Med Surg Ch 5 Flashcards
Illness Categories
Acute or Chronic
Chronic illness accounts for 70% of deaths in the US
True
Acute Illness Description
Diseases with rapid onset and short duration
Acute Illness Characteristics
- Usually self-limiting
- Responds readily to treatment
- Complications infrequent
- After illness, return to previous level of functioning
Chronic Illness Description
Diseases that are prolonged, do not resolve spontaneously, and are rarely cured completely
Chronic Illness Characteristics
- Permanent impairments or deviations from normal
- Irreversible pathologic changes
- Residual disability
- Special rehabilitation needed
- Need for long-term medical and/or nursing management
Alzheimer’s Disease Impact
- Affects 5.5 million people
* Sixth leading cause of death among all adults; fifth leading cause of death among those age 65 and above
Arthritis Impact
- Affects 1 in 5 people
- One of most common chronic illnesses
- Leading cause of disability
Cancer Impact
- Second leading cause of death
* Risk increases with age
Cardiovascular Disease, Including Heart Disease and Stroke Impacts
- Affects about 17 million adults
- Account for 31% of U.S. deaths annually
- Heart disease is leading cause of death in United States
- Heart failure is a common cause of hospitalization and rehospitalization
- Stroke is fifth leading cause of death
- Stroke is a common cause of serious disability
COPD Impacts
- Affects many older adults
* Third leading cause of death
Diabetes Impacts
- Affects >29 million Americans
- 25% of adults in United States do not know they have diabetes
- Seventh leading cause of death
HIV Impacts
- 45% of those living with HIV in the United States are over 50 years old
- Older adults more likely to receive diagnosis of HIV infection later in course of disease
Obesity Impacts
- Affects about 1 in 3 adults
* Major contributor to other health problems and chronic diseases
Chronic Illness Trajectory Definition and Phases
theoretical model of chronic illness
-Phases: Onset, Stable, Acute, Comeback, Crisis, Unstable, Downward, Dying
CI Trajectory Onset Phase
- Signs and symptoms are present
* Disease diagnosed
CI Trajectory Stable Phase
- Illness course and symptoms controlled by treatment plan
* Person maintains everyday activities
CI Trajectory Acute Phase
- Active illness with severe and unrelieved symptoms or complications
- Hospitalization may be needed for management
CI Trajectory Comeback Phase
Gradual return to an acceptable way of life
CI Trajectory Crisis Phase
- Life-threatening situation occurs
* Emergency services are necessary
CI Trajectory Unstable Phase
- Unable to keep symptoms or disease course under control
- Life becomes disrupted while patient works to regain stability
- Hospitalization not required
CI Trajectory Downward Phase
- Gradual and progressive deterioration in physical or mental status
- Accompanied by increasing disability and symptoms
- Continuous changes in everyday life activities
CI Trajectory Dying Phase
- Patient has to relinquish everyday life interests and activities, let go, and die peacefully
- Immediate weeks, days, hours preceding death
Tasks of People with Chronic Illness
- Prevent and manage a crisis
- Carry out prescribed treatment plan
- Control symptoms
- Reorder time
- Adjust to changes in course of disease
- Prevent social isolation
- Attempt to normalize interactions with others
Men and women reaching 65 years now have life expectancy of:
Men: 18 Years
Women: 20.6 years
Gender Differences - Older Adult Men
- More likely to be married and living with spouse or partner
- More likely to have health insurance
- Higher income after retirement
- Less likely to be involved in caregiving activities
- Overall have fewer chronic health conditions
Gender Differences - Older Adult Women
- More likely to live alone
- More likely to be widowed
- Less likely to have health insurance
- More likely to live in poverty
- Poverty rates highest among minority women
- More likely to lack formal work experience, leading to lower income
- More likely to rely on Social Security as major source of income
- More likely to be caregiver of ill spouse or partner
- Have a higher incidence of chronic health conditions such as arthritis, hypertension, stroke, and diabetes
Young-Old Adult Age Bracket
65-74 years
Old-Old Adult Age Bracket
85+ years
Frail Older Adult
Usually over 75 with multiple physical, cognitive, and/or mental conditions that interfere with self-management and the ability to independently perform ADLs.
Ageism
A negative attitude based on age
Aging Definition
Reflects the changes that occur over time. A multi-factorial process involving genetics, diet, and environment
Incidence of Chronic Illness Triples after age 45. T/F
True
Most people 65 or older have 1 or more chronic conditions
True
Most common chronic conditions
- hypertension
- heart failure
- coronary artery disease
- COPD
- cancer
- diabetes
- osteoarthritis
- Alzheimer’s disease
- vision and hearing deficit
- osteoporosis
- stroke
- Parkinson’s disease
- stroke
Key barriers to HC access for rural older adults
- transportation
- limited supply of health care workers and facilities
- lack of quality health care
- social isolation
- financial limitations
Key factors associated with homelessness
- having a low income
- having reduced cognitive capacity
- living alone
- living in a community that lacks affordable housing
Inter-professional approach for homeless
-social workers
-nurses
-physicians
-clerical workers
-transporters
to link shelters with:
-outreach
-primary care clinics
-Medicare and Medicaid Offices
-pharmacies
-senior centers
-area agencies on aging
-possible long-term care
Frailty Manifestations Criteria
(1) unintentional weight loss (10 pounds or more in a year);
(2) self-reported exhaustion;
(3) weakness (measured by grip strength);
(4) slow walking speed;
(5) low level of physical activity.
Risk Factors for Frailty
- Disability
- Smoking
- Multiple Chronic Conditions
- Dementia
- History of Depression
- Long-Term Medical Health Problems
- Underweight
- Older Adult
Common Health Problems of a Frail Adult
- mobility limitations
- sensory impairment
- cognitive declines
- falls
SCALES: Nutritional Assessment of Older Adults (Table 5.7)
- Sadness, or mood change
- Cholesterol, high
- Albumin, low
- Loss or gain of weight
- Eating problems (e.g., mechanical problems, such as impaired swallowing, poor dentition)
- Shopping and food preparation problems
Common Interventions for Older Adults Nutritional Needs
- home-delivered meals,
- dietary supplements,
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),
- dental referrals,
- vitamin supplements.
- Because medications may affect appetite or interact with nutrients, perform a thorough medication review, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, vitamins, minerals, supplements, herbs, and cultural remedies.
Ethnogeriatric Definition
Specialty area of providing culturally competent care to older adults
3 levels of Social Support for Older Adults
- Family members are the primary and preferred providers of social support
- semiformal support is found in clubs, religious organizations, neighborhoods, adult day care, and senior centers
- older adults may be linked to formal systems of social welfare agencies, health facilities, and government support (generally nurses are part of the formal system)
Signs of Caregiver Stress
- Irritability
- Anger
- Inability to concentrate
- Fatigue
- Sleeplessness
Elder Mistreatment (EM) Definition
intentional acts of omission or commission by a caregiver or trusted other that cause harm or serious risk for harm to a vulnerable older adult
Victims are unlikely to report mistreatment by trusted other due to
- isolation
- impaired cognitive or physical function
- feelings of shame, guilt, or self-blame
- fear of reprisal
- pressure from family members
- fear of long-term care
- cultural norms