Unit 3 Flashcards
What is the BEERS criteria?
For more than 20 years, the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older
Adults has been the leading source of information about the safety of prescribing drugs
for older people. To help prevent medication side effects and other drug-related problems
in older adults, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has updated and expanded this
important resource. The expanded AGS Updated Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate
Medication Use in Older Adults identifies medications with risks that may be greater than their
benefits for people 65 and older.
What is an age friendly community?
In an age-friendly community, the policies, services and structures related to the physical and social environment are designed to help seniors “age actively.” In other words, the community is set up to help seniors live safely, enjoy good health and stay involved.
For example, in an age-friendly community:
sidewalks are well lit and kept in good shape;
buildings have automatic door openers and elevators; and
seniors take part in all sorts of community activities, such as visiting museums or libraries, taking courses or volunteering for charities or civic duties.
How can nurses help combat social isolation in older adults?
Nurses need to advocate for senior populations to decrease social isolation through educational, prevention and political lobby strategies.
What are barriers to communication with older adults?
Common barriers to communication include the declining sensory, cognitive, and physical abilities of older adults, failing hearing, effects of medications
The complexity of older adult’s health is difficult to assess due to what reasons?
- Commonly have more than one chronic condition
- Signs of illness can be less predictable
- signs/symptoms can have many explanations
- treatments often are for the symptoms not disease process
- cognitive impairment can affect assessments and identification/description of a problem
- myths can lead to misunderstandings and false treatment
What are some assessments for older adult functioning?
SPICE, SHOW ME, Functional consequences model for promoting wellness in older adults
What is the functional assessment?
It is an essential part of health promotion and wellness, and identifies areas where functioning can be improved. It measures the person;s ability to fulfill responsibilities and self care. It measures, ADL’s, iIADL’s and focuses on improved functioning of daily life
What are instrumental activities of daily living?
The more complex tasks essential in community living situations
What are activities of daily living?
Tasks associated with meeting one’s basic needs
What is the Comprehensive geriatric assessment?
Includes medical, psychosocial, cognitive, and functional components.
How can risks for unsafe driving be assessed?
Full visual exam, cognitive tests, motor performance, medication review, self report questions, questions for family and care-givers
What are challenges relating to unsafe driving?
. Age-related changes in vision, musculoskeletal function and central and autonomic nervous systems can affect driving abilities even in healthy older adults. Two common concerns with driving are difficulty with night driving and safely changing lanes.
Who the means for evaluation of safety for driving?
The physician. Where there are concerns, physicians are instructed to refer patients for a road assessment mandated by the provincial motor vehicle board. They will then review physicians’ reports and make a decision regarding what kind of further testing is needed.
What factors can affect appropriate use of medications?
- knowledge about the substance
- culture and psychosocial influences
- ability to obtain correct amounts
- ability to distinguish correct container
- ability to read and comprehend directions
- ability to hear and remember verbal instructions
- knowledge about correct timing for consumption
- ability to follow the correct dosage regimen
- physical ability to remove the substance from the container and administer it
- ability to swallow oral preparations
- additional skills related to coordination, visual acuity and other routes such as transdermal, nasally and subcutaneously
What is medication reconciliation and what are the steps?
Medication reconciliation is an intervention that has been implemented in the health care setting and considered one of the top patient safety priorities in Canada. Medication reconciliation is the process of identifying a patient’s medication errors, such as omissions, duplications, dosing errors or drug interactions during transitions in care. The three steps involved in the process are:
- Verification by collecting an accurate list
- Clarification of questions about drugs, dosages, frequency and other information
- Reconciliation of any discrepancies or concerns by communicating with prescribing practitioners
