NURS 5333 FAMILY 1 TEST 3
GERIATRICS PART 1,2,3,4
QUESTIONSAND CORRECT
ANSWERS (LATEST UPDATE
2024/2025)
Older adults or elderly over the age of ? Are considered geriatric popula7on
65 years
-they have a weaker immune system, so they do not mount a strong immune
response
-this weaker immune system, health problems may be present, but present in
an atypical manner not with the usual symptoms
Unique to geriatric pa7ents
No evidence of fever in elderly?
Ex) an elder may have an overwhelming infec7on, but not have normal
reac7ons
-oFen they can have sepsis and have a low or normal temperature.
What are the other signs of illness in our >65 yoa popula7on?
Decreased appe7te, decreased ac7vity, or changing mental status
Polypharmacy
The use of many different drugs concurrently in trea7ng a pa7ent, who oFen
has several health problems.
Elders
Have an increased risk of skin breakdown and pressure sores due to the fact
that they have decreased subcutaneous fat
,A geriatric assessment
-a thorough health assessment at least annually. These can be done by the
primary care providers, but oFen are not because of the 7me involved
-medical, social, and environmental factors that affect the wellbeing of the
geriatric pa7ent
-medicare actually allows for an annual health wellness visit
-studies have shown that pa7ents who par7cipate in this annual health
wellness visit actually have a lower mortality rate
The goals of the geriatric assessment are
Iden7fy problems early, to intervene, to improve the quality of life for pa7ents,
to op7mize their health outcomes and through iden7fying problems early.
When developing plans, they should be pa7ent-centered collabora7ve plans of
care.
-nutri7on needs to be a part of every geriatric assessment
The components of a geriatric assessment are
Func7onal status, fall risk, medica7on review, nutri7on, vision and hearing,
cogni7on, mood or mental status, and ability to care for oneself as well as
toile7ng and immuniza7on needs.
Screening vision in the elderly
A simple snellen test can be done in the office. A formal vision exam does not
need to be done unless the snellen result is abnormal or the pa7ent complains
of visual changes
Elderly and bmi: normal bmi is 23 to 30.
A bmi less than 22 kilograms per meter squared is associated with increased
mortality and a sign of malnutri7on.
-they have enough money to actually purchase food?
-do they have someone who can help them with the shopping? Do they have
, transporta7on to go and get food? Are they able to safely prepare meals by
themselves? How many meals a day do they eat? Do they get any assistance?
Do they have any meals on wheels?
Objec7ve assessment is comparing the current weight to a previous weight
Weight loss of greater than or equal to 5% in one month or greater than or
equal to 10% over a six-month period is an indica7on of a problem and needs
to be further assessed
Assessing fall risk
It's simple to just ask the pa7ent if they have had a fall in the last year. Those
who have fallen in the last year have a 2.8 7mes higher risk of a subsequent
fall. If this is the case, then safety needs to be addressed, and there needs to be
measures implemented to avoid subsequent falls.
Mood or the presence of depression can be assessed simply through simple
phq-2.
If the score is greater than three, then one would want to do the more
extensive phq-9. These ques7onnaires can be completed at every visit.
Assessing a pa7ent's social situa7on, you want to look for social isola7on
Asking the pa7ent if they have someone available to help them in an
emergency, or if they are sick. If the answer is no, then it points you to a lack of
social support and that needs to be addressed.
- ask the pa7ent if they're aware what kind of social services are available for
them.
Func7onal assessment means assessing the ability to perform ac7vi7es of daily
living and safe ambula7on
-the get up and go test. This test involves asking the pa7ent to get up from the
chair without using their arms, walking 10 feet, turning around and walking
GERIATRICS PART 1,2,3,4
QUESTIONSAND CORRECT
ANSWERS (LATEST UPDATE
2024/2025)
Older adults or elderly over the age of ? Are considered geriatric popula7on
65 years
-they have a weaker immune system, so they do not mount a strong immune
response
-this weaker immune system, health problems may be present, but present in
an atypical manner not with the usual symptoms
Unique to geriatric pa7ents
No evidence of fever in elderly?
Ex) an elder may have an overwhelming infec7on, but not have normal
reac7ons
-oFen they can have sepsis and have a low or normal temperature.
What are the other signs of illness in our >65 yoa popula7on?
Decreased appe7te, decreased ac7vity, or changing mental status
Polypharmacy
The use of many different drugs concurrently in trea7ng a pa7ent, who oFen
has several health problems.
Elders
Have an increased risk of skin breakdown and pressure sores due to the fact
that they have decreased subcutaneous fat
,A geriatric assessment
-a thorough health assessment at least annually. These can be done by the
primary care providers, but oFen are not because of the 7me involved
-medical, social, and environmental factors that affect the wellbeing of the
geriatric pa7ent
-medicare actually allows for an annual health wellness visit
-studies have shown that pa7ents who par7cipate in this annual health
wellness visit actually have a lower mortality rate
The goals of the geriatric assessment are
Iden7fy problems early, to intervene, to improve the quality of life for pa7ents,
to op7mize their health outcomes and through iden7fying problems early.
When developing plans, they should be pa7ent-centered collabora7ve plans of
care.
-nutri7on needs to be a part of every geriatric assessment
The components of a geriatric assessment are
Func7onal status, fall risk, medica7on review, nutri7on, vision and hearing,
cogni7on, mood or mental status, and ability to care for oneself as well as
toile7ng and immuniza7on needs.
Screening vision in the elderly
A simple snellen test can be done in the office. A formal vision exam does not
need to be done unless the snellen result is abnormal or the pa7ent complains
of visual changes
Elderly and bmi: normal bmi is 23 to 30.
A bmi less than 22 kilograms per meter squared is associated with increased
mortality and a sign of malnutri7on.
-they have enough money to actually purchase food?
-do they have someone who can help them with the shopping? Do they have
, transporta7on to go and get food? Are they able to safely prepare meals by
themselves? How many meals a day do they eat? Do they get any assistance?
Do they have any meals on wheels?
Objec7ve assessment is comparing the current weight to a previous weight
Weight loss of greater than or equal to 5% in one month or greater than or
equal to 10% over a six-month period is an indica7on of a problem and needs
to be further assessed
Assessing fall risk
It's simple to just ask the pa7ent if they have had a fall in the last year. Those
who have fallen in the last year have a 2.8 7mes higher risk of a subsequent
fall. If this is the case, then safety needs to be addressed, and there needs to be
measures implemented to avoid subsequent falls.
Mood or the presence of depression can be assessed simply through simple
phq-2.
If the score is greater than three, then one would want to do the more
extensive phq-9. These ques7onnaires can be completed at every visit.
Assessing a pa7ent's social situa7on, you want to look for social isola7on
Asking the pa7ent if they have someone available to help them in an
emergency, or if they are sick. If the answer is no, then it points you to a lack of
social support and that needs to be addressed.
- ask the pa7ent if they're aware what kind of social services are available for
them.
Func7onal assessment means assessing the ability to perform ac7vi7es of daily
living and safe ambula7on
-the get up and go test. This test involves asking the pa7ent to get up from the
chair without using their arms, walking 10 feet, turning around and walking
