“The specific age-related changes include loss of elastic recoil, stiffening of the chest wall, inefficiency in gas exchange, and increased resistance to airflow (Ebersole & Hess, 1998, p. 72).” As the individuals gets older their gas exchange in the respiratory system declines. Therefore, natural aging makes them more prone to respiratory problems and infections. It also makes them become fatigue much quicker while performing daily ADL’s. The cardiac muscle of the other adult is extended and the contraction the heart muscles are decreased. Although, this occurs it usually does not affect them unless they are suffering from some type of physical or mental illness. In the musculoskeletal system of the elderly person the bone density is reduced to the loss of calcium. Thus, leading to poor posture, joint pain, and brittle bones which can lead to an increased risk falls or accidental injuries. In the health history of the older adult two components to include is their elimination and rest habits. It is important to assess the availability of the toilet facilities and the time it takes to reach the area. Any medications that the client it taking prescribed or over the counter and how it is affecting their elimination process. The physical mobility and exercise regimen capacity of the person. The nutritional status of the elderly person also plays a key role in the elimination habit. The nurse may ask the client about the number of hours they get of sleep. It is also important to find out if they are awakening several times during the night to go to the restroom. Whether they are taking naps doing the day or do they fall asleep in the evening. The Fulmer SPICES assessment tool is used to help evaluate some... ... middle of paper ... ...esponse. St. Louis: Mosby. Carolan Doerflinger, CRNP, PhD, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia, D. M. (2007). Mental Status Assessment of Older Adults: The Mini-CogTM - Google Search. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from https://www.google.com/search?q=Mental+Status+Assessment+of+Older+Adults%3A+The+Mini-CogTM&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb Fulmer, PhD, APRN, GNP, FAAN, Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University and Meredith Wallace, PhD, APRN, CS, Fairfield University School of Nursing, T. (2012). Fulmer SPICES: An Overall Assessment Tool for Older Adults - Google Search. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from https://www.google.com/search?q=Fulmer+SPICES%3A+An+Overall+Assessment+Tool+for+Older+Adults&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb
older adults. Journal of Nursing Education, 47(6), 269-271. Retrieved from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database.
Chronic bronchitis is a disorder that causes inflammation to the airway, mainly the bronchial tubules. It produces a chronic cough that lasts three consecutive months for more than two successive years (Vijayan,2013). Chronic Bronchitis is a member of the COPD family and is prominently seen in cigarette smokers. Other factors such as air pollutants, Asbestos, and working in coal mines contributes to inflammation. Once the irritant comes in contact with the mucosa of the bronchi it alters the composition causing hyperplasia of the glands and producing excessive sputum (Viayan,2013). Goblet cells also enlarge to contribute to the excessive secretion of sputum. This effects the cilia that carry out the mechanism of trapping foreign bodies to allow it to be expelled in the sputum, which are now damaged by the irritant making it impossible for the person to clear their airway. Since the mechanism of airway clearance is ineffective, the secretion builds up a thickened wall of the bronchioles causing constriction and increasing the work of breathing. The excessive build up of mucous could set up pneumonia. The alveoli are also damaged enabling the macrophages to eliminate bacteria putting the patient at risk for acquiring an infection.
Darby, S. Marr, J. Crump, A Scurfield, M (1999) Older People, Nursing & Mental Health. Oxford: Buterworth-Heinemann.
There are several assessment tools nurses use in in the field to assess geriatrics along with the rest of the population. Three most common assessment tools are, the pain scale, fall risk scale, and the depression scale.
Elderly, 1991. American Journal of Public Health, 84(8), 1265. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
Introduction: This paper will discuss a case study of Liam, a three-month-old boy who is transferred from the General Practitioner (GP) to a paediatric ward with bronchiolitis. Initially, Liam’s chief health issues will be identified, followed by a nursing assessment and diagnosis of the child’s needs. Focus will be made on the management of two major health problems: respiratory distress and dehydration, and summary and evaluation of the interventions with evidence of learning. Lastly, a conclusion of the author’s self-evaluation will be presented. Identification of specific key issues: Liam is a previously healthy boy who has experienced rhinorrhoea, intermittent cough, and poor feeding for the past four days.
Aging is an inevitable process where we as living beings grow old. Aging has some benefits and may bring some problems too. There is a great variety of researches done with different purposes which provide us with some information and statistics.
DEFINING AND DIAGNOSING DEMENTIA. (2005). In The Cambridge Handbook of Age and Ageing. Retrieved from https://hodges.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://www.credoreference.com.hodges.
Applicable populations: The assessment is designed to be utilized with individuals between the ages of 18-73 (SASSI, 2001).
As adults grow older a substantial number of people experience pain and cognitive impairment. Assessment’s of their pain become more complex as patient’s cognitive abilities decline, patient’s losing their ability to express themselves, and not understanding their pain (Chatterjee, 2012). Dementia is one the many cognitive impairments elders might go through. It is a progressive brain disease and can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe according to the level of cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment can affect a person’s ability to describe their pain, understand the assessment questions that are asked, recall painful events, and rate their pain on a numeric scale 0-10 (Wilsons et al, 2006). Observation assessments like the Abbey
The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that health conditions associated with the ageing process are arthritis, stroke, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. These health concerns can be avoided...
Respiratory assessment is a significant aspect of nursing practice. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, respiratory rate is the best indicator of an ill patient and it is the first observation that will demonstrate a problem or deterioration in condition (Philip, Richardson, & Cohen, 2013). When a respiratory assessment performed effectively on a patient, it can result in upholding patient’s comfort and independence in progress of symptom management. Studies have acknowledged that in spite of the importance of the respiratory rate (RR) it is documented rarely than the other vital signs in the hospital settings (Parkes, 2011). This essay will highlight the importance of respiratory assessment and discuss why nurses
Prior to watching the video provided by Consult Geri, being nervous about using an assessment tool for geriatric patients that show symptoms of cognitive degeneration was an understatement. The Mini-Cog assessment prove to be a quick and simple screening test that can be administered to obtain a patient baseline regarding dementia. Not only is the tool easy to use, the assessment questions are not stressful to the patient answering the questions (Carolan-Doerflinger, 2013). Knowing that it can be repeated for clarification is also reassuring. It is suggested that patients age 75 or older are assessed for dementia during their hospital stay (Mion, 2014). Nurses often use the Mini-Cog assessment tool to determine if a patient is suffering from
Hospital acquired infections are one of the most common complications of care in the hospital setting. Hospital acquired infections are infections that patients acquired during the stay in the hospital. These infections can cause an increase number of days the patients stay in the hospital. Hospital acquired infections makes the patients worse or even causes death. “In the USA alone, hospital acquired infections cause about 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths per year”(secondary).
The elderly represents a large amount of the population in our society and continues to grow each day. As the population grows, it is important to meet the demands and resolve the challenges that we encounter in regards to the overall quality of health and well-being of the elderly. Mental health of the elderly is a major issue but majority of the time goes unnoticed and untreated by caregivers and loved ones. About 20 percent of adults 55 and older are suffering from some type of mental health disorder, and one in three elderly adults do not receive any type of treatment (The State of Mental Health, 2008). Those suffering from mental illness are hesitant to seek out help or any type of treatment because of the stigma, services and cost for care that then comes with mental health disorders. Mental health issues that affect elderly include dementia, delirium, and psychosis. Some of the most common conditions include anxiety, mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder and cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease. Mental health is essential to the