Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
Week 2 Project. NSG 4067. In order to gain an insight into the world of elder adults, it is important to understand how they view themselves and the values they hold. Additionally, it is important to assess and determine his/her needs and establish appropriate interventions for this individual.
Assessment
After gaining permission, conduct a physical and mental functional assessment of the older adult you have chosen. Review your readings for the process of a functional assessment.
Use the tools discussed this week to complete a comprehensive assessment of your patient. Search the internet for resources on these tools. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
Tinetti Balance and Gait Evaluation
Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living
Assessment of Home Safety
The Barthel Index
Do not include a name on each tool, but do include professional or other designation, and age. Your name should also be identified on the tool. Include these names in the Appendix.
Based on your assessment:
Compare and contrast the age-related changes of the older person you interviewed and assessed with those identified in the week’s reading assignment.
Identify at least 4-6 preliminary issues. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
Identify three alterations in health that you would propose and describe them.
Identify a minimum of three comprehensive interventions for each alteration.
Integrate cultural considerations in your interventions.
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Solution
INTERVIEW OF CHOSEN ELDER ADULT
Name: Mr. AB Age: 101 years
Brief Introduction (Background information):
Mr. AB is a 101 years aged Georgian male who lives alone for the past twenty years now. His living alone was attributed to the death of his wife and his already grown children moved to their new homes. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
Surprisingly, Mr. AB is currently healthy and presents with no notable medical abnormalities except for declined visual ability. Additionally, the man is very expressive, and his mental health status is good. Mr. AB was a farmer in his formative days until he retired at age sixty-five and currently living on a pension.
- Philosophy on living a long life
Everyone longs to have a long life and die at a very old age. However, having a long life that is burdened by health complications and diseases is not worth it. Living long is meaningful when accompanied by good health. Living long of an individual is determined by several things.
Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
For example, the number of years an individual life depends on the life events that happened in the past and the individual’s reaction to those events. Individuals can achieve long life by observing life discipline in all forms. Other than the individual’s physicality, mentality, emotionality, and sociality, their spirituality plays an important role as well.
2. Thoughts about when a person is considered “too old”
An individual is referred to as old when he/she starts perceiving life as not good anymore and wishes it would end sooner. An individual who still wills to live more is not considered too old.
An individual who still has dreams and strives to achieve them, an individual who has courage, desire, and passion and believes that their success is near is not considered old at all. However, an individual with none of the above attributes is regarded as very old.
3. Opinion on the status and treatment of older adults
Naturally, individuals tend to have increased health complications as they advance in age. Old people need treatment more than younger adults do. However, such old adults are not ready mentally to accept the fact as a way of life and a routine and face it. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
Due to this, such individuals end up developing anxiety and become depressed. Their anxiety is worsened by the quality of healthcare services.
They end up disturbed and lose their happiness which further deteriorates their health. To avoid this, these old adults should increase their self-confidence and quality of acceptance.
- Beliefs about health and illness
Good health is a process. That is, being healthy can be considered a state but needs maintenance and carried forward. Individuals require advanced knowledge to achieve good health. Health assessment involves all domains and it should be evaluated in all aspects.
On the other hand, illness is self-caused while other forms of illnesses are destined. An individual’s strength to fight illness is an important thing as it can transform them from bad health to good health.
- Health promotion activities he or she participates in
Mr. AB participated in several health promotion activities such as having a proper daily schedule including physical exercises. Also, he maintained a proper diet and disciplined himself to eat what is needed, when needed and the amount needed. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
Additionally, Mr. AB pursued hobbies, avoided stress, and remained strong in his spiritual life. Lastly, he remained independent and received good support from his family and friends. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
- Something special that helped the person live so long
As stated by Mr. AB, his occupation, living a contented life, and fewer expectations were the things that led to his long life. As he was a farmer, his life was abundant with fresh air, he was satisfied and had fewer worries.
- Life span of other family members
The lifespan of Mr. AB’s family members includes:
Father: 82 years
Mother: 67 years
Wife: 80 years
Elder child: 63 years
Brother: 51 years
Sister: 54 years
- Special dietary traditions in patient’s culture attributed with aiding long life
- Dinner time is strictly between 7 and 8 pm
- Not eating late in the night
- Specifically ate for nutrition and to satisfy hunger only
- Strictly eating three times a day at a specified time
- Made sure his meals had vegetables
- The meals included cooked vegetables and fresh fruits
- Drinking at least 2.5 liters of freshwater daily.
- Any remedies/medications that have been handed down in the family/group. If yes, describe.
Holy Basil leaves is the family natural medication observed by Mr. AB. He drank boiled water after eating the leaves which acts as a body detox, improves the body functionality, and adds to the body strength.
- Patient’s description of current and past health status
Mr. AB’s only health issue is associated with his visual ability. Presbyopia problem started developing when he was 90 years and presents with no other health condition. No specific health conditions in the past. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
The only time he experienced low health was the time his wife died when he was diagnosed with anxiety but recovered from the situation soon due to his outstanding coping mechanism. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
- The values that guided life so far
Every person’s life must have a purpose as life is meant to fulfill a purpose. According to him, there is no point in living if one has no purpose. Individuals must create a purpose of living, pursue and achieve it and when the purpose is enjoyed, move on to another purpose and pursue it as well. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
Motives, goals, and aims are an individual’s driving force in life which motivates the body, keeps one healthy, and facilitates the achievement of a long life. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
Additional Questions
- What are your Hobbies?
Reading books, gardening, and taking random walks
- Do you feel any emotional deficit currently?
I have no emotional deficit as my friends and love for nature fulfills my emotional needs
- How Frequent do Friends Visit you?
They may come twice a week. When not in a position to meet them physically, we interact through the telephone.
Summary
Mr. AB describes his long life as a simple living with no magical remedies or force. Her maintained proper diet, love for nature, being contented, lowered expectations, and proper mental health are the key contributors to his long life till this time. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
Except for his declined visual ability which can be associated with aging, Mr. AB experiences no health problems including his mental health which is uncommon for people his age. Mr. AB believes in having a purpose for life and life with no purpose is worthless. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
He continues to follow eating discipline which he states contributes greatly to his good health condition. Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person
The contrast of the client’s responses with findings in current literature
- No research has established that the Basilar Leaves detoxify an individual’s body.
- According to research, small frequent meals are documented to be healthy and recommended instead of one heavy meal.
- Drinking too much water can be harmful to the body as it may cause hyponatremia.
Also check: Difference between (ANP) and the (APN)-Advanced Practice Roles in Nursing