Week 1 Outline Flashcards
What is gerontology?
It is the scientific study of the process of aging, and the problems of each person that includes physical, mental, and social problems.
-“geron” greek for old man
What is geriatrics?
The branch of medicine that deals with the diseases and treatments of older people.
What is considered old? (7)
- WHO - 50 yrs
- United Nations - 60+
- Western countries - 65+ yrs
- Young-old: 65-74 yo
- Middle-old: 75-84 yo
- Old-old: 85+ yo
- Elite-old: 100+ yo
Older adults defined in the U.S. as someone 65 & older
What defines age? (4)
- Chronological - # of years lived
- Biological - age of organ systems
- Psychological - how old one feels
- Social - roles and relationships
age is a SUBJECTIVE term: varies with time, place, cohort and perception
Who is considered a nonagenarian?
A person who is 90-99
Example would be Queen Elizabeth
Who is considered a centenarian?
100+
- 97k now, 601k by 2050 – calling this a gerontological explosion
- most are female (77%)
- 30% have NO evidence of dementia; the older adult 100+ must be extremely hardy & healthy to have lived this long
Who are the baby boomers?
Born between 1946-1964
- 3.4 million born in 1946 then 3 million every year through 1964
- began turning 65 in 2011 (around 75-76 years old right now is the oldest )
Fastest growing age group is ____ and older
85
Descriptions of the older people?
- 80% of adults over age 65 rely more on healthcare services
- rely on health care services far more than other segments of the population because there is so many of them
- 34% of all older women are widowed
- 34% women & 21% men live alone
- educational levels are increasing
- Poverty: in 2019, 8.9% below poverty level
- women 10.3% & men 7.2%
- highest poverty rates: older hispanic women who live alone (45.4%); this is because older hispanic women may have immigrated from another country, have no formal education, or because they are highly focused on family throughout their lifetime & relied on spouse for income
What are the two types of life tables?
Cohort or generational
Period Or current
What is the most frequently used life table statistic?
Life expectancy (based on current age) (e) which is the average number of years of life remaining for x persons who have attained a given age (x).
What settings are used for older adults?
- Hospitals
- home care
- hospice
- long-term care facility
- assisted living
Advance practice for older adults?
Gerontological nurse practitioners
What is the mission for caring of our aging population?
Preserve function, enhanced health, and enhanced quality of life and dying experience for the older adult population.
(How well they can live with time they have left?)
What is the role of nurses in research for our older population?
Innovations in care, research, provision of services for growing populations
What are the hot topics for research in nursing? (6)
- Dementia
- reducing falls
- use of restraints
- pain management
- delirium
- end-of-life care.
What are the two issues with the care of our older aging population?
- We have a demand, and it is critical for geronological nursing as many baby boomers are starting to retire.
- We have a concern of lack of adequate staffing especially in nursing profession such as Techs, RNs, LPNs
What are the two AACNs that Dr. Walker mentioned?
- Geriatric competencies by AACN
2. Essentials for BSN by AACN
What is health?
The absence of a disease
What is wellness
The concept of wellness incorporates all aspects of one’s being Such as
- phsyical: ability to walk, feed self, general ADLs - emotional: living alone, lose and grief - intellectual: dementia - social: living alone - spiritual: faith/religion - cultural: are they still able to interact culturally - environmental: are they in a healthy living situation