Symptoms And Treatment Of Hospitalized Elderly Patients

The majority population of long-term health facilities is comprised of geriatric patients with complex comorbidities. Studies show that one-third of these patients have cognitive impairments, and over one-half have physical limitations (Tjia, Bonner, Briesacher, McGee, Terrill & Miller, 2009). It is important to know geriatric patients have increased vulnerabilities. When patients are poor historians and family is unavailable, the nurse often becomes their only advocate during facility admissions. Adequate discharge planning is imperative for patient safety and successful transitions from hospitals to long-term care facilities. It is the equal responsibility of both care

A study was done at a 1,300 bed urban facility over a 13-week period. The purpose of the study was to describe the causes of inpatient falls in hospitals (Hitcho, et al., 2004). All falls were reported except falls in the psychiatry service and during physical therapy sessions. During the 13-week period, a total of 183 patients at an average age of 63.4 years old fell. Of the total number of falls 79% were unassisted, 85% happened in the patient room, 59% occurred during the evening or overnight shift, 19% were while walking, and 50% were elimination related (p. 732). In this study it was identified that many patients did not use their call bell before getting up because they did not believe they needed assistance. It was stated that, “perhaps patients need to be better educated on the effects that a new environment, decreased activity, medications, tests, and treatments can have on patients’ energy and ability to ambulate safely” (p. 737). The findings of this study showed that falls not only happen in the elderly, but in the younger population as well. Patients that fall in hospitals are often unaided and are due to elimination needs. To prevent falls and decrease injury rates, more studies need to be done.

Sensory loss in both visual and mobility impairment in the elderly significant increases the risk of falling with both indoor and outdoor activities, which leads to increased avoidance of physical effort which results in functional restrictions while increasing the incidence of frailty (Ambrose et al., 2013; White, Black, Wood, & Delbaere, 2015). Moreover, the elderly with depression, less coping skills, and cognitive impairment usually have a sedentary behavior which leads to reduced physical activity. In the long run, these

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

Exercises and physical activity have been associated with numerous health benefits including reducing incidences of falls and injuries among the elderly and the geriatric population. Appropriately exercise programs and cardiovascular fitness in older people improve strength and balance. The interventions included strengthening, endurance, balance, flexibility exercises, Tai Chi, stand up/step down procedure and walking exercises. In the first research, the findings were that program targeting balance, leg strength, and freezing gait were only effective in people with milder illnesses, as opposed to more serious disorders like Parkinson’s disease. The study was done for a period of 2 years. In the second research, the findings showed that a multi-component enhanced physical performance of the community indwelling adults but did not translate to psychological outcomes or reduced rates of falling.

Many elderly and their family cannot determine what are normal aging and what are not; therefore, educating them is the key role for nurses to promote safety and health for older adults. Not only assessing physical changes but also mental health assessment is important because those age-related physical changes may cause depression in older adults, which leads to other problems like “difficulty with sleeping,

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.

Participation in physical activity has been shown to have many health benefits for older adults; this study does not provide strong support that it protects against cognitive decline. Reports have been made that physical activity may help guard against stroke and coronary heart disease, both of which may be associated with the development of dementia. Some studies were either limited in their scope or had short follow-up times. In all they find that for older adults, physical activity alone may not protect against cognitive decline. (By Charnicia E. Huggins: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/exerciseforseniors.html)

Much of this timing is based on genetics, lifestyle, and access to health care. In general, people have learned stereotypes regarding the elderly. Some of these stereotypes are accurate, but they do not pertain to all the elderly population. Health care providers have come to expect changes in the elderly. However, it is important not to make assumptions, and to use assessment tools to identify changes the elderly may have encountered. Some of the areas the clinician may expect to find changes include: mobility, ambulation, nutritional intake, continence, and skin changes (Tabloski, 2014). The result of these changes includes a multitude of challenges for the elderly. It is important for the clinician to obtain an accurate functional and psychological assessment of the geriatric patient prior to deciding a plan of

(helpguide, 2012) Effective care for older patients requires an accurate assessment of the elderly's health status. Physical, psychological, social, and behavioral and health system factors may influence their health status. Functional health status includes: a) basic activities of daily living; dressing, feeding, bathing, toileting, transfer-moving inside and round the house, b) instrumental activities of daily living; shopping, laundry, cooking, housekeeping, taking medication, managing money, c) advanced activities of daily living; social activity, occupation, recreation. Cognitive function assessment includes: attention span, concentration, intelligence, judgment, learning ability, memory, orientation, perception, problem solving, psychomotor ability, reaction time, social intactness. (ispub, 2012)

Preventable hospitalization and readmissions are an important health care quality measure that is well described in the literature. Potentially preventable hospitalizations are defined as hospital admissions for certain acute illnesses or worsening chronic conditions that might not have required hospitalization had these conditions been managed successfully by primary care providers in outpatient settings (Bindman, Grumbach, Osmond, et al.,1995; CDC, 2012; Lin, et al., 2013). These admissions are also considered a source of increased healthcare cost and a huge problem for patients, families, and caregivers (Daielo, et al., 2014). The consequence of hospitalization can be grave for older adults with dementia because they are discharging with more decline in their function and higher potential for readmission in a short time. For instance, Daielo et al. (2014) reported once patients with dementia get hospitalized, they are likely to be readmitted within 30 days compared to other patients with no dementia diagnosis. It is also important to note older adults residing in the community and in nursing homes have similar rates of potentially preventable

As people grow older, they develop dental problems which lead to nutritional intake issues. Cognitive function declines affecting memory, decision making, conversing, and problem solving. In addition, falls can occur with mental status disturbances. Lack of social interaction, depression, and anxiety also crop up in the elderly. Sleep patterns are altered by restless legs, snoring, and disrupted breathing sequences. At times, pain can be constant from arthritis, osteoarthritis, or other medical issues (Tabloski, 2014).

Hospitals in the United States offer different care than a nursing home facility and admit over 37 million people every year and mainly provide care for those with acute problems and emergencies. Hospitals will see many who have been readmitted from the long term care facilities. A patient under the age of 65 on average will stay 4-5 days in the hospital and 6 days for those 65 and older. Chronic illness is the main cause of hospital admissions. People with heart disease, cancer, respiratory conditions, and broken bones are some of the main chronic conditions related to hospital admissions. Hospitals treat and release their patients as soon as possible due to the lack of rooms to accommodate all of them. The easiest way to differentiate care

There are many physical needs for the elderly that have to be taken care of.

at the time of your visit. We have divided the DGA in two parts, each with three