...Challenges and Responses to Improving Geriatric Nursing Care Lisa Watson University of Massachusetts Boston Professional Issues in Nursing NU: 360 Dr. JoAnn Mulready-Shick September 29, 2012 Abstract Challenges occur in nursing practice that impede the ability of the nursing profession to improve the care provide by nurses to our growing older population. This paper will describe some of the challenges nursing is facing and how to make the changes needed to improve the field of nursing. The research will show that investing in future education of nurses is the base that change will be built upon. Will you or a loved one fall into the geriatric population that is expected to explode? How will nurses care for this population and are they prepared to do so? Modern technology, research and advanced training have assisted the elderly population to live longer. Baby boomers are approaching their elderly years. This presents an ongoing challenge for the nursing industry. As reported by Kinsella & Velkoff, “the population of older adults {is} expected to double by the year 2030” (as cited by Shellman, 2012, para. 2). “Of today’s United States population 12.6% is at least 65 years old, and 20% of the population is expected to be at least 65 years by 2030; thus it is accurate to say a large portion of the healthcare business is and will continue to be caring for older adults . . . (CIA World Factbook 2007) as referenced by Grossman and Valiga (2009). There are many challenges...
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...Health Advocacy Project-Part One Community health is a way to provide the necessary information patients need without having to give patients a new health care provider. Community health provides families with the help that they may need and a peace of mind knowing that they are there. The disciplines of people that are helped vary from community to community. This paper will explore an aggregate that has health concerns that are interesting to the reader. To find an aggregate that has health concerns is easy but finding one that interests a person enough to research is slightly harder to find. Geriatrics is one aggregate that is becoming a larger and is growing every year. People are living longer and need more nursing care as their health declines (Coleman, 2005). Medication compliance is a major problem for those who are in the geriatrics population. Some do not understand why they need to take their medication daily, while others cannot afford to continue taking them. Geriatrics is what the population mostly consists of in the community. Some of the questions that come up include are geriatric patients taking too many medications at one time, are the medications making the patient confused, and do the patients have someone who can assist them when they have questions regarding their medications. Some of the areas considered to have strengths include the use of public health or even home care. Different factors affect how well the medication regime is continued...
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...and its relationship to health care delivery system. This paper will indentify a vulnerable population; describe the population demographics based on research of professional literature and websites including locals, state or national levels. It will also describe a personal awareness of the population, attitudes, biases, and serotypes; it will state the effect of research on personal attitudes and how it might affect health care delivery. Finally, it will use self reflection to evaluate our perception before after learning about the population. Background of Focal Point Gil Martin in the ‘neighborhood’ is a fifty two year old Hispanic male married to Helen. They have been married for eighteen years. He had a son Mark from the previous marriage and a step daughter Tracy. Gil’s father recently passed away and he has been helping his elderly mother manage her home. While at the mother’s house, Gil suggested to his mother (Mary) to consider moving in with them. Mary accepted the suggestion with happiness but to Gil’s surprise. When Gil got home, he told his wife and was met with a negative reaction. Vulnerable Population The elderly in America are considered to be a vulnerable population in regards to health, wellness and provision of healthcare. While this consideration may sometimes be based on assumptions related to age and wellness, there are increased risk factors that do place a majority of this population at a higher risk for illness and injury. Most of the risk...
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...Urinary Tract Infection in the Geriatric Population Elizabeth Shultz Abstract The geriatric population is very vulnerable to Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and its negative consequences. If left untreated, UTI in the elderly patient can have negative consequences such as delirium or even death. UTI can also contribute to the onset of acute or chronic kidney infections, which could permanently damage the kidneys and result in renal failure. In view of this, the purpose of this paper is to review related literature to find current evidence or best practices related to UTI in the geriatric population and to objectively critique the evidence. CINAHL and MEDLINE computer databases were mainly searched from January, 2005 to January, 2015 using a combination of manual and computer-based methods. Keywords: elderly, urinary tract, elderly infection management, urinary tract infection prevention, elderly and UTI. Introduction By convention, a Urinary tract infection (UTI) is defined either as a lower tract (acute cystitis) or upper tract (acute pyelonephritis) infection (Nicolle, 2014). Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common infectious problem among older adults both in the community and institutional settings (Midthun, Paur, Bruce, & Midthun, 2005). The elderly population is most likely to experience UTI due to many reasons, not the least of which is their overall susceptibility to all infections...
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... Medical Care for an Aging Population Countries around the world are encountering a growing number of the elder demographic. The aging population has created situations that the world’s economy and health care that have never encountered. The elders leaving the workforce and entering retirement has created new challenges in an already fragile global economy and health care system, and it is uncertain what the impact will in America. Questions rose about how the aging population will affect the economy. Will these changes bring new opportunities for the aging population because of the healthier life style and longer life expectancies currently seen today? Will physically and mentally healthier seniors be able to manage longer working years? Alternatively, will it result in a shortage of worker in the workforce leaving an overwhelming burden on the younger population? This paper summarizes three articles that attempt to bring to light the various challenges the nation is encountering in its preparation to care for the aging population. Additionally it will provide the readers with some recommendations on strategies both the American industries and government can use to prepare for the loss of a large percentage of the workforce who will start retiring in the next decade. The burden of geriatric health issues While countries across the globe are scrambling to make the necessary preparation to accommodate medical care for the aging population, the United States has already...
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...American landscape as well if for no greater reason than the sheer number of people who make up this population (Steinhorn, 2006). Today, based predominantly on that very same reason, the baby boomer population is now making a very different, yet equally as profound impact on American society. More specifically, this impact is being made on the healthcare system of the US, and the discriminatory practice of “ageism” that older patients currently face. The purpose of this paper is to explore, analyze, and evaluate both the practice of age discrimination in healthcare and the federal policy issues and efforts that are involved with it. The work begins by providing background information on the current demographics of the aging American population and forecasts for the impact this will likely have on the healthcare industry in the near future. It then transitions into a discussion on what ageism is, where its historical roots come from, and where it fits into the federal Fair Labor Act. A review of the literature is then presented, documenting the discrimination that elderly people are subjected to with regards to healthcare. The paper then explores the medical profession itself within this context, with a focus on examining the lack of geriatric training medical professionals receive and the limited number of existing programs designed to train these professionals in geriatrics. Attention is then turned to this issue from a public policy...
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...and patterns of health-events, health- characteristics and their causes or influences in well-defined populations. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive medicine. Epidemiologists are involved in the design of studies, collection and statistical analysis of data, and interpretation and dissemination of results (including peer review and occasional systematic review).Major areas of epidemiological study include outbreak investigation, disease surveillance and biomonitoring, and comparisons of treatment effects such as in clinical trials. Epidemiologists rely on a number of other scientific disciplines such as biology (to better understand disease processes), biostatistics (to make efficient use of the data and draw appropriate conclusions), and exposure assessment and social science disciplines (to better understand proximate and distal risk factors, and their measurement). I would like to discuss elderly patients as my vulnerable population. There is no set age at which a person maybe under the care of a geriatric physician. The physician aims to promote health by preventing disease and disabilities in geriatric adults. A gerontologist specializes in the aging process. Adult medicine differs from the geriatric patient because the focus is on the elderly patient. The decline in physiological reserve in organs makes...
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...distribution and patterns of health-events, health- characteristics and their causes or influences in well-defined populations. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive medicine. Epidemiologists are involved in the design of studies, collection and statistical analysis of data, and interpretation and dissemination of results (including peer review and occasional systematic review).Major areas of epidemiological study include outbreak investigation, disease surveillance and biomonitoring, and comparisons of treatment effects such as in clinical trials. Epidemiologists rely on a number of other scientific disciplines such as biology (to better understand disease processes), biostatistics (to make efficient use of the data and draw appropriate conclusions), and exposure assessment and social science disciplines (to better understand proximate and distal risk factors, and their measurement). I would like to discuss elderly patients as my vulnerable population. There is no set age at which a person maybe under the care of a geriatric physician. The physician aims to promote health by preventing disease and disabilities in geriatric adults. A gerontologist specializes in the aging process. Adult medicine differs from the geriatric patient because the focus is on the elderly patient. The decline in physiological reserve in organs makes...
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...Trends Paper Demographic trends reveal developments and changes in human population. More specifically, demographic trends relate to changes in a population’s age, educational attainment, and health. Business leaders, marketers, and advertisers can glean valuable insight from demographic trends. For example, a geographical location might experience a shift in migration patterns. Without understanding demographic trends for the area, businesses could make decisions on a customer segment based on conjecture. Evaluating demographic trends for the area, however, might reveal that there’s a change in the population’s average age, employment status, income, or wealth all of which would help businesses better target its customers and prospects. This can yield additional insight such as trends in a population’s socioeconomic status, life stage, and lifestyle. Socioeconomic status is determined by measuring income, education, occupation, and wealth of an individual or a family. Life stage is based on an individual’s age, family status, and relationships. Lifestyle is determined by education, activities, interests, opinions, socioeconomic status, and life stage. All of these characteristics are helpful to businesses as they are valuable predictors of consumer spending trends. Evaluating customers’ and prospects’ demographic trends, business decision-makers can identify changing needs in the marketplace and adjust to them. Demographic trends can also help organizations spot future...
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...Library Search. Fill out each section of the tables for Article 1 and Article 2. You can also save a blank copy of this worksheet and use it to properly cite your sources when you write research papers for your future courses. Article 1: Career Explored Healthcare Administration Author Shay, Kenneth; Hyduke, Barbara; Burris, James F. Year published April 2013 Title of article Strategic Plan for Geriatrics and Extended Care in the Veterans Health Administration: Background, Plan, and Progress to Date. Title of Publication/Journal/ Magazine journal article - tables/charts Volume/month of publication (if available) Date you retrieved article from database 02-03-2015 Summary of article The leaders of Geriatrics and Extended Care ( GEC) in the Veterans Health Administration ( VHA) undertook a strategic planning process that led to approval in 2009 of a multidisciplinary, evidence-guided strategic plan. This article reviews the four goals contained in that plan and describes VHA's progress in addressing them. The goals included transforming the healthcare system to a veteran-centric approach, achieving universal access to a panel of services, ensuring that the Veterans Affair's ( VA) healthcare workforce was adequately prepared to manage the needs of the growing elderly veteran population, and integrating continuous improvement into all care enhancements. There has been substantial progress in addressing all four goals. All VHA health care has undergone an extensive...
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...Organizational Responsibility Paper Annie S. Pyram University of Phoenix HCS/545 Terry Matherne April 9, 2012 The first baby boomers turned age 65 as of January 2011, Over the next twenty years, there will be an enormous increase for adults 65 and over. This elderly population will definitely need primary, acute and long term care. In comparison with today’s 12% it has been predicted that Americans who reach 65 and older will be one in five. In this paper, I will discuss the challenges and issues about the aging adult population in America. Due to this expected growth of the adult population over the next 50 years, there will be a great impact on the health care system in regards to the supply and demand of health care professionals. Many of the elderly populations are living longer, some are continuing to work by reducing their hours of work and some are expected to retire and the need for health care services will increase. The healthcare workforce must be equipped, trained and prepared to provide services for this aging population (Institute of Medicine, 2008). People born between 1946 and 1964 are called the baby boomers, has an enormous effect on the health care system in America. The rising cost of health care is spiraling out of control, increasing the cost of hospitalization for the elderly patient population. As the century progresses...
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...Abstract This paper is written in response to an assignment set by Ashworth College. The student is asked write a paper on the budgetary pressures and cuts faced by all levels of government, and explain how to justify to the tax-paying public an increase in expenditures on prison treatment and rehabilitation programs. To respond to this assignment, the student undertook desk research, wrote and submitted this paper. Keywords: prison treatment, rehabilitation programs, cost, expense, investment Introduction: The context for extra spending Many sections of the United States government over the past several years have experienced severe budget cuts due the Great Recession. Some education departments have experienced double digit percentage cuts, leading to layoffs among both faculty and administrative personnel. Hospitals, public transportation, and many other government departments have experienced layoffs, working hour reductions, cuts in pay, and cuts in resourcing. With these cost-reduction measures imposed in many government departments, it would be difficult to persuade the tax-paying public that anything currently deserves an increase in spending. If most parts of society must cut back on budgets and services, why should the public tolerate extra spending to help those who have actively broken the law? Many would argue that preference should be given to extra spending for law-abiding citizens. This paper explores how to justify to the tax-paying public...
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...Demographic Paper/Aging Population Aging Population The purpose of this summary is to provide information on the effects of changes in population demographics on the needs and services of the aging population. This summary will include the impact the aging population will have on the health care market as well as some ways in which the aging population affect health care in relation to cost. The summary hopes to provide some insight to the need for more health care professionals to care for the aging population. He summary will provide an answer to the question, what is the aging population’s effect on a chronic disease wellness program. The summary will conclude with the aging population’s effects on an individual, community, national, and global level. Aging Population in the United States According to Maestas and Zissimopoulos, “population aging is not a looming crisis of the future, it is already here” (Page 1, Para 1, 2011).When life expectancy rises and fertility declines the results are an aging population. Another issue of population aging is an increase of individuals surviving to live to an older age outgrowing the number of young people or health care professional’s ability to take care of these older people. The impact of the aging population on the future standard of living may depend on how long people continue to work. Age-related health care declines and the reluctance of employers to hire and retain older workers is a serious cause for concern. Age...
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...Topic: Intimacy and older adults; How older people express intimacy. Scholars believe that sexual intimacy improves the quality of life. Thus, People in their adult life deserve the right to sexual fulfillment; yet, the expression in sexuality and intimacy changes in response to age. Research has shown that there are many barriers to intimacy in elderly population. The barriers are usually created as a result of the myths about sexuality and older adults. Many relate the sexual intimacy barriers of older adults to health and argue that there is a relationship between sexuality and health. However, this paper argues that the physical and pathological changes in elderly should not be associated with the opportunity to enjoy and express sexual intimacy. This paper first briefly reviews the physical and physiological and environmental factors that influence the sexual expression of older adults. The paper then argues that older people can only express intimacy when they accept their feelings, values and attitudes toward sexuality. Finally, educational intervention on attitudes toward sexuality can help older adults express intimacy. The physical factors that influence the sexual expression of older adults are usually health related. Data suggest that approximately one quarter of elderly adult living in USA live with disability or illness that limits them from healthy sexual life and intimacy (Deacon, 1995). In other words, having poor health status can create barriers for...
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...This paper looks at how depression continues to be one of most common medical conditions for the elderly. It also examines the increase in the suicidal tendencies of the depressed, taking into account the wrong assumption that aging necessitates depression and the difficulty of health care providers in recognizing depression. It examines how symptoms may take months to worsen and show up and how aging individuals should be treated similarly to younger patients when seen by the doctor. It is up to family and health care providers to be vigilant and notice changes, and with care, individuals can be helped. Some of these symptoms include depressed mood, loss of interest in work and activities, psychic anxiety, somatic symptoms, general (decreased energy), somatic anxiety, guilt, middle insomnia, late insomnia, and suicidal ideation. Literature into the issue of depression and the suicide rate where elderly people are concerned is important for several reasons. Consider these facts: The highest rate of suicide in the United States is among the elderly population. Moreover, suicide rates steadily increase as age advances in individuals of all races and both genders. Those that are 65 years and older successfully complete suicide fifty percent more often than the national average. Every 90 minutes a senior citizen in the United States commits suicide. Population experts estimate that by 2030, the elderly population will be about 20% of the population-about 75 million people (Heisel...
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