“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
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
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.
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.
The lungs are a vital part of the respiratory system, a group of organs and tissues that work together to help humans breathe. The system’s main job is to move fresh air into the body while removing waste gases. Lungs are important because every cell in the body needs oxygen to live. The air we breathe contains oxygen and other gases. Once in the lungs, oxygen is moved into the bloodstream and carried throughout the human body. The bloodstream then carries the waste gas back to the lungs where it is removed from the blood stream and then exhaled. The lungs and respiratory system automatically perform this vital process, called gas exchange (American Lung Association). Lungs contain millions of air sacs called alveoli. With each breath,
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.
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.
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...
Applicable populations: The assessment is designed to be utilized with individuals between the ages of 18-73 (SASSI, 2001).
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).
Aging occurs in every species. Over time a change occurs on a cellular level in a person’s body, which causes degenerative effects on the brain, muscles, organs, bones, hormones, and DNA. In 1991, the book Evolutionary Biology of Aging, offered the following definition of aging: a persistent decline in the age-specific fitness components of an organism due to internal physiological deterioration.1 Aging affects the body physically and mentally. Many people dread getting older due to the numerous changes the body goes through. The geriatric population experiences many pains and is inflicted with various diseases. There are a few who are lucky enough to not get diagnosed with a life altering disease, such as Alzheimer’s, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, macular degeneration, or some form of cancer. Studies have shown that genetics play a vital role in the aging process.
Elderly, 1991. American Journal of Public Health, 84(8), 1265. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.
older adults. Journal of Nursing Education, 47(6), 269-271. Retrieved from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database.
Darby, S. Marr, J. Crump, A Scurfield, M (1999) Older People, Nursing & Mental Health. Oxford: Buterworth-Heinemann.