NR 226: Fundamentals of Patient Care - Week 2 Older Adult Nursing
2026 |Chamberlain
1. Which developmental stage, according to Erikson, is associated with the older
adult population?
A. Integrity vs. Despair
B. Identity vs. Role Confusion
C. Generativity vs. Stagnation
D. Intimacy vs. Isolation
Answer: A
Rationale: According to Erikson, older adults face the challenge of Integrity vs. Despair,
where they reflect on their lives and feel a sense of fulfillment or regret.
2. Which of the following is considered a normal physiological change in the
cardiovascular system of an older adult?
A. Thickening of the blood vessel walls
B. Increased heart rate during exercise
C. Decreased systolic blood pressure
D. Increased cardiac output
Answer: A
Rationale: Thickening of blood vessel walls and narrowing of the lumen (arterial stiffness)
is a normal part of aging, often leading to increased systolic blood pressure.
,3. An older adult patient reports having difficulty seeing objects clearly up close.
This condition is known as:
A. Presbyopia
B. Cataracts
C. Glaucoma
D. Macular Degeneration
Answer: A
Rationale: Presbyopia is the age-related loss of the eye’s ability to focus on close objects
due to decreased elasticity of the lens.
4. Which of the following best describes Delirium?
A. An acute state of confusion that is often reversible
B. A gradual, progressive decline in cognition
C. A permanent loss of memory and judgment
D. A mood disorder characterized by sadness
Answer: A
Rationale: Delirium is characterized by an acute, rapid onset of confusion, often triggered
by an underlying medical condition (e.g., infection) and is usually reversible.
5. When assessing the skin of an older adult, the nurse expects to find:
A. Increased subcutaneous fat
B. Thinning of the dermis and epidermis
C. Increased skin elasticity
D. Increased oil production
Answer: B
Rationale: Aging causes the skin to become thinner and more fragile as the dermis and
epidermis thin and subcutaneous fat decreases.
, 6. Which of the following is a symptom commonly associated with depression in
older adults but often mistaken for dementia?
A. Wandering at night
B. Irreversible cognitive loss
C. Sun-downing
D. Difficulty concentrating and memory gaps
Answer: D
Rationale: Older adults with depression may experience ‘pseudodementia,’ where they
exhibit cognitive impairment and memory issues that improve with depression treatment.
7. Polypharmacy in the older adult is defined as:
A. Taking more than one medication
B. Taking a high dosage of a single medication
C. Using multiple medications concurrently to treat one or more conditions
D. Taking only generic medications
Answer: C
Rationale: Polypharmacy is the concurrent use of many medications, which increases the
risk for adverse drug events and interactions in older adults.
8. What is the primary reason older adults are at a higher risk for drug toxicity?
A. Increased gastrointestinal motility
B. Decreased liver and kidney function
C. Increased glomerular filtration rate
D. Decreased body fat
Answer: B
Rationale: A decline in hepatic and renal function reduces the body’s ability to metabolize
and excrete drugs, leading to accumulation and toxicity.
2026 |Chamberlain
1. Which developmental stage, according to Erikson, is associated with the older
adult population?
A. Integrity vs. Despair
B. Identity vs. Role Confusion
C. Generativity vs. Stagnation
D. Intimacy vs. Isolation
Answer: A
Rationale: According to Erikson, older adults face the challenge of Integrity vs. Despair,
where they reflect on their lives and feel a sense of fulfillment or regret.
2. Which of the following is considered a normal physiological change in the
cardiovascular system of an older adult?
A. Thickening of the blood vessel walls
B. Increased heart rate during exercise
C. Decreased systolic blood pressure
D. Increased cardiac output
Answer: A
Rationale: Thickening of blood vessel walls and narrowing of the lumen (arterial stiffness)
is a normal part of aging, often leading to increased systolic blood pressure.
,3. An older adult patient reports having difficulty seeing objects clearly up close.
This condition is known as:
A. Presbyopia
B. Cataracts
C. Glaucoma
D. Macular Degeneration
Answer: A
Rationale: Presbyopia is the age-related loss of the eye’s ability to focus on close objects
due to decreased elasticity of the lens.
4. Which of the following best describes Delirium?
A. An acute state of confusion that is often reversible
B. A gradual, progressive decline in cognition
C. A permanent loss of memory and judgment
D. A mood disorder characterized by sadness
Answer: A
Rationale: Delirium is characterized by an acute, rapid onset of confusion, often triggered
by an underlying medical condition (e.g., infection) and is usually reversible.
5. When assessing the skin of an older adult, the nurse expects to find:
A. Increased subcutaneous fat
B. Thinning of the dermis and epidermis
C. Increased skin elasticity
D. Increased oil production
Answer: B
Rationale: Aging causes the skin to become thinner and more fragile as the dermis and
epidermis thin and subcutaneous fat decreases.
, 6. Which of the following is a symptom commonly associated with depression in
older adults but often mistaken for dementia?
A. Wandering at night
B. Irreversible cognitive loss
C. Sun-downing
D. Difficulty concentrating and memory gaps
Answer: D
Rationale: Older adults with depression may experience ‘pseudodementia,’ where they
exhibit cognitive impairment and memory issues that improve with depression treatment.
7. Polypharmacy in the older adult is defined as:
A. Taking more than one medication
B. Taking a high dosage of a single medication
C. Using multiple medications concurrently to treat one or more conditions
D. Taking only generic medications
Answer: C
Rationale: Polypharmacy is the concurrent use of many medications, which increases the
risk for adverse drug events and interactions in older adults.
8. What is the primary reason older adults are at a higher risk for drug toxicity?
A. Increased gastrointestinal motility
B. Decreased liver and kidney function
C. Increased glomerular filtration rate
D. Decreased body fat
Answer: B
Rationale: A decline in hepatic and renal function reduces the body’s ability to metabolize
and excrete drugs, leading to accumulation and toxicity.
