Description
Consider the following as you complete assessments with the elderly: The brain loses about 10 to 15 percent of its weight during the normal process of aging, which can affect blood flow, possibly resulting in neuron and memory loss. The aging senses Vision: increased potential for decreased vision especially for distance, difficulty seeing dim lights, and loss of peripheral vision Hearing: slow but steady decline in hearing Taste: some change for some people Smell: some loss of ability to smell in some people Touch: reduced sensitivity to touch for some people, especially with an increase in pain threshold Intellectual changes IQ tends to remain stable throughout a person’s life. Some individuals will experience declining sensory functioning, which is associated with intellectual functioning. Stimulation and cognitive decline Exercising the brain can preserve intellectual functioning; crossword puzzles, soduku, scrabble, and chess are great examples. Reaction time Some persons will experience a decrease in reaction times, such as when they drive a car. Concentration Continues without significant decline When attention is divided between two or more stimuli, elderly do not perform as well. Anxiety may contribute to this decline. Organizational skills Perform less well on abstract reasoning Creativity Some people will have a decline in creativity as they age. Memory Some elderly people decline in short-term memory, especially if more demands are placed on the person. Long-term memory shows significant decline as people age. Personality Both men and women become more introverted as they age. Older people are less likely to experience wide mood swings – changes are more often due to changes in the nervous system. Most personality changes remain unchanged as people age unless they experience major health changes. Different cultures have different attitudes about aging and death and how to respect elders. Retirement Forced retirement has a significant impact on peoples’ well-being, especially if they wanted to continue the work they were doing. Most people who retire voluntarily are apprehensive and experience some loss of self-esteem, but these feelings dissipate fairly quickly for many. Bereavement Reaction to loss depends upon the degree to which it is anticipated. The intensity of the reaction to a loss is strongly related to how much the person was dependent upon the deceased. Bereavement is cyclical and occurs over time. Marriage and family life Less marital discord More satisfying times, similar goals, more pleasurable activities, fewer disagreements Mental health issues Greater risk of cognitive impairment Specific event depression symptoms occur more frequently Mental health issues are worse when people have major health or physical challenges Suicidal ideation increases for people over 75, especially men Mood disorders develop less often in seniors Most common anxiety is fear of open spaces or leaving home Substance abuse increases in seniors and this combined with medications is dangerous In working with the elderly, you must be able to assess for suicide risk, depression, substance abuse, dementia, and most importantly, grief and loss. Much of your work will help the elderly to adjust to life’s changes and the losses associated with them. Review the ways to assess suicide risk, how depression manifests for the elderly, the various forms of dementia, substance abuse assessment, and losses they have experienced. Working with elderly clients in a group setting is preferable to working with them individually. They learn from others and are more open to sharing their issues in a group setting. The diversity of their experiences and cultural influences will enhance their ability to learn new ways of coping with issues. Conduct research on major events and societal norms and trends that elderly people have most likely experienced. For instance, what was it like to experience the gas crisis of the 1970s? What were the usual roles for men and women raising families in the 1950s after World War II? Using this information, prepare a written analysis of successes, struggles, and experiences of people who are at least 70 years old today. Utilize the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment components as your guide. Be sure to include the following in your submission: Background of researched generation or individual, historical and present; Functional factors; Health issues; Emotional well-being; Social, economic, and environmental well-being. Break the assessment into component parts as you would in any assessment. Do not diagnose any specific people, as this is not part of this assignment. Support your assignment with at least three scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, may be included. Length: Use the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment format as described in this week’s readings to summarize the information you gleaned from your research.7777 777
