Exam 2 Flashcards
(250 cards)
Health Assessment of the Older Adults Includes:
Physical Functional Developmental Cultural Psychosocial
Health Assessment of the Older Adults Requires:
- Patience
- Good listening skills
- Observation skills for detail
- Non-judgmental approach
- Ability to ask difficult questions
- Understanding of normal changes in the older adult
- Wait to allow them to answer
- Use a matter-of-fact tone of voice for difficult questions (they will often mirror/pick up your cues)
Health Assessment of the Older Adults: History
- They will have a longer medical and social history
- Knowing parent hx is important because of hereditary issues
Health Assessment of the Older Adults: Review of Systems (ROS)
- Symptoms
- Start with open-ended to see what they’ll give you, then move to specifics
Health Assessment of the Older Adults: Physical Exam
- Always consider patient comfort
- Good to discuss symptoms while conducting PE (Box 7.3, 7.4, 7.6)
ht&wt temp BP skin ears hearing eyes vision mouth neck chest/pulmonary heart extremities abdomen/GI msclsklt neuro GU: male/female
Health Assessment of the Older Adults: Physical Assessment Tools
- Used to ID changes over time, nonspecific symptoms
- Assessment is a learned skill
FANCAPES
Fluids - hydration
Aeration - pulmonary, CV (O2, SOB, cyanosis, RR, etc.)
Nutrition - malnutrition (increased frailty)
Communication - ability to communicate (speak, hear, visual, gestures, etc.)
Activity - participate in physical activity
Pain - physical, emotional, spiritual
Elimination - constipation, incontinence (not normal, but common)
Social Skills - interactions with others
SPICES
- Useful for determining areas where further assessment is needed (yes/no)
- NOT a stand-alone tool (directs/leads to use of other evaluation tools)
Sleep disorders Problems with eating Incontinence Confusion Evidence of falls Skin breakdown
tool used to lead to another assessment
SPICES
Functional Assessment Tools
KATZ - ADLs (6- independent, 0- dependent)
Lawton - IADL scale
FAST - functional stages of Alzheimer’s Dementia (1-7)
test for constructional apraxia
clock drawing test (Mini-Cog)
Cognition Tools
MMSE - screens for cognitive impairment
Mini-Cog - screens for cognitive impairment
- clock drawing test (constructional apraxia = indicator of Alzheimer’s)
Mood Assessment Tool
assess satisfaction with life beyond physical health that may lead to increase functional decline and health problems
Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)
scored based on bold yes/no
Vulnerability
Physical Crime Fraud Environmental Temperature Safety Aging in Place
Physical Vulnerability
increasing vulnerability to environmental risks and mistreatment by others as older adults become less physically or cognitively able to cope or recognize real or potential hazards
Crime Vulnerability
Violent (family, strangers)
Fraud Vulnerability
Fraudulent schemes against elders
Environmental Vulnerability
Neurosensory changes
Physiological changes
Medications
Temperature Vulnerability
- Caretakers
- Economics
- Fever (a one degree change from baseline may be significant in older adults
- Hypo/Hyperthermia
Hypothermia
Core temp <95*F
Box 20-7 p266
Risk Factors for Hypothermia (box 20.6)
Thermoregulatory impairment (vasoconstriction, sensation, behavior to react to cold, shivering, metabolic response)
Conditions that decrease heat production
(hypothyroidism/pituitarism/glycemia, anemia, malnutrition, immobility, thinning hair, DKA)
Conditions that increase heat loss
(open wounds, inflammatory skin conditions, burns)
Conditions that impair central/peripheral control of thermoregulation
(stroke, brain tumor, wernicke’s encephalopathy, uremia, acute illness)
Drugs (tranquilizers, sedative-hypnotics, antidepressants, vasoactive drugs, alcohol)
Hyperthermia
Ambient temp >90*F
box 20-5 p 265
Heat Syndromes (table 20-1 p264)
Heat Fatigue Heat Syncope Heat Cramps Heat Exhaustion Heat Stroke
Safety Vulnerability
Home (Fire and Burns - box 20-4 p263)
Transportation (critical for the older adults to remain independent and functional)
Driving (a life changing event)
Assistive technology:
- Gerotechnology (term used to describe assistive technologies for older people)
- smart homes
- telemedicine
- environmental control systems