NUR 2214 Week 8 Quiz V3 | NUR 2214
Nursing Care of the Older Adult | Actual
Q&A with Rationale (NUR2214 Week 8
Quiz) | Rasmussen University
1. A nurse is caring for an 85-year-old client who is in the final stages of a terminal illness.
Which criteria must be met for the client to be eligible for hospice care?
A. The client must require 24-hour skilled nursing care in an inpatient setting.
B. The client must have exhausted all private insurance benefits.
C. The client must be undergoing active chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
D. The client must have a documented life expectancy of 6 months or less.
Answer: D
Rationale: Hospice care eligibility requires a physician’s certification that the patient is
terminally ill with a life expectancy of six months or less if the disease runs its normal
course. This type of care focuses on comfort and palliative measures rather than curative
treatments. Patients must also agree to waive further curative treatments for their terminal
diagnosis.
2. Which physiological change associated with aging increases the risk of drug toxicity in older
adults?
A. Increased total body water and decreased body fat.
,B. Decreased glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow.
C. Increased gastric acidity and faster gastric emptying.
D. Increased hepatic enzyme activity and metabolism.
Answer: B
Rationale: As people age, there is a natural decline in renal function, which includes a
decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). This reduction means that medications cleared
by the kidneys stay in the system longer, leading to potential accumulation and toxicity.
Nurses must monitor creatinine clearance levels closely to ensure safe dosing for older
populations.
3. An older adult patient presents with acute confusion, agitation, and visual hallucinations
that began yesterday. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Alzheimer’s disease
B. Vascular dementia
C. Delirium
D. Normal age-related cognitive decline
Answer: C
Rationale: Delirium is characterized by an acute, abrupt onset of confusion and
fluctuations in consciousness, often triggered by an underlying medical condition like an
infection. Unlike dementia, which is chronic and progressive, delirium is typically
, reversible if the cause is identified and treated. In older adults, a urinary tract infection is a
common precipitating factor for this sudden mental status change.
4. Which of the following is a primary goal of palliative care?
A. Providing a cure for chronic or terminal illnesses.
B. Improving the quality of life for patients and their families.
C. Limiting care to only those who have less than two weeks to live.
D. Replacing the primary care physician with a specialist.
Answer: B
Rationale: Palliative care is an interdisciplinary approach aimed at optimizing the quality
of life by anticipating, preventing, and treating suffering. It can be provided at any stage of a
serious illness and can occur alongside curative treatments. The focus is on physical,
intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs to support the patient and their family.
5. A nurse is assessing an older adult for signs of elder neglect. Which finding is most
suggestive of neglect?
A. Presence of a Stage 3 pressure injury and poor hygiene.
B. The client expressing fear of a family member.
C. Multiple bruises in various stages of healing on the arms.
D. Withdrawal of large sums of money from the client’s account.
Answer: A
Nursing Care of the Older Adult | Actual
Q&A with Rationale (NUR2214 Week 8
Quiz) | Rasmussen University
1. A nurse is caring for an 85-year-old client who is in the final stages of a terminal illness.
Which criteria must be met for the client to be eligible for hospice care?
A. The client must require 24-hour skilled nursing care in an inpatient setting.
B. The client must have exhausted all private insurance benefits.
C. The client must be undergoing active chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
D. The client must have a documented life expectancy of 6 months or less.
Answer: D
Rationale: Hospice care eligibility requires a physician’s certification that the patient is
terminally ill with a life expectancy of six months or less if the disease runs its normal
course. This type of care focuses on comfort and palliative measures rather than curative
treatments. Patients must also agree to waive further curative treatments for their terminal
diagnosis.
2. Which physiological change associated with aging increases the risk of drug toxicity in older
adults?
A. Increased total body water and decreased body fat.
,B. Decreased glomerular filtration rate and renal blood flow.
C. Increased gastric acidity and faster gastric emptying.
D. Increased hepatic enzyme activity and metabolism.
Answer: B
Rationale: As people age, there is a natural decline in renal function, which includes a
decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR). This reduction means that medications cleared
by the kidneys stay in the system longer, leading to potential accumulation and toxicity.
Nurses must monitor creatinine clearance levels closely to ensure safe dosing for older
populations.
3. An older adult patient presents with acute confusion, agitation, and visual hallucinations
that began yesterday. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Alzheimer’s disease
B. Vascular dementia
C. Delirium
D. Normal age-related cognitive decline
Answer: C
Rationale: Delirium is characterized by an acute, abrupt onset of confusion and
fluctuations in consciousness, often triggered by an underlying medical condition like an
infection. Unlike dementia, which is chronic and progressive, delirium is typically
, reversible if the cause is identified and treated. In older adults, a urinary tract infection is a
common precipitating factor for this sudden mental status change.
4. Which of the following is a primary goal of palliative care?
A. Providing a cure for chronic or terminal illnesses.
B. Improving the quality of life for patients and their families.
C. Limiting care to only those who have less than two weeks to live.
D. Replacing the primary care physician with a specialist.
Answer: B
Rationale: Palliative care is an interdisciplinary approach aimed at optimizing the quality
of life by anticipating, preventing, and treating suffering. It can be provided at any stage of a
serious illness and can occur alongside curative treatments. The focus is on physical,
intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs to support the patient and their family.
5. A nurse is assessing an older adult for signs of elder neglect. Which finding is most
suggestive of neglect?
A. Presence of a Stage 3 pressure injury and poor hygiene.
B. The client expressing fear of a family member.
C. Multiple bruises in various stages of healing on the arms.
D. Withdrawal of large sums of money from the client’s account.
Answer: A