Safety In Older Adults

More people are living much longer lives than in years past. People are very surprised to be living much longer lives than they thought they would. Health care has played a large part in patient longevity. There are many normal changes that come along with aging, however, because people are living longer these normal changes can become chronic problems. Common aging problems that can make the older adult a vulnerable population are reviewed in Gerontological Nursing (Tabloski, 2014) and can include nutritional needs, medication management, sleep changes, oral or mouth care, renal problems and musculoskeletal concerns. According to A Profile of Older Americans: 2013 (http://www.hhs.gov), there are a large amount

General assessment of Mr. McKay raises a few red flags that may indicate potential elder mistreatment. Dried stool and dirty sheets are noted on more than one occasion. This reveals that Mr. McKay is not getting adequate and timely care and the care takers are neglecting to tend to him on a more frequent basis. Pre albumin and albumin are used to interpret individual’s nutritional status. Mr. McKay’s pre-albumin was within a normal range with 16.0 to 35.0 mg per dL being the norm (Beck & Rosenthal, 2002). His albumin level, used to monitor long term nutritional changes was below the norm. However, these levels are dependent on other factors like hydration status as well as kidney function and are not as sensitive to

As a person ages, theirs body cannot perform the way it used to. This will cause many elderly people to loose their job or choose to go into retirement. Both of these options cause a loss in health care as well and a reduced or exterminated income. Here alone lies a reason that the elderly population is challenged. The elderly population also has a tendency to develop a chronic illness that can be life threatening if not treated or controlled properly. This means that need for health care treatments also increases. At least 40% of those over age 65 will have nutrition-related health problems requiring treatment or management (Gigante, 2012). It is important to realize that 10% of people over the age of 65 and will develop Alzheimer’s disease and 50% of those over the age of 85 will develop this disease (Gigante, 2012). More elderly African American men and women use government aid than white men and women. Therefore, this population will be vulnerable because of the lack of funding, proper health care and insurance.

In Chapter 15: Aging and the Elderly, the U.S. birth rate has been falling for more than a century. It happens because children are more likely to survive into adulthood, and so couple have fewer children. As more women work outside the home, they choose to have fewer children. Greater material wealth and advances in medicine have raised living standards so that people benefit from better housing and more nutrition. The oldest segment of the U.S. population, is increasing rapidly and is already forty times greater than in 1900.

Despite these “rights” nurses in the United States and around the world still use restraints stating the main reason is for patient safety.

There are various types of nursing homes throughout the country . It is imperative to realize that when locating a secure living environment for the elderly ; the heart of the facility lies within the kitchen . According to a private foundation , " one study cited in the report found as many as 85 percent of the elderly living in some of the nation's more than 17,000 nursing homes are malnourished " (Commonwealth Fund , 2007 ) . In addition to an appropriate establishment , one should consider who prepares the meals and the quality of the food . When a senior enters the dining room for feeding time , the majority of the time a meal will not serve their best interest . For that reason , creating healthier menus for retirement homes will improve

Most aging adults do not receive the necessary preventive services to help promote health and wellness during this stage of life. These preventive services include vaccinations and screenings. These important services help detect many diseases, delay their onset, or identify them early in their most treatable stages to ensure healthier, longer, and more productive lives for older adults (Prevention, 2011). Better people take care of themselves the longer they will live. People who balance: the right diet, making better choices and not acting sedentary has a better chance in living longer lives.

In America we have very many ways people deal with their older relatives. Normally people put them in nursing homes or care facilities. I personally believe we should hold our elders in high regard. The older generations have seen and been through a lot of history, and have a lot of wisdom. Those who simply do not care about their older relatives are making a huge mistake.

The older adult has many vulnerabilities. In this discussion board, I will discuss several areas in which the elderly are vulnerable, some of the risk factors associated with each area and possible ways to minimize these vulnerabilities. Frailty, multimorbidity, medication reaction, and heat exposure are the areas of vulnerability I am going to discuss.

Aging is a gradual, continuous process of natural change which begin to decline many bodily functions. These changes increase the risk of developing health-related problems within the older adults. The fulmer SPICES is a tool for assessing older populations that focuses on six main conditions which include sleep disorders, problems with eating or feeding, incontinence, confusion, evidence of falls, and skin breakdown. Upon interview/exam if the patient has no problems noted on chart then score will be zero, if patient problem noted on chart and history of problem then score will be 1 and lastly if the problem is found on the day of assessment either in chart or on exam then score will be 2 on the assessment tool (Fulmer, 2007). This assessment used to plan, promote, and maintain optimal function in elderly adults. Also, the SPICES assessment is done regularly that can signal for the need for specific assessment and interventions for these conditions (Fulmer, 2007). This assessment can be used for both healthy and frail older

Reminiscing to 2010, when I was faced with my grandmother 's illness during the adolescent years in my life I knew that I had a passion to care for the elderly (aging) population. From this passion, it ignited a fire so strong that I pursue my certified nursing assistant certification to gain a better understanding of working with the elderly population. By doing so, it has been a great benefit to my life; aging is an inevitable experience that we all will go through during our life. It is important to ensure that our elderly individuals are still able to enjoy the best quality of life after retirement. However, as we age, there will be a lifestyle change that the aging population must encounter.

When individual ages it is inevitable, however falls can be avoidable when taking the correct precautions and safety modifications in ones home. Over the past few decades the lifespan of older individuals have increased. Nursing homes or assisted living facilities have been the answer for people who are less independent. However, some older adults remain in their homes and become the targets of falling. Falls are one of the leading causes of death in older adults 65 and older. Older individuals who experience falling are at risk for serious injuries or fatality. A falls prevention program is necessary to be idealistic for older individuals to prevent, reduce, and eliminate the number of falls so a person can experience a healthy

Throughout the last decade and into the current century the older population will continue expand in size and diversity. Individual older people differ greatly from one another in their nutrient requirements and need for nutrition services.

Assessing and planning care of the elderly is important in enabling the older adult to have the best quality of life in their later years. Understanding their views on living day to day with what they hold dear, will help in planning care for the older person. In this paper, I will interview an older adult and describe various details as well as cultural relations surrounding my interviewed individual. I will perform functional assessments using the Tinetti, Katz, Home Safety, and Barthel tools, which will be included in the Appendix. I will compare any age-related changes and identify more than six preliminary issues that need to be addressed. Lastly, I will propose more than three alterations and

Chronic disease and conditions are usually defined as those diseases which last for more than six months and which have a severe effect on the life of the individuals (Chronic Conditions and Injury, para.1). While chronic diseases can affect people of all ages and demographics, these types of diseases are very often found in the elderly. Chronic disease are also characterized by "…multiple risk factors, long latency periods, a prolonged course of illness and functional impairment or disability" (Key indicators of progress for chronic disease and associated determinants, 2011, p. 1). Chronic disease is also found to be more prevalent in the ageing demographic of most countries.