Role of nursing care of elderly people

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The number of elderly people is projected to increase as the population ages globally. Geriatrics, or nursing care for the elderly, is a vital component of providing care, preventing and treating illnesses common in the elderly, and improving the quality of life for elderly people. To provide comprehensive care, geriatric nurses focus on all aspects of the patient’s medical, emotional, and social needs. This blog looks at the essential elements of nursing care concerning elderly people and how it facilitates their healthcare. 

Table of Contents 

  • Role of nursing care of elderly people
  • Conclusion 
  • Frequently asked questions

Role of nursing care of elderly people

Health Assessment and Monitoring

One of the primary roles of nurses in elderly care is conducting thorough health assessments to understand the unique health status and needs of older adults.

Physical Assessments: Tyner, Edmond, and Kessler (2008) report that nurses monitor the patient’s vital signs and conduct physical assessments, including assessments of the patient’s ability to move around, muscle strength, and mental health. This assists in early detection of any changes in one’s health status. 

Health Monitoring: 

Hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and cardiac disorders are a few chronic conditions that require regular follow-up to ensure adequate control. Nurses monitor and document the symptoms, administer and coordinate patients’ medications, and overall compliance with prescribed treatment schedules. 

Pain Management: 

Old patients, particularly geriatric patients, are incredibly commonly affected by chronic pain. Pain is always checked often and treated through medication, exercising, and other related methods, but not all forms of pain relief entail the use of drugs. 

Therefore, health checks are crucial in identifying any signs of impending health issues and finding a solution before the situation gets worse. 

Personalized Care Planning 

Nurses play a crucial role in developing personalized care plans that cater to the specific needs and preferences of elderly individuals.

Finally, it is important to note that individualized care planning enables elderly clients to receive the care they require while preserving a large part of their autonomy and human dignity. 

Medication Management: 

Managing medications is a critical aspect of nursing care for the elderly, given the complexity of polypharmacy and the risk of drug interactions: 

Medication Administration:

Nurses correctly give out medications that the doctor has recommended to make sure they are at the right time and right amount for the patient’s condition while observing if there are likely side effects or if the medications will likely contradict with others being given out. 

Education and Counseling: Nurses educate elderly patients and their families about the prescribed medications, their use, potential side effects, if any, and why they ought to follow the recommended regimen. 

Medication Reconciliation: Special attention is paid to medication management during the process of transfer from one care setting to another, including from hospital to home; nurses compare planned medications and do not allow their double entries with the same medication in a different dosage form at the same time, do not miss any medication and do not allow an administration of two different medications with the same name but in various doses. 

Appropriate medication use provides a way of avoiding drug and other related complications while availing treatment. 

 Support with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs): 

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Elderly individuals often need assistance with daily activities, and nurses play a vital role in supporting them while promoting their independence. 

Personal Care Assistance: They assist with personal care, which includes bathing, dressing, grooming, feeding and other hygiene-related issues for the patient’s comfort and dignity. 

Mobility Support: For elderly patients with walking difficulties, the nurses help them walk, move from bed to chair, or use walking frames, thus minimizing falls. 

Nutritional Support: Nurses educate patients on appropriate diets, help select foods to be consumed, and ensure that the patient’s diet contains all the required nutrients and that no dehydrated foods are consumed. 

Assistive activities of daily living enable the elderly to be as close to normal as possible and thus improve other aspects of their lives. 

Chronic Disease Management

Most elderly persons have one form of chronic disease or the other, which later in life needs constant attention despite the patient’s resistance or tolerance to manage it. Nurses are instrumental in providing the necessary support.

Developing personalized care plans that cater to the specific needs and preferences of elderly individuals: 

Care Coordination: The patient care plan is coordinated with the physician, therapist, social worker, or other health care provider and family members. This comprises medication administration, diet approaches/requirements, exercise/development and psychosocial interventions. 

Adjusting Care Plans: There are factors that the nurses constantly evaluate or consider to allow them to consider whether the care plan is effective.

Chronic Condition Monitoring: The main conditions include heart disease, diabetes, COPD, or dementia; the practitioners provide care and alter treatments and care plans. 

Preventive Care and Education: Nurses are responsible for teaching elderly patients and their families how to deal with chronic diseases, identify signs of worsening diseases, and change their lifestyles. 

Symptom Management: If the elderly suffer from chronic illnesses, controlling symptoms such as breathlessness, exhaustion, pain, or confusion is also warranted. 

Nurses also assist the elderly with understanding and controlling their diseases and symptoms; therefore, no complications are experienced. 

Emotional and Psychological Support: 

These are elderly-specific emotional problems, and they include isolation, anxiety, depression and grief. Nurses provide crucial support to address these issues. 

Counselling and Active Listening:

Nurses become good listeners. They comfort elderly patients and their families experiencing economic hardships and family issues. 

Identifying Mental Health Issues: Nurses know about such symptoms of depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction. They relate with mental health practitioners to ensure the right action is taken. 

Social Engagement: Participation in events, using community and support institutions, or therapy can significantly decrease feelings of loneliness and enhance people’s mental health. 

This means that in meeting the requirements of the patient’s physical needs, the nurses balance their physical and emotional needs, thus offering holistic care. 

End-of-Life Care: Little can replace the importance of comfort, especially when extending basic dignity to people who need care. 

Nurses are vital in providing end-of-life care ensuring comfort, dignity, and support for elderly individuals and their families. 

Palliative and Hospice Care: Symptom control plays a key role; they also offer palliative care and moral and spiritual help to patients and their families at the end of their lives. 

Advance Care Planning: The nurses discuss advance directives, living wills, and other preferences regarding end-of-life decisions, and the patient’s choices are honoured. 

Grief Support: Families also receive consolation from nurses and related assistance as they face the loss and grieving. 

Palliative care is an area of healthcare that aims to improve the quality of life of elderly patients in their last days of life.

That is why nursing care for elderly people is crucial for accomplishing the worthy mission of assisting the affected individuals to live decent lives. 

Conclusion

Geriatric nursing is not merely the medical or clinical management of the elderly but involves a holistic approach through which the client receives care for total well-being. Due to their ability to deliver individualized care, administer drugs, assist with ADLs, and counsel, nurses contribute immensely to the quality of life of elderly patients.  Thus ensuring a safe and good quality of life for all the elders. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What conditions are required to be met by geriatric nurses? 

Geriatric nurses are usually registered nurses with an RN degree. These nurses might even have further certification in geriatric or elderly care nursing, as they are knowledgeable about the requirements and needs of the elderly. 

2. How can nurses ensure that elderly patients do not fall? 

Nurses assist in evaluating risk factors, utilizing mobility devices, informing, observing, and encouraging patients to make safe movements and achieve their outcomes, such as medication side effects that may contribute to falls. 

3. What is the function of the nurse in the management of dementia? 

Dementia patients are attended to by managing their conditions, promoting safety, engaging them through activities such as brain-stimulating games, and educating caregivers on how to handle them.

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