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NR 446 WEEK 3 EDAPT AGING AND COPING
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NR 446 WEEK 3 EDAPT AGING AND COPING/NR 446 WEEK 3 EDAPT AGING AND COPING/NR 446 WEEK 3 EDAPT AGING AND COPING
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NR 446 WEEK 3 EDAPT AGING AND COPINGIntroduction: The Older Adult
People who are 65 years old are in the lower boundary for “old age” in demographics and
social policy within the United States.
“The number of older adults in the United States is growing quickly. In 2016, there were
49.2 million adults over age 65 in the United States, representing 15.2% of the population
or one in seven Americans. This represents an increase of 33% since 2006. Part of this
increase is caused by the increase in the average life span. The aging of the baby-boom
generation and the growth of the population segment over age 85 contribute to the
projected increase in the number of older adults (Potter et al, 2021, p. 175).”
The nursing care of older adults poses special challenges because of great variation in their
physiological, cognitive, and psychosocial health.
A nurse is observing skin integrity of an older adult. Which finding will the
nurse document as a normal finding?
- Decreased Elasticity
The loss of the elastic tissue (elastin) in the skin with age causes the
skin to hang loosely. Skin becomes more transparent. This is caused by
thinning of the epidermis (surface layer of the skin). Skin becomes
more fragile.
An older-adult client with no acute distress reports being less able to taste
and smell. What is the nurse's best response to this information?
-Explain to the client that diminished senses are normal
Some loss of taste and smell is natural with aging, especially after age 60.
Additional things to assess for--- other factors can contribute to loss of
taste and smell, include:
• Nasal and sinus problems, such as allergies, sinusitis or nasal polyps
• Certain medications, including beta blockers and angiotensin-
converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Dental problems
• Cigarette smoking
• Head or facial injury or mass
, NR 446 WEEK 3 EDAPT AGING AND COPING
• Alzheimer's disease
• Parkinson's disease
Loss of taste and smell can have a significant impact on the quality of life,
often leading to decreased appetite and poor nutrition. Sometimes, loss
of taste and smell contributes to depression. Loss of taste and smell also
might tempt one to use excess salt or sugar on food to enhance the taste
which could be a problem if they have high blood pressure or diabetes.
A nurse is teaching a class of older adults about the expected physiologic
changes of aging. Which of the following changes should the nurse include
in the discussion? Select all that apply.
- Dehydration of intervertebral discs
- Decreased bladder capacity
- Decreased cough reflex
- More difficulty seeing due to a greater sensitivity to glare.
- Glare tends to be worse with older age, light colored eyes, prior eye
surgery, and certain eye conditions, including cataracts, dry eye and
macular degeneration.
- The sensitivity of the cough reflex appears to be significantly
reduced in older adults. This may increase the risk of aspiration and
bronchopulmonary infection in old age, even in the absence of
respiratory disease.
- Aging increases the risk of kidney and bladder problems such as:
Bladder control issues, such as leakage or urinary incontinence (not
being able to hold your urine), or urinary retention (not being able to
completely empty the bladder). Bladder and other urinary tract
infections (UTIs) Chronic kidney disease.
- Disc desiccation is one of the most common features of
degenerative disc disease. It refers to the dehydration of discs.
Vertebral discs are full of fluid, which keeps them both flexible and
sturdy. As clients age, the discs begin to dehydrate or slowly lose
their fluid.
, NR 446 WEEK 3 EDAPT AGING AND COPING
Aging – Common Adjustments
Aging does not automatically lead to disability and dependence. Most
older adults remain functionally independent despite the increasing
prevalence of chronic disease.
Nursing assessment provides valuable clues to the effects of a disease or
illness on a patient's functional status. Nurses need to listen to their
patients and not make assumptions.
Older adults need to adjust to the physical changes that accompany aging.
The extent and timing of these changes vary by individual but, as body
systems age, changes in appearance and functioning occur. These
changes are not associated with a disease; they are normal.
Developmental tasks for older adults include:
• Adjusting to decreasing health and physical strength
• Adjusting to retirement and reduced or fixed income
• Adjusting to death of a spouse, children, siblings, friends
• Accepting self as aging person
• Satisfactory living arrangements
• Relationships with adult children and siblings
• Ways to maintain quality of life
Question
Older adults retired from employment outside the home are challenged
to cope with the loss of that work role, as well as a spouse who may need
to adjust to role changes. Retired adults may have to find new ways to
occupy their time. They also face the necessity of adjustment to the
physical changes that accompany aging. Acceptance of personal aging
does not mean retirement into inactivity, but it does require a realistic
review of strengths and limitations. Adult children and aging parents
negotiate the parameters of changed roles.
Engaging in more introspective, self-focused activities is not a
developmental task of the older adult but rather a belief of the
, NR 446 WEEK 3 EDAPT AGING AND COPING
disengagement theory of aging. This psychosocial theory states that aging
individuals withdraw from customary roles and engage in more self-
focused activities.
When caring for an older adult, which information is important to
consider?
-Treat the client as an individual with a unique history of their own.
Although many older adults may share the same physiological changes of
aging, each individual should be assessed for their own personal strengths
and limitations. Treat the client as an individual with a unique history of
their own. An effective teaching technique is to draw on the older adult's
past experiences. It also helps demonstrate respect for the older adult as
a unique and valued individual.
The other options represent common stereotypes about aging or older
adults.
A common stereotype of older adults is that they are forgetful, yet
many have good memories.
A common misconception is that older adults are not interested in sex
and that any interest in sexual activities is abnormal and should be
discouraged. Older adults report continued enjoyment of sexual
relationships.
It is the nurse’s responsibility to tell the truth about the client’s condition
and to keep them informed of their care.
Older Adult Discrimination
Joe is 70 years old and retired from his full-time job as an engineer, where he worked for
almost 45 years. He is interested in working part-time at the grocery store near his home to
stay busy. They were advertising for a bagger and some help in the produce department.
He also loves to cook, so he feels that it is a perfect fit. The manager who took his
application chuckled at Joe and said, “aren’t you a bit old to still be working?”
Current laws ban discrimination on the basis of age. The economic and political power of
older adults challenges ageist views.
Older adults are a significant proportion of the consumer economy. As voters and activists
in various issues, they have a major influence in the formation of public policy. Their
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