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Gerontology Case Study

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Comprehensive Scholarly Paper Gerontology is the scientific study of old age, the process of aging, and the particular problems of old people. With maturation the elderly suffer from age-related changes that effect their overall health and day to day living. Even those these changes provide limitations that can be lived with, these changes can also exacerbate many medical conditions. The elderly client I decided to evaluate, H.J.is a 76 year old african american female, that has a past medical history of chronic heart failure, myocardial infarction, hypertension, asthma, and renal mass. H.J.also has a past surgical history of a left mastectomy. She is retired and lives at home by herself …show more content…

With her ambulation problems she is definitely at risk for falls at home. “Each year, one in every three adults age 65 and older falls. Falls can cause moderate to severe injuries, such as hip fractures and head traumas, and can increase the risk of early death”. It is important to teach older adults who live at home alone how to decrease the risks of falls. They must remove tripping hazards such as rugs, improve lighting, and add grab bars where needed. Instrumental activities of daily living would be even more difficult to complete for H.J. Assessment of her functional status in the hospital showed that some level assistance would be necessary at home to complete tasks such as medication management, transportation, and bathroom assistance. Upon assessment I did observe some cognitive impairment which I believe was due to the effects of medication. Prior to the administration of methadone H.J was very uncooperative and unable to answer basic questions related to pain rating and orientation. She did not want to be bothered or assessed at all. About an hour and a half later following her medication administration she was much more talkative playful and willing to answer any questions I had to ask. She was also even willing to explain why she refused her MRI which was due to claustrophobia. “Elderly people are more likely than younger patients to develop cognitive impairment as a

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