Promoting Dignity In Geriatric Care Essay

There are many potential problems associated with the use of elderspeak. One of the major problems relates to the potential of negatively impacting the self-esteem of those to whom it is being directed towards. It has also been reported that through the use of elderspeak, “staff may unknowingly reinforce dependency and engender isolation and depression… contributing to the spiral of decline in physical, cognitive, and functional status” (Williams et al, 2003). Healthcare providers who engage in elderspeak can actually contribute to the decline of their patients, representing the total opposite of good healthcare practice for which most healthcare workers strive to achieve. It has also been reported that the stereotyping of older adults can have an impact on the quality of information being relayed to the patient. For example, “providers have been found to provide more information, offer more support, and share more decision-making with clients who are younger compared to older adults” (Williams et al, 2004).

During my placement during at an aged care facility, it was an important process to ensure that nursing interventions were carried out to ensure a respectful behaviour of a resident’s dignity, culture, values beliefs and

It is no secret that communication is key when providing direct patient care in a skilled nursing facility. However, there is a noticeable lapse in the communication between the care team when providing care to the individual or groups of individuals. Two main parts of any care team are the registered nurse and the certified nursing assistant, as these are the two people whom have the most direct and impactful roles with residents in a skilled facility. The Registered Nurse and the Certified Nursing Assistant play similar roles in providing patient care, but have different roles in its entirety. The role of the Registered Nurse (RN) is defined as having the competency and skill to provide direct and indirect health care to individuals, their families, and communities around them. Services are also provided designed to give out medications, to promote comfort or healing, promote healing, and to also provide the dignity of their patients and patient’s families (American College of Rheumatology, 2015).

Long-term care can be defined as a broad set of paid and unpaid services for people who are mentally or physically disabled, or whose chronic illness places them in need of medical or personal assistance for long periods of time. “It is estimated that there are more than twelve million Americans of all ages whose mix of serious disability and chronic illness places them at the high risk for functional decline, hospitalization, or nursing home placement.” (Benjamin) Several different populations require long-term care services, and the needs of these populations vary. In addition to the elderly, many of the long-term care users are younger persons with physical disabilities; persons with developmental disabilities; and persons with chronic

Older people also suffer from more chronic health conditions than their younger counterparts, making their care much more involved and complex. For this reason, many health care professionals develop negative attitudes towards providing care for elderly. Their ageist attitudes can be expressed and experienced as microaggressions, making elders hesitant to seek and follow medical advice. Interestingly, nurses view working with elderly patients in a much more positive light. It is postulated that this is because the mission of nursing includes caring for people rather than seeking to cure them (Chrisler, Barney & Palatino, 2016).

Carers must work in collaboration with their colleagues ensuring the delivery of the highest quality, safe and very compassionate health care and support. Carers must communicate openly and in an effective way to promote the health, safety and well-being of services users and their families. Carers must respect all people’s rights to confidentiality and strive to improve the quality of health care by continuing with professional development also uphold and promote equality, diversity and inclusion. Carers must be honest with themselves and others about what they can do, recognise their abilities and limitations of their competence and only carry out of delegate those tasks agreed in their job description and for which they are competent. It is very important to behave and present yourself a way that doesn’t call into question your suitability to work in a health and social care setting, always seek guidance from your supervisor or employer should you feel unable or if you are unsure how to effectively deliver a task. Carers must comply with employers agreed ways of working and must report any actions and omissions made by one or colleagues that you feel may jeopardise the safety or care of services users this includes if necessary whistleblowing procedures to report any suspect wrong doing. Carers must

“How is respect and dignity maintained when caring for elderly patients on a palliative care unit in a hospital setting?”

According to Statistics Canada, aging population has steadily increased since the mid-1960. The age of 65 and older comprised 15.7% of the country’s population. Promoting health in these aging population is very crucial to minimise the severity of health complications that might occur in the long run. Gerontological Nursing involves the care of aging people and emphasize the promotion of the highest possible quality of life and wellness throughout the lifespan (Eliopoulos, c2014 p73). Aging people need Gerontological Nurses who are knowledgeable and willing to promote health and optimum quality of life with the consideration of their core needs such as physiological balance, connection and gratification (Eliopoulos, c2014 p78).

The character Dorothy said in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, “there is no place like home” (Baum, 1960, p. 45). Sadly, many of our elderly live in Long Term Care Facilities (LTCF). The transition from living in their own homes, to living in a LTCF, can be a traumatic experience. Poor adaptation to a LTCF may cause depression, malnutrition and significantly reduce the lifespan of the elder. Thus, it is imperative, that nurse’s recognize this promptly.

The issue of elder abuse is clearly an ethical concern. As a caregiver, the nurse has the responsibility to ensure that the environment of the patient is safe and supportive of health and wellness. In the case of an elderly patient who is too frail to engage in effective self-care, the demands upon the nurse increase as the nurse must

It is important to understand that patients have been experiencing aging bias for a very long time. It is also evident in the medical profession as well, and one needs to do more to ensure that everyone is treated fairly especially the elderly patients. The elderly patients need to treat with the utmost respect and dignity. One needs to understand that the elderly are the ones who pave the way for the younger generation. Therefore, it is important that one takes the time out of their busy assignments to listen to what the older patients have to say and respond to them in an appropriate manner. This paper will discuss how aging has impact one nursing practice, aging bias that one has witnessed during their nursing practice, and a community plan to discuss aging bias.

Also, research reveals that RN’s ageist perceptions and behaviors have a negative impact to level of safety and quality of the nursing care provided to an older patient. In a critical review conducted by Brown et al. (2011) in 25 studies, older patients are exposed to under or over treatment. Examples of these in the nursing context are (1) insertion of indwelling catheters to avoid the inconvenience, exertion or pain of toileting and (2) failure to perform basic bed repositioning that contributes to increased pain suffering and pose potential risk of infection and further injury to the older patient. Also, misconception on the recuperative abilities of the older patient causes the RN to lose the ability to impartially and accurately assess

Just the mere mention of “nursing home” causes most people to shudder and think, “I would never put my relative in such a ghastly place.” There are a great deal of horror stories that stem from nursing homes, most along the lines of , “ My mother was neglected after I put her in a nursing home. I would go to visit her and she would be lying in urine and have a new bruise, different than the one that was there last time.” There seems to be this popular perception that nursing homes are places where aging people go to wait out their final days and die; this causes many individuals to shun them. People are too caught up on these negative stories they

The geriatric patient population is not only increasing in numbers and longevity, but also in the complexity of their health care issues and needs. On the raise as well are the barriers and prejudices with caring for the aging population amongst healthcare providers. It is these barriers and prejudices that hinder healthcare providers to want to take the initiative to improve care for the aging. Preservation of our elder patient population’s dignity should be of the upmost importance. In order to

Nurses and nursing staff should treat everyone in their care with dignity and humanity and should understand individual needs, show compassion and sensitivity, and provide care in a