Chapter 11
A nurse is caring for a client with dementia. A family member of the client asks what the most common cause of dementia is. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?
The nurse should inform the family member that Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in elderly clients. Dementia is a clinical manifestation, not a disease process. Although drug interactions and overmedication are causes of dementia, these causes aren't as common as Alzheimer's disease. Depression is common in elderly clients, but it doesn't cause dementia
A client has recently brought her elderly mother home to live with her family. The client states that her mother has moderate Alzheimer's disease and asks about appropriate activities for her mother. The nurse tells the client to
Ensure that the mother does not have access to car keys or drive an automobile. A person with Alzheimer's disease needs to be provided with a safe environment. Driving is prohibited. Cooking and cleaning may be too much stimulation. Daily activities must be simplified, short, and achievable. Smoking is allowed only with supervision. The person needs adequate lighting, and nightlights are helpful, particularly if the person has increased confusion at night.
A nurse is teaching nursing assistants in an extended-care facility measures to protect the skin of elderly clients. Which of the following measures is the nurse likely to recommend?
Encouraging clients to avoid cigarette smoking. Measures to promote healthy skin function in elderly clients include not smoking. Other measures include avoiding exposure to the sun, using emollient skin cream containing petrolatum or mineral oil, and avoiding hot soaks in the bathtub.
The nurse is preparing an elderly hospitalized client for discharge to home within the hour. The nurse should
Assess the need for pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations. Activities that help elderly people maintain respiratory function include pneumococcal and yearly influenza immunizations. The nurse is to ensure safety of the client. It is unsafe to administer an intravenous pain medication and then immediately discharge the client. Elderly clients should limit sun exposure to 10 to 15 minutes daily and avoid heavy activity after eating
An elderly client reports that he feels like he voids frequently during the day and at night but cannot empty his bladder. The nurse instructs the client to
Limit ingestion of caffeinated beverages. Symptoms that the client describes may be indicative of benign prostatic hypertrophy. The client should limit caffeinated beverages. He does not want to decrease fluid intake; doing so may increase his susceptibility to urinary tract infections. He needs to void frequently and not wait long periods between voiding. The client also should limit his alcohol intake, preferably decreasing it.
A nurse notes that an older female client has lost 2 inches in height since her appointment last year. The client reports lumbar back pain as unchanged. Which of the following would the nurse instructs the client? Select all answers that apply
• Increase intake of foods that are high in calcium. • Take calcium and vitamin D supplements daily. • Obtain the prescribed bone densitometry. Older clients may experience decreased bone density and, thus, back pain as a result of aging. Strategies to assist them are to instruct clients to increase calcium in the diet and take calcium and vitamin D supplements. A bone density test made be done to determine the degree of bone loss. The client needs to limit phosphorus intake because a high-phosphorus blood level decreases calcium blood levels. The client needs to continue with a regular exercise program
A client reports to the nurse that her grandmother with Alzheimer's disease recently moved in with her and her two school-aged children. The client states the grandmother becomes agitated and starts yelling and crying frequently. The woman asks, "What can I do?" The nurse first responds:
"What precipitates the outbursts?" A client with Alzheimer's disease may respond to exciting or confusing events with a catastrophic reaction, such as screaming, crying, or becoming abusive. The nurse needs to assess the situation and what precipitates the catastrophic reactions to best address how to prevent these events. Other nursing interventions include telling the client's granddaughter to remain calm and to distract the grandmother with quiet music, stroking, or both.
Age-related changes associated with the cardiovascular system include
Age-related changes associated with the cardiovascular system include decreased cardiac output, increased blood pressure, decreased compliance of the heart muscle, and thickening of the heart valves.
A nurse is assessing an elderly client with senile dementia. Which neurotransmitter condition is most likely to contribute to this client's cognitive changes?
A decreased acetylcholine level has been implicated as a cause of cognitive changes in healthy elderly clients and in the severity of dementia. Choline acetyltransferase, an enzyme necessary for acetylcholine synthesis, has been found to be deficient in clients with dementia. Norepinephrine is associated with aggression, sleep-wake patterns, and the regulation of physical responses to emotional stimuli, such as the increased heart and respiratory rates caused by panic.
A hospitalized older adult complains of increased coughing and shortness of breath. The nurse assesses the vital signs as temperature 100.2°F oral, respirations 18, pulse 88, and BP 128/80. What action should the nurse do next?
Assess lung sounds and sputum. The older adult's immune system is not as effective, so the older adult may not show typical signs and symptoms of infection. The nurse should assess the lung sounds and sputum for signs and symptoms of infection. A temperature of 100.2°F in an older adult warrants further investigation of infection. The nurse does not have all the required information needed to notify the physician; the nurse needs to listen to lung sounds before notifying the physician. Although the patient may need cough medicine PRN, it is not the next action to be taken. The use of the incentive spirometer may help prevent lung issues, but is not the next step to be taken by the nurse.
Which of the following states is characterized by a decline in intellectual functioning?
Dementia. Dementia is an acquired syndrome in which progressive deterioration in global intellectual abilities is of such severity that it interferes with the person's customary occupational and social performance. Depression is a mood disorder that disrupts quality of life. Delirium is often called acute confusional state. Delusion is a symptom of psychoses
Approximately what percentage of elderly people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease receive some of their care from informal caregivers?
Estimate is that 75% of elderly people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease receive some of their care from informal caregivers. The other numerical values are incorrect.
Which of the following is the leading cause of death in the elderly?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the elderly. Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization among Medicare recipients. Cancer, cerebrovascular disease, and pneumonia are not leading causes of death in the elderly.
(see full question) A nurse is caring for an elderly adult client admitted to the hospital from a nursing home because of a change in behavior. The client has a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and has started to experience episodes of incontinence. The hospital staff is having difficulty with toileting because the client wanders around the unit all day. To assist with elimination, a nurse should:
Incorporating the client's toileting schedule into his wandering assists with elimination and increases the chance of continent episodes. Sedation and restraints will decrease the client's mobility but won't decrease the number of incontinent episodes. Wearing two briefs at a time won't ensure urine absorption and won't address the incontinence issue
A client with moderate Alzheimer's disease has been eating poorly, losing weight, and playing with food at meals. The nurse best intervenes by
Placing one food at a time in front of the client during meals. All options are steps the nurse can take to promote eating for the client with Alzheimer's disease. Offering one food at a time, however, helps to prevent the client from playing with food.
Which refers to the decrease in lens flexibility that occurs with age, resulting in the near point of focus getting farther away?
Presbyopia. Presbyopia usually begins in the fifth decade of life, when reading glasses are required to magnify objects. Presbycusis refers to age-related hearing loss. Cataract is the development of opacity of the lens of the eye. Glaucoma is a disease characterized by increased intraocular pressure.
Which of the following is a factor that contributes to urinary incontinence in the older female adult?
Relaxed perineal muscle. Female older adults typically have relaxed perineal muscle. The relaxed muscle can contribute to urinary incontinence, especially when laughing, coughing, and sneezing. Decreased urinary residual would not be a contributing factor. Most older adults have an increase in urinary residual. Most older adults have a decreased bladder capacity; this contributes to an increase in frequency in urination but not incontinence. Detrusor stability is a normal finding and helps prevent incontinence
The nurse is attempting to take vital signs of an older adult hospitalized following knee surgery. The patient continuously yells, "It's 1999 and you are going to hurt me." What action should the nurse do first?
Reorient the patient. The first action that should be taken by the nurse is to reorient the patient. Hospitalized older adults are at risk for disorientation and confusion. Although the nurse will still need to take the vital signs and assess for infection, reorienting the patient remains the first action. If the patient can be reoriented, then the nurse may be able to complete the other actions without difficulty or potential harm to the patient. The nurse may need to notify the physician if the patient is unable to be oriented or if there are abnormalities with the assessment
A patient with Alzheimer's disease is prescribed donepezil (Aricept). When teaching the patient and family about this drug, which of the following would the nurse include?
The drug helps to control the symptoms of the disease." Donepezil is a cholinesterase inhibitor used to control symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. It does not cure or slow progression. Typically cognitive ability improves within 6 to 12 months of therapy, but if stopped, cognitive progression occurs. It is recommended that treatment continue at least through the moderate stage of the illness. However, it usually is not prescribed as life-long therapy.
The reason that federal and state governments carefully regulate the treatment given in licensed health care facilities, particularly long-term care facilities, is expressed by which statement?
Vulnerability of older adult patients. Because of the vulnerability of older adults, federal and state governments have carefully regulated the treatment given in licensed health care facilities. Cognitive impairment does not automatically constitute incapacity. Older people with fluctuating cognitive status may retain sufficient ability to make some, if not all, their health care decisions. Individuals with different perspectives are required in ethics committees to resolve ethical dilemmas. (less)
Which of the following actions by the nurse demonstrates ageism?
Directing all health decisions to the older adult's child. When the nurse directs all health care-related decisions to the older adult's child, the nurse is not respecting the individual choice of the older adult. The nurse is also assuming that the older adult cannot understand the decisions to be made, which is a myth about the elderly. The nurse should provide high-quality care to all patients, no matter what the age of the patient. Allowing the patient adequate time to complete tasks is appropriate and individualized. The older adult should be encouraged to develop routines not associated with work to decrease the potential for feeling nonproductive.
A patient with Alzheimer's disease becomes agitated while the nurse is attempting to take vital signs. What action by the nurse is most appropriate?
Distract the patient with a familiar object or music. The nurse should try to calm the patient by using distraction with a familiar object or music. Continuing to take the vital signs will cause further agitation and possible harm to the patient or nurse. Placing the patient in a secluded room may increase agitation and should not be used for this situation. The nurse should document the inability to assess vital signs and the reason why this should be done after the patient's basic needs have been met.
An elderly client exhibits blood pressure of 110/76 while prone, 100/72 sitting, and 92/64 standing. The nurse instructs the client to
Ingest five or six small meals each day. A client who experiences orthostatic hypotension should eat five or six small meals to minimize hypotension that can occur after large meals. The client should avoid straining when having a bowel movement. A stool softener would be useful. Hot showers and whirlpools should be avoided.
When assessing the older adult, the nurse anticipates an increase in which component of the respiratory status?
Residual lung volume. With an increase in residual lung volume the patient experiences fatigue and breathlessness with sustained activity. The nurse anticipates decreased vital capacity. The nurse anticipates decreased gas exchange and diffusing capacity resulting in impaired healing of tissues due to decreased oxygenation. The nurse anticipates difficulty coughing up secretions due to decreased cough efficiency.
