Care of an older adult client: Nursing

Care of the older adult involves providing holistic care to meet the needs of patients as they mature through adulthood.

Now, your goal when assessing your older patient is to identify common health issues of older adults, and to intervene to promote your patient’s health and safety.

Begin by performing a mental status assessment. Observe their general appearance, posture, and facial expressions as indicators of mental function, and evaluate their level of consciousness and orientation to person, place, and time.

As you talk with your patient, assess their speech patterns, organization of thoughts, and mood. Check for the presence of risk factors for depression, including situations like loss of a spouse, recent retirement, or isolation, as well as problems like pain or insomnia, which can be associated with depression.

During your assessment, be sure to allow adequate time for them to respond to your questions. If your patient’s mental status is altered, adjust your approach accordingly. Next, assess their mobility and their ability to safely complete their activities of daily living, or ADLs, including bathing, dressing, toileting, and eating.

Be sure they have assistive devices, as needed, like a walker, cane, glasses, or hearing aids. Ask them if they have experienced a recent fall and talk to them about measures to increase safety in their home by removing throw rugs, ensuring adequate lighting, and installing handrails. Encourage physical activity according to their level of mobility to promote balance and maintain muscle mass.