

Question 13

What are the 5 steps of evidence-based practice? Explain each…

Answer 13

1) Ask: Convert the need for information into an answerable question.
2) Find: Track down the best evidence with which to answer that question.
3) Appraise: Critically appraise that evidence for its validity and applicability.
4) Apply: Integrate the critical appraisal with clinical expertise and with the patient’s unique biology, values, and circumstances.
5) Evaluate: Evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency in executing steps 1-4 and seek ways to improve them both for next time.

Question 14

What does PICO stand for?

Answer 14

Population/Patient/Problem
Intervention or exposure
Comparison
Outcome

Question 15

What are 4 evaluation criteria that one can use?

Answer 15

• Credibility (Internal Validity)
• Transferability (External Validity)
• Dependability (Reliability)
• Confirmability (Objectivity)

Question 16

What does credibility look at?

Answer 16

truth and quality and asks, “Can you believe the results?”

Question 17

What does transferability look at?

Answer 17

external validity of the data and asks, “Can the results be transferred to other situations?”

Question 18

What does dependability look at?

Answer 18

consistency of results and asks, “Would the results be similar if the study was repeated with the same subjects in a similar context?”

Question 19

What does comfirmability look at?

Answer 19

neutrality and asks, “Was there an attempt to enhance objectivity by reducing research bias?”