The ELDERLY POPULATION IN AMERICA
The elderly population in the America is expected to approximate to rise to 70 million by the year 2030. To make sure our elderly population get optimal health outcome for our older adult, we as health care should be familiar with geriatric health problem and demonstrate proficiency in caring for our older adult clients. If we as health care professional is proficiency in assessing our geriatric client this will reduce their hospitalization rate and from accurate assessment server as the foundation for age appropriate nursing care
Obtaining history from elderly clients will most time include a family member this will help in focusing on the areas of concerns doing the assessment...Before obtaining the health assessment you as an health care professional has to develop a rapport with the client. Speak clear, slowly, appropriately, look directly at them, and put at easy by explain what you will be doing, the reason and give a brief over view of the procedure before you proceed. The data collected will have to be subjective which will include the past history and present, which will be their complaint for seeking care .In preceding to collecting the health history and assessment ask the client about past medical and surgical history that require hospitalize in the past. Assessment should include neurologic disorder and medical history like diabetes mellitus, cancer, respiratory, cardiac, injuries, and falls. Be sure to also document all prescriptions and none prescriptions medications which will include the dosage , names, frequency and last time they took the medication.
The skin, nail and hair should also be assessed. As we aged out skin lost its elasticity and turgor. Therefore assessing the older adult skin become very important. Assess for any Pressure ulcer, moles and change in the color of the skin and reason for changes. According to the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, pressure ulcer rate in hospital range from 10% to 18%; in long –time care facilities, 2.3% to 28%; and in home-care setter, 0% to 29%.The nurses should focus on areas like heel, sacrum and trochanters which are common areas for pressure ulcers.
Most experts believe that pressure ulcers can be preventable. Primary causes could be from deceased mobility and activity, insufficient caloric intake and incontinence. If we as health care professional and care giver will care for our patient as we will like to be care for, or as we will like our family to be care for there will be less concern about issue like pressure ulcers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services {CMS} no longer reimburses for hospital- acquired pressure ulcers so we as clinicians should be able to quickly identify individual at risk and implement appropriately preventive measures, like 2 hourly turns, and 2 hours toileting, skin protectant, waffle mattresses and special therapy bed for our patients. Fall is another serious problems that our older adult face due to diseases like UTIS which causes confusion, dementia, changes in environment and unsteady gait from decreases in the musculoskeletal function and poor vision . Appropriate intervention should be taking to keep them safe. Activities of daily living should also be assessed to accommodate them and implementation to addressed as needed. www.americannursetoday.com/article. by M Cary - ‎Related articles www.aafp.org/afp/.../p48.html American Academy of Family Physicians
Jan.1 2011
Health Promotion Through the Life span 7th ed
By Carole Lium Edelman