Health Promotion in the Elderly

Health Promotion in the Elderly Patient

Nursing of the Adult Client I

Clinical Workshop Project

Section 301

“Intellectual ability does not decline with age; it only changes,” stated Dr. Sandra Cornett, who is a Registered Nurse (RN) from the Ohio State University Medical Center’s Department of Consumer Health Education and Wellness (Cornett, n.d.). Nurses play an important role as a teacher to their patients. In order for nurses to promote the optimal level of health in the elderly, they must understand and be able to recognize the visual, hearing, and cognitive changes that occur in the aging population. From 1970 to 2007, the older adult population, which is defined as patients 65 years of age and older, has grown twice as quickly as the remainder of the population (Baker & Heitkemper, 2007). M. Mezey estimates that 48% of hospitalized patients and 80% of home health clients are elderly (as cited in Wagner, 2001). Furthermore, it is expected that the older adult population will continue to grow and represent 20% of the total population by the year 2030 (Baker & Heitkemper, 2007). With the number of older adults in the health care system rapidly increasing, nurses must quickly learn to address the unique learning needs of this population.

The first step in teaching the elderly patient is to assess the patient’s readiness to learn. An elderly patient’s basic needs of safety and security must be addressed before any level of learning should be expected (Cornett, n.d.). For example, if a newly diagnosed diabetic patient is concerned about how he will pay his rent after an extended hospital stay, he will be unable to understand complex information about his insulin regimen. Pain and mental status should also be assessed prior to teaching. A patient who is experiencing severe pain will be unable to focus on learning. Likewise, a patient who has just received a life-altering diagnosis may not be ready to learn. For example, a patient who has been admitted to the...