Geriatric Nursing Assignment Essay

This paper will try to show different ways for geriatric care that are useful to a LPN who encounters aging people in daily life. Because they are complex, older people always deserve personal attention. Nurses address physical, psycho social, cultural and family concerns as well as promoting health and emphasizing successful aging. Life expectancy is rising at rates which call for the proper preparation of nurses to take good care of the rapidly increasing number of the aged. It is important to distinguish changes involved with normal aging from changes attributable to pathophysiology. Alterations in the structure and function of multiple body system may affect an older person appearance, mobility and ability to fight off infections. Geriatric medications need to be managed so as to avoid too much use of medicine since this group receives a lot of medication if poor care is taken. Multiple medications can cause a variety of drug interaction in older people. Primary drug reaction occurs when one drug causes one side effect, secondary drug reaction occurs when one medication reacts with another. This is brought about by polypharmacy. Old people should be treated in ways that are of benefit and do no harm or as little harm as possible Principle of assessment: data regarding biomedical, functional, psychological and social issues are obtained to help in planning and implementation of individual health care.Geriatric Nursing Assignment Essay A pressure ulcer is a lesion caused by unrelieved external pressure resulting from occlusion of the blood flow, tissue ischemia and cell death. Pressure ulcers are often viewed as a complication of an acute or chronic illness. The presence of ulcers may also be evidence of poor nursing care. Although pressure ulceration can be prevented, it may also occur despite optimal nursing care and advanced technologies. In order to provide effective nursing care for the older adult with pressure ulcers, the nurse must approach patient care within a holistic frame work. This framework should include an integration of good assessment, use of research-based intervention and methodical intervention of patience outcomes. Some specific issues of prevention, assessment and treatment of adult with pressure ulcers are, aging skin: The older people have an aged skin and due to exposure to the sun the skin wrinkles, epidermis thins, blood vessels recede, dermal- epidermal ridges flatten and the skin appears thin and fragile. The age related changes may lead to ulceration. The skin which is our largest organ can help in viewing the overall functioning of the entire body. All clinicians working with older people at risk for or suffering from pressure ulcers must be mindful of these varying relationship in using the cutaneous “window” of person to plan and implement individualized, comprehensive care.Geriatric Nursing Assignment Essay