CARE OF THE OLDER ADULT FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS | CARE OF THE OLDER ADULT FINAL EXAM STUDY
GUIDE & PRACTICE TEST 2026/2027
Communicating with an older adult, especially during an assessment. - ANS ✔✔1. Older adults may need
more time to respond bc they are drawing info from a larger life experience
2. Listening carefully, clarifying and patience
Questions to include during a medication assessment - ANS ✔✔1. Ask them to bring in all medications
being taken including OTC, herbals and supplements
2. Ask how they actually take medication, rather than reading the label (tume, with/without food,
checking bp, ect)
Nonpharmacological interventions to help improve sleep - ANS ✔✔1. Directed at identifiable cause
2. Considered first line treatment for insomnia
3. Sleep habits
4. Relaxation techniques
5. CCBT
6. Tai chi/ qigong
7. Passive music therapy
pharmacological interventions to help improve sleep - ANS ✔✔1. Use of OTC sleep aids and prescription
sedatives and hypnotic medications is increasing in the US
2. Benzodiazepines are one of the most abused drugs along with opiates in the older population
3. Benzos shouldnt be used as a first choice for insomnia
4. Pharmacologic and behavioral interventions should be used together
How nurses acquire cultural sensitivity - ANS ✔✔1. communication (Use of eye contact, handshakes,
silence, used of communication (interpretation and translation, and education materials in multiple
languages))
2. Defined as the ability to move smoothly between two worlds for the promotion of health and caring
for persons
3. Better able to build relationships with members of a variety of cultures as part of natural daily practice
external factors contributing to falls - ANS ✔✔1. Urinary incontinence/ urgency/ nocturia
2. Environmental hazards (rugs)
3. Recent relocation
4. Inadequate response to transfer and toileting needs
5. Improper use of assistive devices
6. Inadequate or missing safety equipment (rails like in bathroom)
7. Poorly designed or unstable furniture
8. High chairs or bed
9. Glossy, highly waxed floors
10. Wet, greasy, icy services
11. Inadequate visual support (glare, low wattage bulbs, lack of nightlight)
,12. General clutter
13. Inappropriate footwear or clothing
14. Pets the get under your feet
15. Electrical cords
16. Loose or uneven stair treads
17. Reaching for a high shelf
18. Inability to reach personal items, lack of access to call bell or inability to use it
19. Side rials/ restraints
20. Lack of staff training in fall risk reduction techniques
internal factors contributing to falls - ANS ✔✔1. Sedative and alcohol use, psychoactive medications,
opoids, diuretics, anticholinergics, antidepressants, antihypertensives, anticoagulants, bowel
preparations
2. Taking 4 or more medications
3. Unrelieved pain
4. Previous falls and fractures
5. Female 80 years or older
6. Acute and recent illness; recent hospitalization
7. Cognitive impairment (delirumm dementia)
8. Chronic pain
9. Dehydration
10. Weakness of lower extremities
11. Abnormalities of gait and balance
unsteadiness , dizziness, syncope
12.Foot problems
13. Depression, anxiety
14. Wearing of multifocal glassess while walking
15. Fear of falling
16. Orthostatic hypotension
17. Sleep disorders
18. Anemia
19. Vitamin D deficiency
20. Osteoporosis
21. Chronic conditions including arthritis, diabetes, stroke or parkinsons
characteristics of dementia - ANS ✔✔1. Insidious, slow onset
2. Depression and dementia are both fairly stable; dementia can change with stress
3. Conciousness in depression and dementia is clear
4. Alertness in depression and dementia is generally clear
5. Psychomotor activity in dementia is normal but they may have apraixia or agnosia
6. Duration can be years
Attention is generally normal but may have trouble focusing
7. Orientation is often impaired, may make up answers or answer close to the right thing or may be
confabulate but try to answer
8. Speech may have difficulty finding the word, preservation
9. Affect: slowed response , may be labile
characteristics of depression - ANS ✔✔1. Recent, may relate to life change
, 2. Fairly stable, like dementia, but instead gets worse in the morning
3. Consciousness is clear in both
4. Alertness is clear in both
5. Psychomotor activity can be variable, agitation or retardation
6. Duration can be variable or chronic
7. Attention has little impairment
8. Orientation is usually normal but may answer "I dont know" to questions or may not try to answer
9. Speech may be slow
10. Affect may be flat
similarities between depression and dementia - ANS ✔✔1. both are fairly stable with certain times that
affect them more than others (depression= morning, dementia= stress)
2. alertness is generally clear in both
3. consciousness is generally clear in both
differences between dementia and depression - ANS ✔✔1. their onset
2. pyschomotor activity
3. duration
4. Attention
5. orientation
6. speech
7. affect
who has the highest rate of suicude - ANS ✔✔1. white males 85 and older
who has the lowest suicide rates? - ANS ✔✔women
in most cases what are some disorders that can lead to suicides - ANS ✔✔1. depression
2. anxiety
3. mental health disorders
assessment of suicide risk patients - ANS ✔✔1. The lethal potential of an older must always be assessed
with depression, disease and spousal loss are evident
2. Establish a trusting and respectful relationship with the patient
3. If there is a suspicion that the elder is suicidal, use direct and straightforward questions (have you ever
thought about killing yourself, how often have you had these thoughts, how would you kill youself if you
decided to do it)
interventions for a patient who is at risk for suicide - ANS ✔✔1. Have a suicide protocol in place if
postive response obtained from any questions
2. The person should never be left alone for any period until help arrives to assist and care for the person
3. Patients at high risk should be hospitalized
4. Patients at moderate risk can be treated as outpatients provided that they have adequate social
support and no access to lethal means
5. Patients at low risk should have a full psychiatric evaluation and be followed carefully
common risk factors for urinary incontinence - ANS ✔✔1. Aging
2. Immobility, functional decline
ANSWERS | CARE OF THE OLDER ADULT FINAL EXAM STUDY
GUIDE & PRACTICE TEST 2026/2027
Communicating with an older adult, especially during an assessment. - ANS ✔✔1. Older adults may need
more time to respond bc they are drawing info from a larger life experience
2. Listening carefully, clarifying and patience
Questions to include during a medication assessment - ANS ✔✔1. Ask them to bring in all medications
being taken including OTC, herbals and supplements
2. Ask how they actually take medication, rather than reading the label (tume, with/without food,
checking bp, ect)
Nonpharmacological interventions to help improve sleep - ANS ✔✔1. Directed at identifiable cause
2. Considered first line treatment for insomnia
3. Sleep habits
4. Relaxation techniques
5. CCBT
6. Tai chi/ qigong
7. Passive music therapy
pharmacological interventions to help improve sleep - ANS ✔✔1. Use of OTC sleep aids and prescription
sedatives and hypnotic medications is increasing in the US
2. Benzodiazepines are one of the most abused drugs along with opiates in the older population
3. Benzos shouldnt be used as a first choice for insomnia
4. Pharmacologic and behavioral interventions should be used together
How nurses acquire cultural sensitivity - ANS ✔✔1. communication (Use of eye contact, handshakes,
silence, used of communication (interpretation and translation, and education materials in multiple
languages))
2. Defined as the ability to move smoothly between two worlds for the promotion of health and caring
for persons
3. Better able to build relationships with members of a variety of cultures as part of natural daily practice
external factors contributing to falls - ANS ✔✔1. Urinary incontinence/ urgency/ nocturia
2. Environmental hazards (rugs)
3. Recent relocation
4. Inadequate response to transfer and toileting needs
5. Improper use of assistive devices
6. Inadequate or missing safety equipment (rails like in bathroom)
7. Poorly designed or unstable furniture
8. High chairs or bed
9. Glossy, highly waxed floors
10. Wet, greasy, icy services
11. Inadequate visual support (glare, low wattage bulbs, lack of nightlight)
,12. General clutter
13. Inappropriate footwear or clothing
14. Pets the get under your feet
15. Electrical cords
16. Loose or uneven stair treads
17. Reaching for a high shelf
18. Inability to reach personal items, lack of access to call bell or inability to use it
19. Side rials/ restraints
20. Lack of staff training in fall risk reduction techniques
internal factors contributing to falls - ANS ✔✔1. Sedative and alcohol use, psychoactive medications,
opoids, diuretics, anticholinergics, antidepressants, antihypertensives, anticoagulants, bowel
preparations
2. Taking 4 or more medications
3. Unrelieved pain
4. Previous falls and fractures
5. Female 80 years or older
6. Acute and recent illness; recent hospitalization
7. Cognitive impairment (delirumm dementia)
8. Chronic pain
9. Dehydration
10. Weakness of lower extremities
11. Abnormalities of gait and balance
unsteadiness , dizziness, syncope
12.Foot problems
13. Depression, anxiety
14. Wearing of multifocal glassess while walking
15. Fear of falling
16. Orthostatic hypotension
17. Sleep disorders
18. Anemia
19. Vitamin D deficiency
20. Osteoporosis
21. Chronic conditions including arthritis, diabetes, stroke or parkinsons
characteristics of dementia - ANS ✔✔1. Insidious, slow onset
2. Depression and dementia are both fairly stable; dementia can change with stress
3. Conciousness in depression and dementia is clear
4. Alertness in depression and dementia is generally clear
5. Psychomotor activity in dementia is normal but they may have apraixia or agnosia
6. Duration can be years
Attention is generally normal but may have trouble focusing
7. Orientation is often impaired, may make up answers or answer close to the right thing or may be
confabulate but try to answer
8. Speech may have difficulty finding the word, preservation
9. Affect: slowed response , may be labile
characteristics of depression - ANS ✔✔1. Recent, may relate to life change
, 2. Fairly stable, like dementia, but instead gets worse in the morning
3. Consciousness is clear in both
4. Alertness is clear in both
5. Psychomotor activity can be variable, agitation or retardation
6. Duration can be variable or chronic
7. Attention has little impairment
8. Orientation is usually normal but may answer "I dont know" to questions or may not try to answer
9. Speech may be slow
10. Affect may be flat
similarities between depression and dementia - ANS ✔✔1. both are fairly stable with certain times that
affect them more than others (depression= morning, dementia= stress)
2. alertness is generally clear in both
3. consciousness is generally clear in both
differences between dementia and depression - ANS ✔✔1. their onset
2. pyschomotor activity
3. duration
4. Attention
5. orientation
6. speech
7. affect
who has the highest rate of suicude - ANS ✔✔1. white males 85 and older
who has the lowest suicide rates? - ANS ✔✔women
in most cases what are some disorders that can lead to suicides - ANS ✔✔1. depression
2. anxiety
3. mental health disorders
assessment of suicide risk patients - ANS ✔✔1. The lethal potential of an older must always be assessed
with depression, disease and spousal loss are evident
2. Establish a trusting and respectful relationship with the patient
3. If there is a suspicion that the elder is suicidal, use direct and straightforward questions (have you ever
thought about killing yourself, how often have you had these thoughts, how would you kill youself if you
decided to do it)
interventions for a patient who is at risk for suicide - ANS ✔✔1. Have a suicide protocol in place if
postive response obtained from any questions
2. The person should never be left alone for any period until help arrives to assist and care for the person
3. Patients at high risk should be hospitalized
4. Patients at moderate risk can be treated as outpatients provided that they have adequate social
support and no access to lethal means
5. Patients at low risk should have a full psychiatric evaluation and be followed carefully
common risk factors for urinary incontinence - ANS ✔✔1. Aging
2. Immobility, functional decline
