Introduction to Gerontology and Diversity in Older Adults Flashcards
Aging
It involves physical, psychological, and social life changes.
Subjective age
(feel age or age identity): A person’s perception of his or her age.
Perceived age
Other people’s estimation of someone’s age
Chronologic age
Length of time that has passed since birth
Functional age
Physiological health and psychological well-being, socioeconomic factors, and the ability to function and participate in desirable activities.
Attitudes Toward aging
Aging is a normal process with both losses and gains.
What would be considered a gain?
- Wisdom
- Knowledge
- Experiences
Ageism
- Is a negative attitude toward aging and older people (bias or prejudice related to age).
- Institutional ageism is a systemic problem impacted by:
- Underlying assumptions within a culture and society - (Hidden Biases): In policy and protocols that are unseen, unquestioned, or dismissed as "that's just the way it is."
Effects of Ageism
Aging Anxiety
Age Attribution
Anti-Aging Movement
Effects of Ageism in the Health Care System
- Ageism affects healthcare policies, insurance, and treatments.
- Older adults may get less aggressive treatment for common ailments, which are dismissed as a natural part of aging
- Older adults and health care providers mistakenly attribute symptoms to aging rather than identify and address the contributing factors that are reversible and treatable.
Counteracting Ageism as a Nursing Student
- Reflect on your own practice and become aware of institutional
bias - Have positive interactions with older adults
- Increase your knowledge to address misconception regarding
aging
what is Gerontological Nursing
is a specialized field of nursing that focuses on the care of older adults.
Gerontological nurses work to promote healthy aging, maximize functioning, and improve the quality of life for their patients.
Gerontology
Scientific study of the effects of time on human development
- Is a holistic approach to the study of aging and older adults
Geriatrics
A subspecialty of internal medicine or family practice that focuses on the medical problems of older people.
Why is gerontological nursing important?
- Gerontological nursing is core knowledge for the entire
profession of nursing - The proportion of the population that is considered old is
increasing and care of older persons is the fastest growing
employment segment in the health care industry. - Most nurses care for older people during the course of their
career - The public looks to nurses to be care providers who have the
knowledge and skills to help people age well
A continuum for Cultural Safety
- Cultural Awareness
- Cultural Sensitivity
- Cultural Recognition
- Cultural Competence
Cultural Awareness
Recognizing the values of the client and self
Cultural sensitivity
recognizing cultural differences exist
Cultural Recognition
Recognizing that clients from different cultures may have different customs and behaviors
Cultural Competence
Having sufficient Knowledge of a culture to interact with a member of that group with respect and understanding
Cultural Safety
is a safe environment where identity is not denied or challenged; cultural safety is the experience of the recipient of care.
Cultural Diversity in Canada
- 19.1% of Canadians self-identify as from a visible minority (2/3
immigrated; 1/3 born in Canada) - Largest specific cultural groups of older adults in Canada
* South Asian Canadians
* Chinese Canadians
* Southeast Asian Canadian
* Canadian Indigenous people
Health-Related Examples Unique to Certain Cultures
- Older South Asian Canadians express cultural barriers to health
services - Older Chinese Canadians are often in good health, concerns lay
more in cultural and linguistic barriers. - Older South Asians may have:
* Higher rates of Cervical Cancer (Vietnamese)
* Higher rates of Type 2 Diabetes (Filipino)
* Poorer health partially related to war trauma
Indigenous Populations in Canada
- Includes First Nations (61%), Metis (32%), and Inuit (4%).
- About 630 First Nations communities across Canada.
- Only about 53 long-term care facilities managed by First Nations
Health - Shorter life expectancy due to multiple factors (unemployment,
poor housing, social issues; only 5.9% of Aboriginals are > 65
years)
High-level wellness
“Integrated method of functioning that is oriented towards maximizing each person’s potential, while maintaining a continuum of balance and purposeful direction within the person’s environment” (Dunn, 1961, pp. 4-5)
age attribution
Which is the tendency to attribute problems to the aging process rather than to pathologic and potentially treatable conditions.
Anti-Aging movement
Views aging as a process that can be stopped and the lifespan as something that can be extended for up to 200 years. Anti-aging interventions include exercise and lifestyle modifications.
aging anxiety
is experienced by people of all ages as fears and worries about detrimental effects associated with older adulthood.
Baby Boomers
Very large group of people born between 1946 and 1964.
Sandwich generation
increasing numbers of middle-aged adults who simultaneously juggle the demands of caring for older and younger generations.
- middle-aged adults (often in their 40s and 50s) who are caring for both elderly parents and their own children.
informal caregiver
provision of assistance to a family member or friend in a nonprofessional and unpaid role to support the person in a community setting.
Skipped-generation households
These households are ones in which there are children younger than 18 years living with a grandparent without parents present.
- ## Were first counted in 2001 in the Canadian census
Ethnogeriatrics
The component of geriatrics that integrates the influence of race, ethnicity, and culture on the health and well-being of older adults, has been introduced into health care practice to promote ethnoculturally appropriate care while avoiding stereotyping.
Cultural self-assessment
an awareness-raising tool for gaining insight into the health-related values, beliefs, attitudes and practices that one holds
Linguistic competence
refers to health care services that are respectful of and responsive to a person’s linguistic needs, is one small part of cultural competence.
health belief system
defined as the health-related attitudes, beliefs and practices
Health disparities
significant difference with regard to the rates of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality or life expectancy between one population and another.
A nurse is teaching an older person about the concept of successful aging. Which of the nurse’s questions addresses an important contributor to successful aging?
a. Are you largely free of acute or chronic illnesses?
b. Do you have a reliable support network?
c. Do you feel financially secure?
d. do you feel like you actively engage with life?
Do you feel like you actively engage with life?
A nurse is conducting a study on the needs and living situations of older adults in the community. which of the following statements should the nurse take into account?
a. Most older adults reside in some form of institutional arrangement
b. More older men live alone than older women
c. A majority of older adults will live in a nursing home at some point
d. Assisted living arrangements have become increasingly common
Assisted living arrangements have become increasingly common
A nurse who provides care to many older adults recognizes the importance of implementing a wellness approach to care. What principle underlies this approach to the health care of older adults?
a. Older adults must come to accept a decline in wellness as they age.
b. A holistic approach to caring for older adults can foster their well-being at every stage of life
c. Older adults have decreasing expectations for wellness as they move through the aging process
A holistic approach to caring for older adults can foster their well-being at every stage of life.
A nurse interviews a centenarian, gathering data for a large study. In the interview, the centenarian says. “You’re only as old as you feel, some days I feel like I’m 50.” To which definition of aging does this response
a. Chronologic aging
b. Subjective aging
c. Functional aging
d. Perceived aging
Subjective aging
A nurse assesses the risk of the members of an older adult community. Which individual is most likely to be living at or below the poverty line?
a. 83-year-old single woman
b. Caucasian 73-year-old man
c. Couple who are both 72 years old d. Caucasian couple in their 60s
83-year-old single woman
A nurse manager justifies the budget for education regarding cultural competency for the staff. Which of the following justifications will best support the need for this education?
a. Life expectancies among minorities are expected to increase
b. Every nurse-client encounter involves some degree of cultural differences
c. Government and health care organizations support the need for culturally competent care
d. Nurses have a moral obligation to achieve cultural competency with all cultural groups
Every nurse-client encounter involves some degree of cultural differences.
A nurse is beginning a new job in an area with a Canadian Aboriginal population. All of the following statements will assist the nurse to understand this culture to better plan nursing care except which one?
a. Lifestyle and risk factors account for the health disparities with the Aboriginal Canadian population.
b. Older Aboriginal Canadians are more likely than other older Canadians to live alone.
c. Many older Aboriginal Canadians experienced trauma at government-run residential schools.
d. The Aboriginal population is growing much faster than the general population in Canada.
e. Canadian Aboriginals include First Nations, Metis and Inuits.
Older Aboriginal Canadians are more likely than other older Canadians to live alone.
A nurse reviews some of the more common cultural groups in the local area. How should the nurse interpret the information that is available about cultural groups?
a. Characteristics of cultural groups are normally consistent between every member of that group.
b. Cultural generalizations can be useful and accurate, but they do not replace individualized assessment and care.
c. It is unjust to categorize individual clients as being members of a specific cultural group.
d. It is simplistic and problematic to make generalized claims about members of a particular cultural group.
Cultural generalization can be useful and accurate, but they do not replace individualized assessment and care.
A nurse performs a reflective cultural self-assessment. Which outcome should the nurse expect?
a. Progression from judgmental views of other cultures to recognition of positive attributes
b. An accurate ranking of different cultures according to their specific merits
c. The ability to assess clients according to their cultural affiliation rather than individual characteristics
d. Identification of the flaws and weaknesses of the nurse’s own culture
Progression from judgmental views of other cultures to recognition of positive attributes.
A nurse plans culturally competent care for a variety of clients. Which culture is most strongly tied to the low health status?
a. Resident of urban community
b. Chinese Canadian Race
c. Low socioeconomic status
d. Member of LGBT society
Low socioeconomic status
