The patient care research available for use in nursing on frailty is sparse. Frailty is fairly a new geriatric syndrome. Current literature on frailty is limited and therefore well-conducted studies are needed in order to be benefit the older community. As individuals age, particularly older adults, interventions to prolong health in treating medically complex patients are urgently needed. Such needs require that we identify older people at greatest risk for adverse health events. Determining protocols for assessment of frailty is benefiting for these patients, as it assists with the vision of focusing on increasing proactive, and preventative health care.
Touhy, T. A., & Jett, K. (2012). Toward healthy aging: Human needs & nursing response (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Mosby.
Successful Aging Elderly (SAE) Introduction In the elderly population most of the research carried out so far emphasizes on the functional problems and diseases. When it comes to successful aging elderly (SEA), it has been recommended that health status should be used to distinguish between elderly subgroups and disease-free people who can describe successful aging elderly (SAE). The research papers aims to describe a transitory overview of successful aging elderly research, illustrated in their chief sections: cognitive aspects, psychological and social aspects. It is proposed that future studies will unemployment an extensive demonstration of SAE, where the emphasis will be more on biological, health and cognitive perspectives.
...teract. Many of the medications are very powerful in and of themselves. This article also presents additional approaches to medicating the elderly, including focus on reduction of number of medications prescribed. Both articles present the importance of considering the normal physiological changes within geriatric patients.
“Apprehension, uncertainty, waiting, expectation, fear of surprise, do a patient more harm than any exertion. Remember he is face to face with his enemy all the time, internally wrestling with him” (Nightingale, 1992, p. 22). Fortunately, in the nineteenth century, Florence Nightingale recognized uncertainty could cause harm to her patients (Nightingale, 1992). Equally important to the nursing profession are the nursing theorists, their work, and the evolution of the theories that followed Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing (Alligood, 2014).
Long-term care (LTC) covers a wide range of clinical and social services for those who need assistance due to functional limitations. These limitations usually result from complications associated with age related chronic conditions, from disabilities related to birth defects, brain damage, or mental retardation in children; or from major illnesses or injuries suffered by adults (Shi L. & Singh D.A., 2011). LTC encompasses a variety of services including traditional clinical services, social services and housing. Unlike acute care, long-term care is much more complicated and has objectives that are much harder to measure. Acute care mainly focuses on returning patients to their previous functional level and is primarily provided by specialty providers. However, LTC mainly focuses on preventing the physical and mental deterioration of an individual and promoting social adjustments to suit the different stages of decline. In addition the providers of LTC are more diverse than those in acute care and is offered in both formal and informal settings, which include: hospitals, physicians, home care, adult day care, nursing home care, assisted living and even informal caregivers such as friends and family members. Long-term care services have been dominated by community based services, which include informal care (86%, about 10 to 11 million) and formal institutional care delivered in nursing facilities (14%, 1.6 million) (McCall, 2001). Of more than the 10 million Americans estimated to require LTC services, 58% are elderly and 42% are under the age of 65 (Shi L. & Singh D.A., 2011). The users of LTC are either frail elderly or disabled and because of the specific care needs of this population, the care varies based on an indiv...
The aim of this essay is to critically analyse and appraise Local and National policies surrounding Long-Term health conditions (LTC) and complex care needs, which inform community practice. It is intended to critically appraise the complex care requirements of people with Heart Failure as the chosen LTC, outlining areas of care that need to be addressed by professionals utilising contemporary research and evidence based practice. As per the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2010) all identities of people and local trusts will be kept confidential.
Houde, S., & Melillo, K. (2009). Caring for an aging population. Journal Of Gerontological Nursing, 35(12), 9-13. doi:10.3928/00989134-20091103-04
Today?s healthcare environment calls for continued cost containment while providing better, quality care. As a result of the advances of healthcare, life expectancies have increased resulting in a growing, aged population with more chronic conditions. Treatment options, outside the hospital, are the norm for most routine management of patient care, but when someone gets sick, and requires hospitalization, the combination of their age, chronicity of illness and increased comorbidity
Darby, S. Marr, J. Crump, A Scurfield, M (1999) Older People, Nursing & Mental Health. Oxford: Buterworth-Heinemann.
“Vulnerability is at the core, the heart, the center, of meaningful human experiences” (Brown, 2014). Vulnerability can be regarded as a constant human experience that can be affected by physical, social and psychological dimensions (Scanlon & Lee, 2006; Malone, 2000) Deconstructing the concept of vulnerability and how it relates to client care is imperative for nurses due to their dynamic role in health care (Gjengedal et al.2013). In this paper I will provide a theoretical overview of the nursing concept vulnerability. I will explore how a thorough understanding of vulnerability informs the nursing concept of vulnerability and informs the nursing practice and the nursing profession. I will identify the gaps in the nursing
Vulnerability is commonly defined as an individual being weak and susceptible to harm. The definition of vulnerability in nursing is slightly different. Vulnerability in nursing is focused on a population or group of people, not the individual person. These groups of people can have limited access to care and may have a higher risk of being ill or having certain health conditions. A population that is generally considered vulnerable are individuals with mental disabilities. The Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing, defines mental disability as, “any clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome characterized by distressing syndromes, significant impairment of functioning, or significantly increased risk
...th professionals, were significantly more cynical toward and distrustful of older adults” (p. 63). The findings in Meisner’s (2012) conveyed that physicians demonstrated attitudes about older patients including feelings of these individuals being “disengaged and unproductive” while assuming that these characteristics applied to all of the older patients regardless of each person’s actual abilities (p. 63). Combing all older adults into one category defined by disability and dysfunction is detrimental to the well-being of each patient. Chronological age is not the determining factor relative to treatment; functional age is a better testament to expected outcomes for a patient. It is imperative that physicians understand what is “normal aging” rather than searching for pathologies based on symptoms that are just part of this aging process. According to Meisner
Kick, Ella. "Overview: Health Care and the Aging Population: What Are Today's Challenges?" The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. N.p., n.d. Web.
Adding physical therapy in a nursing home setting can help not only with the mental and physical health of the residents, but also with the number of fall-related injuries that can occur. The addition of physical therapy can help slow down the effects of aging in the body and give the resident a less painful recovery. Many people believe that decreasing the amount of pain in a resident’s life will improve their mental health in the way that they will be able to enjoy life's simple activities to the fullest. Improving a resident’s mood will help avoid a sense of anger and confusion. Anger can increase frustration; which might lead the patient to attempt to stand, which results in a fall from lack of strength.
Having worked in the field of geriatrics, in a nursing home setting, I have had the opportunity to be involved in the direct care of the elderly. Over a period of time, I have come to accept living one's last years in a nursing home as an eventual "normal" response to the aging process. As a result of this study, I anticipate having an enlarged perspective and an enhanced sensitivity to the psychosocial aspects of aging.