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Elderly
This document provides an introduction to geriatric nursing, including definitions of key terms like gerontology, geriatrics, aging, and life expectancy. It discusses the developmental tasks and needs of elderly people, including adjusting to retirement, death of a spouse, and accepting one's own mortality. It also addresses life transitions experienced by older adults like retirement, chronic illness, relocation, and bereavement. Finally, it outlines different care environments for elderly people and ways for health professionals to help older adults and their families cope with life transitions.
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Elderly
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- 2. Contents: Introduction – Common terminologies –Historical perspective – Demography situation of aged people – Modules of geriatric care in different health care settings Life transition and its effects – Developmental tasks and needs of elderly – Retirement – Relocation and bereavement
- 3. Common terminologies: • Gerontology: –Geron: old man, Logy: study. – Term was first coined by Mechinikov in 1903. – Specialized branch of medical science dealing with the comprehensive study of the elderly adult. – It is the branch of science that deals with aging and the problems of aged persons.
- 4. • It isthe scientific study of individual in later maturity and aging process from physiologic, pathologic, psychologic, sociologic and economic points of view( Murrey and Zenter, 2001)
- 5. • It isthe study of aging process and individuals as they grow from midlife through later life including the study of , physical, mental and social changes; the investigation of the changes in society resulting from the aging population; the application of this knowledge to policies, programs and practice. Association for Gerontology in Higher Education(AGHE) 2010
- 6. • Geriatrics: – Medicalspecialty concerned with the physiologic and pathologic changes of the individual in later maturity and includes study and treatment of the health problems of this age groups. (Murrey and Zentner, 2001)
- 7. • The branchof medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disease and conditions of the elderly. (Mifflin 2002)
- 8. • Geriatrics focusesstrictly on the medical conditions and disease of the aging. While • Gerontology is multidisciplinary and is concerned with physical, mental and social aspects and implications of aging.
- 9. • Aging: – Itis the process of growing old, regardless of chronological age, which begins at conception and ends at death. » Murrey and Zentner, 2001. – It is a normal physiological and developmental process causing a progressive decrease in functional capabilities which begins at conception and ends at death.
- 10. • Chronological age: –It is defined as the number of years a person has lived. • Biological age: – It is defined as a description of an individual development based on biomarkers. – A biomarker is a recordable molecular or cellular event.
- 11. • Psychological Age: –It refers to the behavioral capacity of the person to adapt changing environmental demands and includes capacities of memory, learning, intelligence, skills, feelings and motivation for exercising behavioral control or self regulation. • Social Age: – It results from the person life course and experiences, refers to roles and habits of person with respect to other members of society.
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- 13. • Functional Age: –It is defined as a combination of chronological, biological, and psychological ages. • Cognitive Age: – It includes the age the person feels and looks to self , plus the fit of behavior and interests to his or her chronological age. – Example: I do most things as if I were --- years old.
- 14. • Senescence: – Itis the mental and physical decline associated with the aging process. – The term describes a group of effects that lead to a decrease in efficient function.
- 15. • Senility: – Theterm senility denotes physical and mental deterioration often associated with old age. – Not commonly used.
- 16. • Senior citizens: –World Health Organization (WHO) defines senior citizens as people 60 years and above. – The Senior Citizens Acts 2063 B.S, Nepal also defines the senior citizens as “People who are 60 years and above”.
- 17. • Gerontological nursing: –Gerontological nursing means the application of body of knowledge and skills to provide nursing care that meets the unique bio psychosocial and spiritual needs of the diverse older adult population and their families.
- 18. • Geriatric Nursing: –Nursing care of the aged patient given in the home, the hospital, or special institutions such as nursing homes, psychiatric institutions etc.
- 19. • Life expectancy: –It is the length of time that a person can predicted to live. – Life expectancy of Nepal??
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- 21. Developmental Tasks ofElderly (60 and over) according to Robert J. Havighurst - Adjusting to decreasing physical strength and health. - Adjusting to retirement and reduced income. - Adjusting to death of a spouse. - Establishing an explicit affiliation with one’s age group. - Adopting and adapting social roles in a flexible way. - Establishing satisfactory physical living arrangements.
- 22. • Make arrangementsfor care, if needed. • Accept one’s own mortality. • Find satisfaction in one’s family. • Accept oneself as an aging person.
- 23. Eric Erikson’s development coretask of the older adult • Ego integrity is coming through the previous phase of the life cycle as older adults they can look back on their lives with happiness and satisfaction and feeling of they have made contribution to live • On other hand, adults may feel despair at their experiences and perceived failure. They may fear of death as they struggle to find out the meaning of lives.
- 24. Physical needs ofthe older adults • Adaptation to chronic illness • Adaptation to sensory perception • Monitoring of existing symptoms and symptoms of emerging disease • Monitoring the effect of the disease and side effects of the drug therapy.
- 25. Life transition andits effects:
- 26. Life Transition: • Asadults approach their senior years many aspects of life (physical, social, financial, and employment) are changing. • For most seniors, the retirement years are anticipated positively and with an expectation of more leisure time and a lessening of demands and responsibilities. • The goal during the senior years then is to maximize the positive and develop strategies for coping with the stresses.
- 27. Definitions: • Life Transition: –the process or period of changing from one state or condition to another. (Oxford Online Dictionary) – to undergo or cause to undergo a process or period of transition. (Oxford Online Dictionary)
- 28. • Types oftransitions experienced by older adults – Retirement. – Chronic illness/physical and mental impairments. – Death of spouse or significant others – Relocations (due to illness, death of spouse, natural disasters, war) – Dying and death.
- 29. Elderly reside ina variety of care environments: • Home • Senior home • Nursing home • Assisted living • Street • Continuing care retirement communities
- 30. Responses to Transitions •Isolation/withdrawal • Apathy • Sometimes addictions • At times, suicide • Sometimes, movement towards growth
- 31. How can healthad human service professionals respond? • Understand significance of transitions for older adults and family members • Verbally acknowledge the difficulties of transitional periods • Verbally acknowledge the emotional reactions to transitions and help family members process reactions • Help the older adult process emotions related to trauma causing relocation (e.g. disasters)
- 32. • Help olderadults and family members process existential issues, or refer them to a skilled professional (such as a chaplain or spiritual leader) • If relocating to an adult child’s home, help family negotiate new rules/guidelines for living together • Encourage activities (such as volunteer work) that address need for meaning and purpose in life
- 33. • Rethink firstbed availability policy for placement from hospitals to nursing homes • Advocate for programs within working situation that address the emotional needs of older adults and family members in transition (e.g. supportive services for older adults entering nursing homes)
- 34. • Assess copingmethods – be alert for signs of dependence upon substances • Help older adults find new coping methods if they are unable to use previous strategies (e.g. strenuous exercise)
Editor's Notes
- #11 Chronological: how old are you? I m 19 yrs 4mnth 3 days. Ex 5 yr go to school, 18 yr driving license. Biloogical marker: it can be younger or older than chronological age. Ex: puberty, menopause.
- #12 Social age: dress type ones wear,
- #14 Creating a holistic picture of a person : functional age, not focussing on one aspect.
- #15 Greying of hair, menopause.
- #17 The terms senior citizens are used by British and American, older adults in social sciences and elderly and elders in many cultures. In 2009 the global population of people aged 60 and over was 680 millon (11%) of world population. In nepal total population of age 60 yrs and above is 2154410 (8.13%)
- #20 Acc to 2014 Nepal demographic profile male 65.88 yrs and female 68.56yrs Other terms: Social gerontology Geropsychology Geropharmacology Financial gerontology
- #28 Complexities of the process are not captured in the definition!