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Older Adult Care and Changes

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Question
Answer
Ageism   discrimination against people because of age  
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Geriatrics   deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and problems affecting older adults  
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Gerontology   Study of all aspects of the aging process and its consequences  
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Gerontological nursing   Concerned with assessment of the health and functional status of older adults, diagnosis, planning, and implementation  
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Gerontological nursing   Assessment of health and functional status of older adults; diagnosis, planning, and implementing health care and services to meet needs and evaluates care.  
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Gerontic nursing   Seldom used term, considers the nursing care of older adults to be the art and practice of nurturing. Caring, and comforting rather than the treatment of disease  
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Theories of Aging   Sociologic, Biologic, and Psychologic  
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Sociologic Theories of aging   Disengagement Theory (social disengagement occur), Activity R (must maintain high level of activity & involvement), Continuity T (Personality remains same & behavior more predictable as people age)  
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Biologic Theories of aging   Wear-and-tear theory, Free-radical theory (Oxidation releases chemicals - affect membranes & DNA replication, Immune theory (decrease in T cells)  
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Psychologic Theories   Short-term memory suffers decline, Long-term memory undergoes minimal change, Memory affected by changes in enviro., moving, changes in caregivers  
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Aged are vulnerable to disease because of   decreased physiologic reserve, less flexible homeostatic processes, and less effective body defenses  
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Lack of sleep occurs why?   Shorter sleep stages, NREM 1-4 and REM, Easily awakened by environmental stimuli, Nap during daytime hours  
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Cardiovascular System changes for age   dysrhythmias, CO decrease, BP incr., valves calcify, Arteriosclerosis incr., PVD, edema, CAD (MI, HF), hearts contractility decreases  
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Respiration System Changes for age   resp muscles become rigid, decreased cough reflex, dec. pulmonary circ, gas exchange reduced  
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GI system changes for age   delayed emptying, aspiration, decr. Peristalsis, hunger decr, HCL and pepsin decr, decr pancreatic & liver enzymes, dec bile, loss of teeth, constipation  
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Genitourinary System kidney changes for age   kidney size decr - fewer nephrons, glom filtration rate decr due to decr renal blood flow, Tubular function diminishes, protein in urine  
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Bladder changes due to age   capacity size decr, urinary frequency & nocturia, weakening of bladder & perineal muscles, incontinence & dribbling  
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Skin changes due to age   reduc skin elasticity, decr collagen, slower epithelialization & wound healing, dypodermis decreases in size, less sub Q  
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Muscular changes with age   muscle cells lost and not replaced, muscle mass decr  
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Skeletal changes with age   bone loss, cartilage erosion, ROM decr  
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Integumentary System changes with age   thinning skin, less subQ, less elastin and collagen, brittle and thick nails,  
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Visual changes with age   Decreased accommodation to near/far, Difficulty adjusting to changes from light to dark, Yellowing of the lens, Altered color perception, sensitivity to glare, Smaller pupils  
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Hearing changes with age   Presbycusis, high-pitches diminishes first, Ability to discriminate tones is lost, Thickening of tympanic membrane, Buildup of cerumen  
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Presbycusis   age-related decrease in hearing acuity, auditory threshold, pitch and tone discrimination, and speech intelligibility  
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Taste changes with age   less taste buds and they atrophy  
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Neurological changes with age   Cerebral blood flow & oxygen utilization decr, Neurons do not regenerate; Peripheral nerves, decrease in both autonomic & sympathetic NS  
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Cognitive Changes    
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Three conditions affecting cognition   Delirium, Dementia, Depression  
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Delirium   starts abruptly, potentially reversible - often due to physiological cause, Electrolyte imbalances, Medications, Drug effects, Systemic infections, hypoglycemia  
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ESSENTIAL feature of delirium   disturbance in consciousness  
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Goal for treating delirium   treat the underlying condition - Sustained neuro damage can lead to irreversible changes (dementia or death)  
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Autonomic manifestations of delirium   tachycardia, sweating, flushed face, dilated pupils, elevated BP  
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Consciousness signs of delirium   Disturbance in level of consciousness, Illusions or hallucinations, Distractibility & disorganized thinking, Rambling, irrelevant incoherent speech, Disorientation to time & place  
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Sundowners   delirium may be more pronounced in the evening or an institutional setting  
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Dementia   Permanent, progressive impairment in cognitive functioning - memory loss (long-term & short-term), impairment in judgment, abstract thinking, & social behavior  
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2 common types of dementia   Multiinfarct dementia and Alzheimer disease  
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Secondary Dementia is usually caused by   Infection: TB, syphilis, fungal, bacterial, viral, Trauma + Toxic & Metabolic Disturbances, Neoplasm's + other neuron diseases -Parkinson’s disease  
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Multiinfarct dementia   Results from repeated strokes, which can cause complete deterioration of the cerebral tissue  
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Alzheimer disease   Characterized by brain atrophy, a progressive physical and mental deterioration that lasts 5 to 14 years before death occurs  
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How do you diagnose dementia?   Definitive Dx requires biopsy or autopsy of brain tissue  
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Dementia Theory   Acetylcholine alterations, Accumulation of aluminum, Alterations in immune system, Head trauma, Genetic factor’s: defect in chromosome 1, 14 & 21, Pathological changes--cerebral atrophy & microscopic abnormalities  
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Apraxia   inability to perform simple tasks  
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Agnosia   inability to recognize simple objects - unable to identify familiar objects and people  
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Stage One dementia   primary symptom is memory loss, rate of progression varies, avg life after onset is 8 years but range is 3 to 20 years, impaired ADLs, aphasia  
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Alzheimer's Disease Middle Stage   memory loss increases, hygiene suffers, need care & supervision, agnosia increases, advd apraxia (even simple tasks), wandering behavior (70%)  
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Late stage of alzheimers   lose of ability to talk or walk, urinary & fecal incontinence, death due to secondary causes  
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Multi-infarct dementia   2nd most common cause of dementia, have periods of remission, May be related to stroke or hypertension  
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Cholinesterase inhibitors   slows down breakdown of acetylcholine (neurotransmitter) - Donepezil hydrochloride (Aricept), Tacrine (Cognex)  
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Cholinesterase inhibitors are given at night because   one of the side effects are drowsiness – give with food for GI irritation reduction – liver impairment  
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Side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors   drowsiness, insomnia, headache, dizziness, confusion, ataxia, anxiety, depression, hostility, abnormal thinking  
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Tricyclics   TCA’s - Block monoamine reuptake, which indicates that TCA’s intensify the effects of the norepinephrine and serotonin  
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Tricyclics take how long to work?   Initial mechanism takes about 1 – 3 wks to develop w/max response achieved in approximately 6 – 8 wks  
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Combination of TCAs and MAOI can lead to   severe HTN (Hypertension) – together they increase heart rate and BP goes up  
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Tricyclics (TCA’s) side effects   orthostatic hypotension, sedation, cardiac toxicity, constipation - Block muscarinic cholinergic receptors  
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Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)   anti-depressants, Not a first choice because of potentially fatal food and drug interactions – rxt w/cheese, meats/fish, draft beer, fruits/veg  
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Taking SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) with MAOIs can cause   serotonin syndrome agitation, sweating, confusion, fever, hyperreflexia, tachycardia, hypotension, muscle rigidity, ataxia  
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Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) Action   Block reuptake of serotonin & intensify transmission at serotonergic synapses; equivalent to those produced from TCA  
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Name some SSRIs   Fluoxetine (Prozac), Paroxetine (Paxil), Swertraline (Zoloft)  
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Which antidepressants have least side effects   SSRIs have fewer side effects than TCA & MAOI -decreased time between initial dose & beginning of reduced s/s of depression  
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Side effects of SSRIs   Nausea, drowsiness, dizziness, headache, sweating, anorexia  
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Bupropion (Wellbutrin)   antidepressant - Like amphetamines - can suppress appetite; it doesn’t have cardiotoxic, anticholinergic, & anti-adrenergic side effects - can be used safely in elderly - smoking cessation  
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What to monitor with Wellbutrin   Monitor hepatic/renal function closely in pt w/kidney or liver impairment to prevent elevated serum & tissue concentrations - Give w/food to decrease GI side effects (nausea, dizziness)  
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Trazodone (Desyrel)   Second-line agent for the treatment of depression, Usually used in combination with other antidepressants, treats insomnia because pronounced side effect  
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