NR 506 FINAL REVIEW EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
2025/2026
What are the physiological changes in the skin and hair of older adults? - ANS Epidermis
thins, leading to fragility; decreased gland function causes dry skin; subcutaneous fat thins,
increasing cold sensitivity; hair changes include alopecia and greying.
What happens to saliva production in older adults? - ANS Decreased saliva production causes
dry mouth and increases the risk of periodontal disease.
What is anosmia? - ANS Anosmia is the loss of the sense of smell, often due to decreased
olfactory epithelium surface area in older adults.
What percentage of individuals aged 65-74 experience hearing loss? - ANS About 1/3 of
individuals aged 65-74 experience hearing loss.
What visual changes occur in older adults? - ANS Changes include decreased corneal
curvature, slower pupillary reflexes, lens clouding (cataracts), and potential loss of color
discrimination.
How does aging affect the respiratory system? - ANS Bone density loss reduces lung
expansion; decreased alveoli impair gas exchange; lungs lose recoil elasticity, increasing
infection risk.
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,What cardiovascular changes occur with aging? - ANS Heart muscle thins, valves stiffen,
arterial stiffness elevates blood pressure, and there is an increased incidence of arrhythmias.
What are common signs of heart failure in older adults? - ANS Signs include S3 and S4 heart
sounds, jugular vein distention, swollen feet, and shortness of breath.
What happens to the immune system as people age? - ANS Lymph node numbers decrease,
impairing immune response and increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases.
What gastrointestinal changes are common in older adults? - ANS Increased abdominal fat,
reduced gastric acidity, decreased intestinal peristalsis, and declining liver mass affect nutrient
absorption.
What are the four types of urinary incontinence? - ANS Stress, urge, overflow, and functional
incontinence.
What musculoskeletal changes occur with aging? - ANS Bone density loss increases
osteoporosis risk; muscle atrophy reduces strength, and height loss may occur due to vertebral
compression.
What cognitive disorders are commonly assessed in older adults? - ANS Dementia, delirium,
and depression.
What is the Mini-Cog screening tool? - ANS A brief cognitive screening that combines a three-
item recall and a clock drawing test.
What does the AD8 Questionnaire assess? - ANS It is an informant-based tool that
distinguishes dementia presence, focusing on memory, orientation, executive function, and
interests.
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,What does a score of ≥ 5 on the Geriatric Depression Scale suggest? - ANS It suggests the
presence of depression in older adults.
What are common reproductive system changes in older females? - ANS Breast tissue
atrophy, vulvar shrinkage, vaginal dryness, and possible uterine prolapse post-menopause.
What reproductive changes occur in older males? - ANS Thinning of the scrotum, testicular
descent, penile size reduction, erectile dysfunction, and benign prostatic hypertrophy.
What is the impact of aging on the neurological system? - ANS Loss of brain nerve cells and
slower neural impulses contribute to decreased sensation, reflexes, and cognitive slowing.
What is essential for collecting a complete and reliable health history? - ANS Patience and
adaptive communication.
What challenges may older adults face that affect health history accuracy? - ANS Cognitive or
affective challenges.
What type of language should be used when communicating with older adults? - ANS Simple,
clear language without medical jargon.
Why is it important to allow extra time during health history collection? - ANS To avoid
rushing and ensure accurate responses.
How can you validate patient responses during health history collection? - ANS By asking
confirmatory questions and corroborating with secondary sources.
What common health history topics should be attended to? - ANS Living arrangements,
medication lists, sensory impairments, mobility, nutrition, sleep, social networks, and safety
concerns.
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, What should be respected when discussing sensitive topics with older adults? - ANS Their
privacy.
What does functional ability reflect? - ANS The capacity for self-care and daily living.
What are the two types of activities assessed in functional status? - ANS Activities of daily
living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
What is the Barthel Index of Basic Activities of Daily Living? - ANS A core evaluation tool
focusing on the patient's perception of abilities.
What does the Get Up and Go Test assess? - ANS Gait, balance, and fall risk.
What indicates good independence in the Get Up and Go Test? - ANS Normal completion
time of ≤ 10 seconds.
What are geriatric syndromes? - ANS Multifactorial conditions that do not fit discrete disease
categories.
What are some examples of common geriatric syndromes? - ANS Anorexia of aging, cognitive
impairment, dizziness, falls, malnutrition, Parkinson's disease, pressure ulcers, impaired hearing
and vision.
What components indicate frailty in older adults? - ANS Exhaustion, decreased physical
activity, slow walking speed, decreased grip strength, and weight loss.
What is a major risk associated with polypharmacy in older adults? - ANS Adverse drug
reactions and drug-drug interactions.
What should be included in a medication assessment for older adults? - ANS Total
medications, prescribers, pharmacies, indications, dosing schedules, and necessity.
4 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
2025/2026
What are the physiological changes in the skin and hair of older adults? - ANS Epidermis
thins, leading to fragility; decreased gland function causes dry skin; subcutaneous fat thins,
increasing cold sensitivity; hair changes include alopecia and greying.
What happens to saliva production in older adults? - ANS Decreased saliva production causes
dry mouth and increases the risk of periodontal disease.
What is anosmia? - ANS Anosmia is the loss of the sense of smell, often due to decreased
olfactory epithelium surface area in older adults.
What percentage of individuals aged 65-74 experience hearing loss? - ANS About 1/3 of
individuals aged 65-74 experience hearing loss.
What visual changes occur in older adults? - ANS Changes include decreased corneal
curvature, slower pupillary reflexes, lens clouding (cataracts), and potential loss of color
discrimination.
How does aging affect the respiratory system? - ANS Bone density loss reduces lung
expansion; decreased alveoli impair gas exchange; lungs lose recoil elasticity, increasing
infection risk.
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,What cardiovascular changes occur with aging? - ANS Heart muscle thins, valves stiffen,
arterial stiffness elevates blood pressure, and there is an increased incidence of arrhythmias.
What are common signs of heart failure in older adults? - ANS Signs include S3 and S4 heart
sounds, jugular vein distention, swollen feet, and shortness of breath.
What happens to the immune system as people age? - ANS Lymph node numbers decrease,
impairing immune response and increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases.
What gastrointestinal changes are common in older adults? - ANS Increased abdominal fat,
reduced gastric acidity, decreased intestinal peristalsis, and declining liver mass affect nutrient
absorption.
What are the four types of urinary incontinence? - ANS Stress, urge, overflow, and functional
incontinence.
What musculoskeletal changes occur with aging? - ANS Bone density loss increases
osteoporosis risk; muscle atrophy reduces strength, and height loss may occur due to vertebral
compression.
What cognitive disorders are commonly assessed in older adults? - ANS Dementia, delirium,
and depression.
What is the Mini-Cog screening tool? - ANS A brief cognitive screening that combines a three-
item recall and a clock drawing test.
What does the AD8 Questionnaire assess? - ANS It is an informant-based tool that
distinguishes dementia presence, focusing on memory, orientation, executive function, and
interests.
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
,What does a score of ≥ 5 on the Geriatric Depression Scale suggest? - ANS It suggests the
presence of depression in older adults.
What are common reproductive system changes in older females? - ANS Breast tissue
atrophy, vulvar shrinkage, vaginal dryness, and possible uterine prolapse post-menopause.
What reproductive changes occur in older males? - ANS Thinning of the scrotum, testicular
descent, penile size reduction, erectile dysfunction, and benign prostatic hypertrophy.
What is the impact of aging on the neurological system? - ANS Loss of brain nerve cells and
slower neural impulses contribute to decreased sensation, reflexes, and cognitive slowing.
What is essential for collecting a complete and reliable health history? - ANS Patience and
adaptive communication.
What challenges may older adults face that affect health history accuracy? - ANS Cognitive or
affective challenges.
What type of language should be used when communicating with older adults? - ANS Simple,
clear language without medical jargon.
Why is it important to allow extra time during health history collection? - ANS To avoid
rushing and ensure accurate responses.
How can you validate patient responses during health history collection? - ANS By asking
confirmatory questions and corroborating with secondary sources.
What common health history topics should be attended to? - ANS Living arrangements,
medication lists, sensory impairments, mobility, nutrition, sleep, social networks, and safety
concerns.
3 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, What should be respected when discussing sensitive topics with older adults? - ANS Their
privacy.
What does functional ability reflect? - ANS The capacity for self-care and daily living.
What are the two types of activities assessed in functional status? - ANS Activities of daily
living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
What is the Barthel Index of Basic Activities of Daily Living? - ANS A core evaluation tool
focusing on the patient's perception of abilities.
What does the Get Up and Go Test assess? - ANS Gait, balance, and fall risk.
What indicates good independence in the Get Up and Go Test? - ANS Normal completion
time of ≤ 10 seconds.
What are geriatric syndromes? - ANS Multifactorial conditions that do not fit discrete disease
categories.
What are some examples of common geriatric syndromes? - ANS Anorexia of aging, cognitive
impairment, dizziness, falls, malnutrition, Parkinson's disease, pressure ulcers, impaired hearing
and vision.
What components indicate frailty in older adults? - ANS Exhaustion, decreased physical
activity, slow walking speed, decreased grip strength, and weight loss.
What is a major risk associated with polypharmacy in older adults? - ANS Adverse drug
reactions and drug-drug interactions.
What should be included in a medication assessment for older adults? - ANS Total
medications, prescribers, pharmacies, indications, dosing schedules, and necessity.
4 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
