WGU study guide for care of the older adult c475

Baby Boomers unique characteristics that make them a challenge for healthcare professionals - Answer expect and demand excellence in geriatric care. Health disparities exist among minority elder group. Top five racial groups in United States - Answer European African Hispanic Asian Native Americans European Americans 5 health disparities - Answer individualistic, stoic (don't want to be a burden to others), elders- lose their sense of self worth. Trust authority- will tend to follow health care advice) smoking by pregnant women drug induced deaths deaths from poisoning deaths from melanoma, and deaths from COPD before age 45. African Americans - Answer 2nd larges minority populations. religion/spirituality plays important role in health and wellness. Equate good luck, good fortune, and good health with being right with God. Closer ties with extended families and rely on their close family ties for support. Distrustful of health care personnel African Americans - top five health disparities - Answer gonorrhea, congenital syphilis, new cases of AIDS, deaths due to HIV infection. Hispanic Americans - Answer high values on family, religion, and community. family interdependence over independence. family first before seeking outside health care. homeopathic remedies in conjunction with religious artifacts before engaging the health care professional. They disagree with silence and noncompliance. May not seek health care because they feel that their illness/disease is a punishment of sins. Many do not seek health care because they do not have access to it (lack of insurance, communication difficulties, or fear of ramifications due to being in country illegally. Diabetes and heart disease are two health problems that have increased within this cultural group Hispanic Americans - top 5 health disparities - Answer congenital syphilis TB, AIDS, exposure to particulate matter, cirrhosis deaths Asian Americans - Answer still practice holistic (naturalistic) medicine and may incorporate this as an adjunct to Western medicine. Majority of influence comes from Confucianism Follows a naturalistic perspective, defining health and illness as a balance between the individual and the world around the individual. Treatments may involve - acupuncture, moxibustion (burning of herbal leaves on or near the body), cupping (the use of warmed glass jars to create suction on certain parts of the body), massage, herbal remedies, movement and concentration exercises (tai chi) Some elders may forgo life sustaining treatment because of the principles of ren. Ren is the golden rule of Chines decision making "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself". Asian Americans - top 5 disparities - Answer new cases of TB, congenital syphilis, no pap test among females > 18, exposure to particulate matter, and carbon monoxide exposure Native Americans - Answer Insulated from the rest of the country, either literally (by way of land reservation) or in other ways such as linguistically. Follow naturalistic approach, believing that health is a balance of the mind, body, and spirit, and illness occurs when there is an imbalance or disharmony with nature. Health beliefs are blended with religion, carrying a magic facet as well as holistic and naturalistic approaches Native Americans - top 5 health disparities - Answer fetal alcohol syndrome, smoking by pregnant women, alcohol related motor vehicle deaths, cirrhosis deaths, and new cases of gonorrhea Age related changes which may affect therapeutic communication - Answer Visual acuity Hearing loss Speech and language difficulties ways to communicate/ assist patient with disabilities such as hearing deficits, vision impairments, or aphasia and dysarthria. - Answer Hearing deficits - 1. Do not shout. 2)TOUCH or by using a visual cue and wait for patient to visually orient to you before speaking, 3)STAND in front of person in a well lit room (helps the patient lip read), 4) SPEAK TO THE SIDE THAT HAS BETTER HEARING 5) make sure hearing aid is IN and turned ON 5) use gestures or objects for communication. LIMIT BACKGROUND NOISE Allow adequate time for response. Use short sentences and speak clearly May need to write or use a pictogram grid Vision impairments - Position yourself within their vision field. Give verbal indication of the actions you are about to do (avoid startling or scaring them). Label objects or simplify what is in their visual field. Aphasia/Dysarthria (speech impairments) - May be more anxious or self aware. Limit distractions Face patient and maintain eye contact May need to use multiple forms of communication (body language, written or pictorial information) Use short uncomplicated sentences with simple choices. Summarize message for accuracy. Take time and do not correct every error and respect the elder's limitations. Be patient!! Communication with a delirious elder - Answer discussions simple and questions concise. Use large print calendars and clocks to assist with orientation. Pictures of family may assist in reorienting. Well lit room. Offer frequent reassurance. Avoid physical restraints Use distraction and soothing conversation. Communication with DEMENTIA - Answer Make sure the person is attending to you prior to beginning the conversation. Face the person Speak slowly and clearly. Eye level Reduce or limit background noise. Break tasks into small manageable steps and provide simple and clear directions ( one step at a time may be needed ) Praise efforts. Use concrete terms and familiar words. Offer simple choices. Allow adequate time to respond. Do not argue or attempt to reason with someone regarding delusions or hallucinations. Encourage discussion of life events, traditions, memories. Use large print calendards Label items Establish a familiar environment Hearing aids are one of the most common and economical devices used by a person with hearing deficits. Consider the types that would best suit the older adult - Answer BTE (Behind the ear) - worn behind the outer ear. Has an adjustable volume and is battery powered. IT IS THE MOST COMMON. Suitable for the entire range of hearing loss. OTE (over the ear) - very small and sits on top of the outer ear. ITE (in the ear) - custom fitted, adjustable volume and battery powered. Much smaller and some may have difficulty using. Used for mild to moderate hearing loss. ITC (in the canal) - tiny that fit in the ear canal and barely visible. Customized fit. May be too small for some to use. CIC (completely in canal) - smallest type. Difficulty handling and positioning the device. Most expensive. Some patients have several deficits that affect communication abilities. Consider patients who are post CVA, TBI, or paralysis and what technology could be utilized to assist them with effective communication - Answer Broca's aphasia is a nonfluent, agrammatic expressive aphasia. They have good auditory comprehension and are able to understand but have difficulty producing intelligible speech. Communication - patience!!! Wernicke's aphasia is a fluent aphasia. They are able to speak, although the speech may contain odd words/sounds. They have impaired auditory comprehension and has great difficulty understanding what is said. Rely on nonverbal gestures. NEED SPEECH THERAPY Dysarthria - may be difficult to understand when they are speaking. Patience !!! May use assistive technology to augment or replace vocal communication.