Lecture 9 Mental health and the older adult Flashcards
_ are standard treatment for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease.
Cholinesterase inhibitors.
The most important goal regarding dementia is _, as this will allow for appropriate management strategies to be implemented.
Early recognition.
Dementia affects about _ of individuals 65 and older.
5%
High-level wellness (Dunn, 1961)
An integrated method of functioning that is oriented toward maximizing each person’s potential, while maintaining a continuum of balance and purposeful direction within the person’s environment.
Addressing _ is most appropriate in wellness-oriented nursing care.
Functional age.
“Mental health” is defined as _
Successful performance of mental functions, resulting in the ability to engage in productive activities, enjoy fulfilling relationships, and change or cope with adversity.
Psychosocial assessment requires that the nurse be _ to be comfortable in working with older adults.
Self-aware.
Goals of psychosocial assessment
- Early detection of asymptomatic or unacknowledged health problems.
- Identify signs/symptoms of psychological dysfunction (e.g., anxiety, depression, memory problems, change in mental status).
- Identify stressors and other risk factors that affect cognitive, emotional, or social function.
- Obtain information about the person’s usual personality, coping mechanisms, and cognitive abilities.
- Identify social supports and other coping resources that could be supported or strengthened.
- Assess cognitive functioning.
The most common impairment of psychosocial function in older adults is _
Depression.
The psychosocial theory of depression focuses on _
The impact of loss (losing independence, friends, etc.) and learned helplessness.
According to the cognitive triad theory, depression occurs when the older adult examines _
- Their self-image.
- Their environment/experiences.
- Their future.
The biologic theory of depression addresses the role of the neurotransmitters _ as causative factors.
- Serotonin.
- Dopamine.
- Acetylcholine.
- Norepinephrine.
Depression vs. dementia - onset/course of illness
Depression produces a rapid mental decline; dementia produces a slow, gradual decline.
Depression vs. dementia - level of consciousness
Depressed people remain oriented; dementia causes a person to become confused, disoriented, and/or lost in familiar locations.
Depression vs. dementia - attention span
Depressed people have difficulty concentrating; dementia causes problems with short-term memory.
Depression-related behaviors and symptoms in older adults
D= Dysphoria E= Emotional lability P= Physical complaints R= Rumination E= Energy loss S= Suicidal thoughts and plan S= Sudden mood change I= Insomnia O= Omission of pleasure N= Negativity with regard to self, world, and future
Of the 31 million adults age 65 and older in the U.S., about _ are affected by depression.
5 million.
Older adult males are _ times as likely to commit suicide compared with females.
Four.
The cohort that has the highest rate of suicide is _
White males over the age of 75.
Adjustment disorder with depressed mood
- “Situational depression” - a reaction to a major change in a person’s life.
- It is usually of short duration - 6 months or less.
Anxiety
- A feeling of distress, subjectively experienced as fear or worry and objectively expressed through autonomic and central nervous system responses.
- Older adults may characterize as “worries,” “concerns,” “trouble with my nerves.”
It may be difficult to distinguish _ from dementia upon initial presentation.
Schizophrenia (usually not a new diagnosis in older adults because the age of onset for this disorder is 18-25; late age of onset is 25-35).
_ is the drug that is most commonly used by older adults for its central nervous system effects of sedation and reducing anxiety.
Alcohol.
Dementia
- A group of brain disorders characterized by a gradual decline in cognitive abilities; the term that most accurately describes progressive declines in cognitive function.
- A syndrome of impaired cognition caused by brain dysfunction and characterized by multiple cognitive deficits, such as memory impairment, aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, or impaired executive function.
