Chapter 32. Care of Elderly Patients
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. A nurse recognizes that an individual who is most likely experiencing frequent loss of friends, family
members, and physical capabilities is
1. A 68-year-old man who is anticipating retirement this year.
2. A 71-year-old woman who volunteers with her church three times a week.
3. A 77-year-old woman who lives alone in her own home.
4. An 89-year-old woman who lives in an assisted living facility.
2. Which of the following statistics is anticipated to be true by 2030?
1. The birth rate will be 10% of the death rate.
2. Three million U.S. citizens will be older than 65 years.
3. There will be more than 1 million centurions.
4. One in every five U.S. citizens will be older than 85 years.
3. A nurse is notified that a new admission is expected to the unit. The nurse is told that the patient is 101
years old and is being admitted from a nearby nursing home. An appropriate assumption is that
1. The patient will be blind.
2. The patient’s risk for falls will be high.
3. The patient will be confused.
4. The patient will need complete care.
4. A nurse is approached by a resident in a long-term care facility who walks with a cane, has notable
facial droop, and takes a long time to express what he wants to say. The best response by the nurse is to
1. Face the individual and directly ask, “What can I do for you?”
2. Loudly ask, “What do you need?”
3. Use hand motions to determine whether the patient is hungry, thirsty, or in pain.
4. Make eye contact, and say, “I’ll have the aide come to the room in a minute.”
5. A nurse is providing care to a resident with rapidly advancing Alzheimer’s disease who receives a visit from
a granddaughter who lives in another state. The granddaughter states, “She doesn’t even know me, and she
doesn’t seem like Grandma at all.” The best response by the nurse is:
1. “Her thought process has changed quite a bit in the few weeks she’s been here, so
you shouldn’t feel guilty that you can’t visit often.”
2. “This is normal for someone with Alzheimer’s. It is a tragic disease.”
3. “I’m sure that you’re upset seeing your grandmother this way.”
4. “I imagine that this is very hard for you. What is your favorite memory of
your grandmother?”
6. A nurse is assessing an 82-year-old patient with diabetes. Based on the individual’s age, the nurse should
pay particular attention to the patient’s
1. Skin elasticity.
2. Fingernails.
3. Toenails.
4. Feet.
7. When discussing safety in the home with an elderly neighbor, a nurse would say:
1. “It is important not to give out personal information over the telephone.”
2. “You just can’t trust people nowadays.”
, 3. “I hope that you don’t keep a lot of money in your house.”
4. “I worry that you are home alone so much of the day.”
8. When assessing an elderly individual who was brought into the emergency department, a nurse would be most
concerned that
1. The patient is wearing wet adult diapers.
2. The patient has a small skin tear across the left wrist.
3. The patient has multiple bruises in various stages of healing across the shoulders and back.
4. There are no family members who accompanied the client to the emergency department.
9. An elderly patient expresses concern to a home health-care nurse about his ability to afford groceries along
with all of the new medications he was given in the hospital. Which of the following should be added to
his plan of care?
1. An appointment with a chaplain
2. A referral for family counseling
3. A referral to a social worker
4. An appointment with a pharmacist
10. A nurse who is working in a long-term care facility recognizes that safety concerns in the elderly population
are most often related to normal changes in which of the following systems?
1. Cardiovascular
2. Peripheral-vascular
3. Integumentary
4. Sensory
11. A nurse is providing discharge teaching to an elderly woman and her family caretakers. Teaching has
been effective if the patient states:
1. “I will keep this list of medications that you gave me and bring it to all of the follow-up
appointments.”
2. “My doctor’s office will get a full report of all the labs you did here in the hospital.”
3. “I should empty all of my pills into one container so they don’t get lost.”
4. “I will write down every pill when I take it.”
12. A student is providing care for a resident in a long-term care facility who must be moved via geriatric chair
and requires assistance with feeding. The student has just finished giving the resident a bed bath, and it is
currently nearing time for the midday meal. The student’s best action is to
1. Leave the resident in the bed and feed the resident in the room.
2. Obtain assistance to transfer the resident to the geriatric chair and into the dining area to
be fed.
3. Obtain assistance to transfer the resident to the geriatric chair and feed the resident in
the room.
4. Ask the resident’s roommate what the resident usually does at mealtime.
13. While providing care to an elderly individual with chronic obstructive lung disease, a nurse realizes that
further teaching is necessary when the patient states:
1. “I get my flu shot every year.”
2. “I wash my hands all the time, especially when I’m in public places.”
3. “I only come in close contact with others who have a respiratory illness.”
4. “I always take my respiratory medications and antibiotics.”
14. A nurse is providing instruction to an elderly patient about osteoporosis. Further instruction by the nurse is
necessary if the patient states:
1. “I take a calcium supplement every day.”
, 2. “I just had a new handrail installed in my tub.”
3. “I walk a mile every day.”
4. “I never consume any dairy products.”
15. A student nurse just finished assisting a resident of a long-term care facility in the shower. It is most important
for the student nurse to disinfect the shower to help prevent the spread of
1. Normal flora.
2. The common cold.
3. Thrush.
4. Clostridium difficile.
16. While assisting with the admission of an elderly woman who lives at home with her son and his family, a
nurse would be most concerned to find that
1. The patient appears to be overmedicated.
2. The patient’s pupils are equal, round, and react to light.
3. The patient’s bowel sounds are hypoactive.
4. The patient’s lower extremities are shiny and lack hair growth.
17. A nurse finds a resident in a long-term care facility crying in her room. The nurse knows that the resident’s
husband recently passed away. The best action by the nurse is to
1. Gently close the resident’s door to provide privacy.
2. Sit quietly with the resident to offer support.
3. Inform the resident that Bingo starts in 5 minutes.
4. Tell the resident that it is time for her shower.
18. A 72-year-old man is complaining that he just does not have the energy to keep up with his preferred lifestyle
anymore and that he is having trouble keeping his blood pressure under control. The nurse assures the patient
that these concerns are common in people classified as
1. Young-old.
2. Middle-old.
3. Old-old.
4. Elite old.
19. The Health Resources and Services Administration projects that by the year 2020, the supply of nurses in the
United States
1. Will be adequate to deal with the aging population.
2. Will exceed by more than 500,000 the number required to deal with the aging population.
3. Will fall more than 1 million below the number required to deal with the aging population.
4. Will fall more than 100,000 below the number required to deal with the aging population.
20. A nurse’s coworker states, “All old people are the same—cranky and needy.” The nurse’s most appropriate
response would be:
1. “They can be hard for me to handle sometimes too.”
2. “Don’t forget confused and incompetent.”
3. “It is important that we treat all patients as individuals.”
4. “I think most old people are kind and nurturing.”
21. An elderly patient is going through drug and alcohol withdrawal, suffering from hallucinations followed by
loud emotional outbursts. A nurse identifies this condition as
1. Dementia.
2. Delirium.
3. Depression.
4. Confusion.
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. A nurse recognizes that an individual who is most likely experiencing frequent loss of friends, family
members, and physical capabilities is
1. A 68-year-old man who is anticipating retirement this year.
2. A 71-year-old woman who volunteers with her church three times a week.
3. A 77-year-old woman who lives alone in her own home.
4. An 89-year-old woman who lives in an assisted living facility.
2. Which of the following statistics is anticipated to be true by 2030?
1. The birth rate will be 10% of the death rate.
2. Three million U.S. citizens will be older than 65 years.
3. There will be more than 1 million centurions.
4. One in every five U.S. citizens will be older than 85 years.
3. A nurse is notified that a new admission is expected to the unit. The nurse is told that the patient is 101
years old and is being admitted from a nearby nursing home. An appropriate assumption is that
1. The patient will be blind.
2. The patient’s risk for falls will be high.
3. The patient will be confused.
4. The patient will need complete care.
4. A nurse is approached by a resident in a long-term care facility who walks with a cane, has notable
facial droop, and takes a long time to express what he wants to say. The best response by the nurse is to
1. Face the individual and directly ask, “What can I do for you?”
2. Loudly ask, “What do you need?”
3. Use hand motions to determine whether the patient is hungry, thirsty, or in pain.
4. Make eye contact, and say, “I’ll have the aide come to the room in a minute.”
5. A nurse is providing care to a resident with rapidly advancing Alzheimer’s disease who receives a visit from
a granddaughter who lives in another state. The granddaughter states, “She doesn’t even know me, and she
doesn’t seem like Grandma at all.” The best response by the nurse is:
1. “Her thought process has changed quite a bit in the few weeks she’s been here, so
you shouldn’t feel guilty that you can’t visit often.”
2. “This is normal for someone with Alzheimer’s. It is a tragic disease.”
3. “I’m sure that you’re upset seeing your grandmother this way.”
4. “I imagine that this is very hard for you. What is your favorite memory of
your grandmother?”
6. A nurse is assessing an 82-year-old patient with diabetes. Based on the individual’s age, the nurse should
pay particular attention to the patient’s
1. Skin elasticity.
2. Fingernails.
3. Toenails.
4. Feet.
7. When discussing safety in the home with an elderly neighbor, a nurse would say:
1. “It is important not to give out personal information over the telephone.”
2. “You just can’t trust people nowadays.”
, 3. “I hope that you don’t keep a lot of money in your house.”
4. “I worry that you are home alone so much of the day.”
8. When assessing an elderly individual who was brought into the emergency department, a nurse would be most
concerned that
1. The patient is wearing wet adult diapers.
2. The patient has a small skin tear across the left wrist.
3. The patient has multiple bruises in various stages of healing across the shoulders and back.
4. There are no family members who accompanied the client to the emergency department.
9. An elderly patient expresses concern to a home health-care nurse about his ability to afford groceries along
with all of the new medications he was given in the hospital. Which of the following should be added to
his plan of care?
1. An appointment with a chaplain
2. A referral for family counseling
3. A referral to a social worker
4. An appointment with a pharmacist
10. A nurse who is working in a long-term care facility recognizes that safety concerns in the elderly population
are most often related to normal changes in which of the following systems?
1. Cardiovascular
2. Peripheral-vascular
3. Integumentary
4. Sensory
11. A nurse is providing discharge teaching to an elderly woman and her family caretakers. Teaching has
been effective if the patient states:
1. “I will keep this list of medications that you gave me and bring it to all of the follow-up
appointments.”
2. “My doctor’s office will get a full report of all the labs you did here in the hospital.”
3. “I should empty all of my pills into one container so they don’t get lost.”
4. “I will write down every pill when I take it.”
12. A student is providing care for a resident in a long-term care facility who must be moved via geriatric chair
and requires assistance with feeding. The student has just finished giving the resident a bed bath, and it is
currently nearing time for the midday meal. The student’s best action is to
1. Leave the resident in the bed and feed the resident in the room.
2. Obtain assistance to transfer the resident to the geriatric chair and into the dining area to
be fed.
3. Obtain assistance to transfer the resident to the geriatric chair and feed the resident in
the room.
4. Ask the resident’s roommate what the resident usually does at mealtime.
13. While providing care to an elderly individual with chronic obstructive lung disease, a nurse realizes that
further teaching is necessary when the patient states:
1. “I get my flu shot every year.”
2. “I wash my hands all the time, especially when I’m in public places.”
3. “I only come in close contact with others who have a respiratory illness.”
4. “I always take my respiratory medications and antibiotics.”
14. A nurse is providing instruction to an elderly patient about osteoporosis. Further instruction by the nurse is
necessary if the patient states:
1. “I take a calcium supplement every day.”
, 2. “I just had a new handrail installed in my tub.”
3. “I walk a mile every day.”
4. “I never consume any dairy products.”
15. A student nurse just finished assisting a resident of a long-term care facility in the shower. It is most important
for the student nurse to disinfect the shower to help prevent the spread of
1. Normal flora.
2. The common cold.
3. Thrush.
4. Clostridium difficile.
16. While assisting with the admission of an elderly woman who lives at home with her son and his family, a
nurse would be most concerned to find that
1. The patient appears to be overmedicated.
2. The patient’s pupils are equal, round, and react to light.
3. The patient’s bowel sounds are hypoactive.
4. The patient’s lower extremities are shiny and lack hair growth.
17. A nurse finds a resident in a long-term care facility crying in her room. The nurse knows that the resident’s
husband recently passed away. The best action by the nurse is to
1. Gently close the resident’s door to provide privacy.
2. Sit quietly with the resident to offer support.
3. Inform the resident that Bingo starts in 5 minutes.
4. Tell the resident that it is time for her shower.
18. A 72-year-old man is complaining that he just does not have the energy to keep up with his preferred lifestyle
anymore and that he is having trouble keeping his blood pressure under control. The nurse assures the patient
that these concerns are common in people classified as
1. Young-old.
2. Middle-old.
3. Old-old.
4. Elite old.
19. The Health Resources and Services Administration projects that by the year 2020, the supply of nurses in the
United States
1. Will be adequate to deal with the aging population.
2. Will exceed by more than 500,000 the number required to deal with the aging population.
3. Will fall more than 1 million below the number required to deal with the aging population.
4. Will fall more than 100,000 below the number required to deal with the aging population.
20. A nurse’s coworker states, “All old people are the same—cranky and needy.” The nurse’s most appropriate
response would be:
1. “They can be hard for me to handle sometimes too.”
2. “Don’t forget confused and incompetent.”
3. “It is important that we treat all patients as individuals.”
4. “I think most old people are kind and nurturing.”
21. An elderly patient is going through drug and alcohol withdrawal, suffering from hallucinations followed by
loud emotional outbursts. A nurse identifies this condition as
1. Dementia.
2. Delirium.
3. Depression.
4. Confusion.
