Theory

• Gerontology


  The comprehensive study of aging and the problems of the aged
• Geriatrics


  Focuses strictly on the medical conditions and disease of the aging
• Gerontology


  A multidisciplinary study that incorporates biology, psychology and sociology
• Gerontology professionals


  • Health care
  • Government
  • Nonprofits
  • Business community
• Older Adults


  • Young-Old: 65-74
  • Middle Old: 75-84
  • Old-Old: 85 Years and over
• By the year 2061, 25.5% of Canada's population will be 65 or over
• Gerontological Nursing


  Nursing is a vital aspect of the health care of aging persons
• Settings for Gerontological Nursing

  • Acute care hospitals
  • Rehabilitation centers
  • Nursing homes
  • Assisted living facilities
• Goals of Gerontological Nursing


  • Care and comfort (always!)
  • Cure (if possible)
  • Improve and maintain quality of life
  • Prevention
• Acute illness


  Occur suddenly and often without warning
• Chronic illness


  Continues indefinitely, is managed rather than cured and necessitates that the individual learn to live with the illness
• Incidence of chronic illness increases with age
• Improving Health in Older Adults

  • Healthy lifestyle
  • Injury prevention
  • Early disease detection
  • Immunization and preventive screenings
  • Self-management techniques
• Aging population uses the majority of health resources
• Aspects of Successful Healthy Aging

  • Social
  • Biological
  • Psychological
  • Spiritual
  • Cultural
  • Environmental
• Physical and Physiological Changes with Aging

  • Integumentary System
  • Alteration in Body Weight
  • Musculoskeletal System
  • Cardiovascular System
  • Respiratory System
  • Renal and Urological System
  • Endocrine System
  • Digestive System
  • Nervous System
  • Sensory Changes
  • Reproductive System
  • Immune System
• Spirituality Aging


  Considered a significant factor in understanding healthy aging, transcends the physical and psychological to reach the deepest individual capacity for love, hope and meaning
• Cognitive Functions

  • Attention Span
  • Concentration
  • Intelligence
  • Memory
  • Learning Ability
  • Judgment
  • Orientation
  • Perception
  • Problem-Solving
  • Psychomotor Ability
  • Reaction Time
  • Social Intactness
• Barriers to Learning for Older Adults

  • Hearing and vision losses
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Cultural and cohort variations
  • Education
  • Low literacy levels
• Health Literacy


  Ability to listen, follow directions, complete forms, perform basic math calculations, interact with nurses
• Inadequate health literacy is associated with increased health disparities, poor health outcomes, increased use of healthcare services, and increased risk of medical and medication errors
• Effective communication promotes increased health literacy and positive outcomes
• Pain in Older Adults

  Physical pain and several chronic diseases can evoke the psychological pain of depression, can result in reduced socialization, impaired mobility and a reconsideration of the meaning of life and self
• It is not uncommon in the older population to express spiritual and psychological pain in somatic terms of "not feeling well"
• Pain is whatever the patient says it is
• Pain Management


  • Non-pharmacological measure of pain relief
  • Physical approaches
  • Cognitive-behavioral approaches
  • Pharmacological interventions
• Special Considerations in Health Assessment of Older Adults

  • Health History
  • Physical Assessment
  • Integrated Assessment (SPICES)
  • Mental Status Assessment
  • Cultural Rules and Etiquette
  • Social Resources
  • Economic Resources
• Older people may have fewer opportunities for social interaction due to loss of family and friends, illnesses and hearing, vision and cognitive impairment
• Ageism


  A term used to express prejudice toward older adults through attitudes and behaviour
• Elderspeak


  A form of ageism where speech patterns are changed based on assumption that older people have difficulty communicating and understanding, similar to "baby talk"
• Characteristics of Elderspeak


  • Using a singsong voice, changing pitch, and exaggerating words
  • Using short and simple sentences
  • Speaking more slowly
  • Using limited vocabulary
  • Repeating or paraphrasing what has just been said
  • Using pet names such as "honey" or "dear" or "grandma"
• Therapeutic Communication with Older Adults


  Older adults may need more time to respond because they are drawing information from a larger life experience, listening carefully, clarifying and patience are important
• Negative Outcomes and Interventions for Sensory Changes

  • Hearing impairment
  • Visual impairment
• Communication Disorders in Neurological Disorders

  • Reception
  • Perception
  • Articulation
  • Aphasia
  • Dysarthria
• Reminiscing and Story Telling

  Includes any recall of the past, occurs from childhood onward particularly at life's junctures and transitions, most important psychological task of older people, therapeutic intervention important in assessment and understanding
• Cognitive Impairment and Communication


  Effective communication is one of their highest needs, requires special skills and patience, essential to believe that the client is trying to communicate something meaningful, must adapt communication style to focus on the shared interaction and their ability to understand in that moment, facilitate use of research-based communication techniques to foster dignity and personhood
• Centenarian


  A person who is at least 100 years old
• Cohort


  A group whose members share some common experience
• Determinants of health


  Factors and conditions that influence the health status of individuals, communities, and populations
• Fertility rate


  The average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime; reported for countries and global regions