04.03 Growth & Development – Late Adulthood

Overview

1. Patients who are in late adulthood will begin to require extra support as their mobility decreases and they experience changes to hearing, vision and cognition.

Nursing Points

General

1. Late Adulthood = >65 years

Assessment

1. Development (physical chanages)
   1. Skin and hair continue to dry out
   2. Skeletal degeneration
   3. Loss of muscle mass
2. Cognitive
   1. Become less adaptive to change
   2. May have difficulty with new memories
   3. Difficulty coping/accepting cognitive changes
3. Psychosocial
   1. Erikson’s
      1. Integrity vs Despair
   2. Begin experiencing the death of peers
   3. Retirement
   4. Grandparenting
   5. Increased risk for becoming isolated and lonely

Therapeutic Management

1. Patient Interactions
   1. Be sensitive to vision and hearing changes
   2. Consider shorter teaching sessions
   3. Teach with respect for patient’s experience and knowledge base
   4. Patient safety issues
      1. Polypharmacy
      2. Driving Safety
2. Common health issues
   1. Osteoporosis
   2. Cataracts
   3. Risk for falls
   4. Increased risk for influenza and pneumonia
   5. Health screenings
      1. Osteoporosis
      2. Depression
      3. Dementia

Nursing Concepts

1. End of Life
   1. Patients in late adulthood should be advised to think about their wishes for end of life care.
2. Human Development
   1. Late adulthood is characterized by activites like retirement and grandparenting.
3. Patient Centered Care
   1. Patients who are in late adulthood will begin to require extra support as mobility decreases and there are changes with hearing and vision.

Patient Education

1. Patients who are in late adulthood should be educated on the importance of receiving annual flu vaccines.