Older Adult Nclex Exam Study
Guide – Practice Questions
with Verified Answers. GRADED
A+. Latest 2026/2027 Update.
The nurse is setting up an education session with an 85-year-old patient who
will be going home on anticoagulant therapy. Which strategy would reflect
consideration of aging changes that may exist with this patient?
A. Show a colorful video about anticoagulation therapy.
B. Present all the information in one session just before discharge.
C. Give the patient pamphlets about the medications to read at home.
D. Develop large-print handouts that reflect the verbal information presented. -
Answer✔✔-D. Develop large-print handouts that reflect the verbal information
presented.
Rationale: Option D addresses altered perception in two ways. First, by using
visual aids to reinforce verbal instructions, one addresses the possibility of
decreased ability to hear high-frequency sounds. By developing the handouts
in large print, one addresses the possibility of decreased visual acuity. Option A
does not allow discussion of the information; furthermore, the text and print
may be small and difficult to read and understand.
,When developing the plan of care for an older adult who is hospitalized for an
acute illness, the nurse should
A. use a standardized geriatric nursing care plan.
B. plan for likely long-term-care transfer to allow additional time for recovery.
C. consider the preadmission functional abilities when setting patient goals.
D. minimize activity level during hospitalization. - Answer✔✔-C. consider the
preadmission functional abilities when setting patient goals.
Rationale: The plan of care for older adults should be individualized and based
on the patients current functional abilities. A standardized geriatric nursing
care plan is unlikely to address individual patient needs and strengths. A
patients need for discharge to a long-term-care facility is variable. Activity level
should be designed to allow the patient to retain functional abilities while
hospitalized and also to allow any additional rest needed for recovery from the
acute process.
Which information obtained by the home health nurse when making a visit to
an 88-year-old with mild forgetfulness is of the most concern?
A. The patient's son uses a marked pillbox to set up the patient's medications
weekly.
B. The patient has lost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) during the last month.
C. The patient is cared for by a daughter during the day and stays with a son at
night.
D. The patient tells the nurse that a close friend recently died. - Answer✔✔-B.
The patient has lost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) during the last month.
, Rationale: A 10-pound weight loss may be an indication of elder neglect or
depression and requires further assessment by the nurse.
A 70-year-old client asks the nurse to explain to her about hypertension. An
appropriate response by the nurse as to why older clients often have
hypertension is due to:
A. Myocardial muscle damage
B. Reduction in physical activity
C. Ingestion of foods high in sodium
D. Accumulation of plaque on arterial walls - Answer✔✔-D. Accumulation of
plaque on arterial walls
In reviewing changes in the older adult, the nurse recognizes that which of the
following statements related to cognitive functioning in the older client is true?
A. Delirium is usually easily distinguished from irreversible dementia.
B. Therapeutic drug intoxication is a common cause of senile dementia.
C. Reversible systemic disorders are often implicated as a cause of delirium.
D. Cognitive deterioration is an inevitable outcome of the human aging
process. - Answer✔✔-C. Reversible systemic disorders are often implicated as a
cause of delirium.
Rationale: Delirium is a potentially reversible cognitive impairment that is often
due to a physiological cause such as an electrolyte imbalance, cerebral anoxia,
hypoglycemia, medications, tumors, cerebrovascular infection, or hemorrhage.
Guide – Practice Questions
with Verified Answers. GRADED
A+. Latest 2026/2027 Update.
The nurse is setting up an education session with an 85-year-old patient who
will be going home on anticoagulant therapy. Which strategy would reflect
consideration of aging changes that may exist with this patient?
A. Show a colorful video about anticoagulation therapy.
B. Present all the information in one session just before discharge.
C. Give the patient pamphlets about the medications to read at home.
D. Develop large-print handouts that reflect the verbal information presented. -
Answer✔✔-D. Develop large-print handouts that reflect the verbal information
presented.
Rationale: Option D addresses altered perception in two ways. First, by using
visual aids to reinforce verbal instructions, one addresses the possibility of
decreased ability to hear high-frequency sounds. By developing the handouts
in large print, one addresses the possibility of decreased visual acuity. Option A
does not allow discussion of the information; furthermore, the text and print
may be small and difficult to read and understand.
,When developing the plan of care for an older adult who is hospitalized for an
acute illness, the nurse should
A. use a standardized geriatric nursing care plan.
B. plan for likely long-term-care transfer to allow additional time for recovery.
C. consider the preadmission functional abilities when setting patient goals.
D. minimize activity level during hospitalization. - Answer✔✔-C. consider the
preadmission functional abilities when setting patient goals.
Rationale: The plan of care for older adults should be individualized and based
on the patients current functional abilities. A standardized geriatric nursing
care plan is unlikely to address individual patient needs and strengths. A
patients need for discharge to a long-term-care facility is variable. Activity level
should be designed to allow the patient to retain functional abilities while
hospitalized and also to allow any additional rest needed for recovery from the
acute process.
Which information obtained by the home health nurse when making a visit to
an 88-year-old with mild forgetfulness is of the most concern?
A. The patient's son uses a marked pillbox to set up the patient's medications
weekly.
B. The patient has lost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) during the last month.
C. The patient is cared for by a daughter during the day and stays with a son at
night.
D. The patient tells the nurse that a close friend recently died. - Answer✔✔-B.
The patient has lost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) during the last month.
, Rationale: A 10-pound weight loss may be an indication of elder neglect or
depression and requires further assessment by the nurse.
A 70-year-old client asks the nurse to explain to her about hypertension. An
appropriate response by the nurse as to why older clients often have
hypertension is due to:
A. Myocardial muscle damage
B. Reduction in physical activity
C. Ingestion of foods high in sodium
D. Accumulation of plaque on arterial walls - Answer✔✔-D. Accumulation of
plaque on arterial walls
In reviewing changes in the older adult, the nurse recognizes that which of the
following statements related to cognitive functioning in the older client is true?
A. Delirium is usually easily distinguished from irreversible dementia.
B. Therapeutic drug intoxication is a common cause of senile dementia.
C. Reversible systemic disorders are often implicated as a cause of delirium.
D. Cognitive deterioration is an inevitable outcome of the human aging
process. - Answer✔✔-C. Reversible systemic disorders are often implicated as a
cause of delirium.
Rationale: Delirium is a potentially reversible cognitive impairment that is often
due to a physiological cause such as an electrolyte imbalance, cerebral anoxia,
hypoglycemia, medications, tumors, cerebrovascular infection, or hemorrhage.
