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UTA NURS 5461 Exam Adult Gerontology Management Across
the Continuum of Care EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE THIS YEAR
The University of Texas at Arlington NURS 5461 Exam
Adult Gerontology Management Across the Continuum of Care — Q&A
Exam Coverage
1. Comprehensive management of common acute and chronic adult-gerontology
conditions.
2. Cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, heart failure, dyslipidemia, and coronary
disease.
3. Pulmonary disorders including asthma, COPD, pneumonia, and respiratory failure.
4. Endocrine and metabolic disorders including diabetes, thyroid disease, and osteoporosis.
5. Renal, urinary, gastrointestinal, and hepatic disorders across the adult lifespan.
6. Neurologic disorders including dementia, Parkinson disease, stroke, neuropathy, and
seizures.
7. Musculoskeletal disorders, falls, frailty, mobility impairment, and chronic pain.
8. Geriatric syndromes, polypharmacy, Beers Criteria, medication safety, and functional
assessment.
9. Mental health, infectious disease, oncology, palliative care, and preventive management.
10. Care transitions, interprofessional collaboration, patient education, health promotion,
and continuity of care.
250 Q&A Practice Questions
1. An 82-year-old patient takes nine prescription medications and several over-the-counter
products daily. Which assessment is most important before modifying the medication
regimen?
A. Determine the patient's preferred pharmacy only
B. Perform a complete medication reconciliation, including OTC and herbal products
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C. Discontinue all medications considered potentially inappropriate
D. Ask the patient which medication is most expensive
Answer: B. Perform a complete medication reconciliation, including OTC and herbal products.
Rationale: Older adults are particularly vulnerable to polypharmacy, interactions, duplication,
and adverse drug events. A complete medication reconciliation should precede medication
changes.
2. An older adult reports dizziness shortly after standing from a chair. Which additional finding
would most strongly support orthostatic hypotension?
A. Blood pressure increases after standing
B. Heart rate decreases after eating
C. Blood pressure falls significantly after standing
D. Oxygen saturation increases after standing
Answer: C. Blood pressure falls significantly after standing.
Rationale: Orthostatic hypotension is characterized by a clinically significant blood-pressure
decrease after standing and may cause dizziness or syncope.
3. Which medication class should generally be reviewed carefully in older adults because of
increased risk for falls, confusion, and sedation?
A. Benzodiazepines
B. Penicillins
C. Proton-pump inhibitors
D. Topical emollients
Answer: A. Benzodiazepines.
Rationale: Benzodiazepines can cause sedation, impaired balance, cognitive effects, and falls in
older adults.
4. An 84-year-old patient suddenly becomes confused during hospitalization for a urinary
infection. Which feature most strongly favors delirium rather than dementia?
A. Gradual cognitive decline over several years
B. Acute onset with fluctuating attention
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C. Stable memory impairment
D. Long-standing difficulty managing finances
Answer: B. Acute onset with fluctuating attention.
Rationale: Delirium is typically acute, fluctuating, and characterized prominently by impaired
attention and awareness.
5. Which intervention is most appropriate as an initial nonpharmacologic strategy for an older
adult with delirium?
A. Keep the patient isolated in a dark room
B. Provide orientation cues, hydration, mobility, and treatment of underlying causes
C. Encourage continuous daytime sleeping
D. Immediately restrict all family visitation
Answer: B. Provide orientation cues, hydration, mobility, and treatment of underlying causes.
Rationale: Delirium management focuses on identifying precipitating causes and using
supportive measures such as orientation, hydration, sleep regulation, and mobility.
6. Which assessment finding is most characteristic of delirium?
A. Gradual progressive memory loss
B. Acute disturbance in attention and awareness
C. Lifelong intellectual disability
D. Stable cognitive impairment without fluctuations
Answer: B. Acute disturbance in attention and awareness.
Rationale: Disturbed attention and awareness with acute onset are central features of delirium.
7. Which finding is most concerning for dementia rather than normal aging?
A. Occasionally forgetting a name but remembering it later
B. Progressive impairment interfering with independent daily activities
C. Taking longer to learn unfamiliar information
D. Occasional word-finding difficulty without functional impairment
Answer: B. Progressive impairment interfering with independent daily activities.
Rationale: Dementia involves cognitive decline significant enough to interfere with
independence and daily functioning.
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8. Which cognitive domain is commonly impaired early in Alzheimer disease?
A. Recent memory
B. Hearing acuity
C. Peripheral sensation
D. Deep tendon reflexes
Answer: A. Recent memory.
Rationale: Alzheimer disease commonly begins with impairment of short-term or recent
memory before progressing to other cognitive domains.
9. An older adult with dementia repeatedly asks the same question. Which response is most
therapeutic?
A. "I already told you that several times."
B. "You need to remember what I just said."
C. Calmly provide the answer and use reassurance or a visual cue.
D. Ignore the patient until the questioning stops.
Answer: C. Calmly provide the answer and use reassurance or a visual cue.
Rationale: Reassurance and simple repetition are more appropriate than confrontation or
criticism.
10. Which assessment is especially important when evaluating functional status in an older
adult?
A. Activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living
B. Hair color and eye color
C. Blood type only
D. Childhood immunization history only
Answer: A. Activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.
Rationale: ADLs and IADLs help determine independence, functional decline, and care needs.
11. Which activity is considered an instrumental activity of daily living?
UTA NURS 5461 Exam Adult Gerontology Management Across
the Continuum of Care EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
VERIFIED SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE THIS YEAR
The University of Texas at Arlington NURS 5461 Exam
Adult Gerontology Management Across the Continuum of Care — Q&A
Exam Coverage
1. Comprehensive management of common acute and chronic adult-gerontology
conditions.
2. Cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, heart failure, dyslipidemia, and coronary
disease.
3. Pulmonary disorders including asthma, COPD, pneumonia, and respiratory failure.
4. Endocrine and metabolic disorders including diabetes, thyroid disease, and osteoporosis.
5. Renal, urinary, gastrointestinal, and hepatic disorders across the adult lifespan.
6. Neurologic disorders including dementia, Parkinson disease, stroke, neuropathy, and
seizures.
7. Musculoskeletal disorders, falls, frailty, mobility impairment, and chronic pain.
8. Geriatric syndromes, polypharmacy, Beers Criteria, medication safety, and functional
assessment.
9. Mental health, infectious disease, oncology, palliative care, and preventive management.
10. Care transitions, interprofessional collaboration, patient education, health promotion,
and continuity of care.
250 Q&A Practice Questions
1. An 82-year-old patient takes nine prescription medications and several over-the-counter
products daily. Which assessment is most important before modifying the medication
regimen?
A. Determine the patient's preferred pharmacy only
B. Perform a complete medication reconciliation, including OTC and herbal products
, Page 2 of 76
C. Discontinue all medications considered potentially inappropriate
D. Ask the patient which medication is most expensive
Answer: B. Perform a complete medication reconciliation, including OTC and herbal products.
Rationale: Older adults are particularly vulnerable to polypharmacy, interactions, duplication,
and adverse drug events. A complete medication reconciliation should precede medication
changes.
2. An older adult reports dizziness shortly after standing from a chair. Which additional finding
would most strongly support orthostatic hypotension?
A. Blood pressure increases after standing
B. Heart rate decreases after eating
C. Blood pressure falls significantly after standing
D. Oxygen saturation increases after standing
Answer: C. Blood pressure falls significantly after standing.
Rationale: Orthostatic hypotension is characterized by a clinically significant blood-pressure
decrease after standing and may cause dizziness or syncope.
3. Which medication class should generally be reviewed carefully in older adults because of
increased risk for falls, confusion, and sedation?
A. Benzodiazepines
B. Penicillins
C. Proton-pump inhibitors
D. Topical emollients
Answer: A. Benzodiazepines.
Rationale: Benzodiazepines can cause sedation, impaired balance, cognitive effects, and falls in
older adults.
4. An 84-year-old patient suddenly becomes confused during hospitalization for a urinary
infection. Which feature most strongly favors delirium rather than dementia?
A. Gradual cognitive decline over several years
B. Acute onset with fluctuating attention
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C. Stable memory impairment
D. Long-standing difficulty managing finances
Answer: B. Acute onset with fluctuating attention.
Rationale: Delirium is typically acute, fluctuating, and characterized prominently by impaired
attention and awareness.
5. Which intervention is most appropriate as an initial nonpharmacologic strategy for an older
adult with delirium?
A. Keep the patient isolated in a dark room
B. Provide orientation cues, hydration, mobility, and treatment of underlying causes
C. Encourage continuous daytime sleeping
D. Immediately restrict all family visitation
Answer: B. Provide orientation cues, hydration, mobility, and treatment of underlying causes.
Rationale: Delirium management focuses on identifying precipitating causes and using
supportive measures such as orientation, hydration, sleep regulation, and mobility.
6. Which assessment finding is most characteristic of delirium?
A. Gradual progressive memory loss
B. Acute disturbance in attention and awareness
C. Lifelong intellectual disability
D. Stable cognitive impairment without fluctuations
Answer: B. Acute disturbance in attention and awareness.
Rationale: Disturbed attention and awareness with acute onset are central features of delirium.
7. Which finding is most concerning for dementia rather than normal aging?
A. Occasionally forgetting a name but remembering it later
B. Progressive impairment interfering with independent daily activities
C. Taking longer to learn unfamiliar information
D. Occasional word-finding difficulty without functional impairment
Answer: B. Progressive impairment interfering with independent daily activities.
Rationale: Dementia involves cognitive decline significant enough to interfere with
independence and daily functioning.
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8. Which cognitive domain is commonly impaired early in Alzheimer disease?
A. Recent memory
B. Hearing acuity
C. Peripheral sensation
D. Deep tendon reflexes
Answer: A. Recent memory.
Rationale: Alzheimer disease commonly begins with impairment of short-term or recent
memory before progressing to other cognitive domains.
9. An older adult with dementia repeatedly asks the same question. Which response is most
therapeutic?
A. "I already told you that several times."
B. "You need to remember what I just said."
C. Calmly provide the answer and use reassurance or a visual cue.
D. Ignore the patient until the questioning stops.
Answer: C. Calmly provide the answer and use reassurance or a visual cue.
Rationale: Reassurance and simple repetition are more appropriate than confrontation or
criticism.
10. Which assessment is especially important when evaluating functional status in an older
adult?
A. Activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living
B. Hair color and eye color
C. Blood type only
D. Childhood immunization history only
Answer: A. Activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.
Rationale: ADLs and IADLs help determine independence, functional decline, and care needs.
11. Which activity is considered an instrumental activity of daily living?
