Aged Care Assessment in Old Age Individuals
Added on 2021-05-25
12 Pages3360 Words70 Views
Disease and DisordersNutrition and WellnessHealthcare and Research
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1Author NameName of the InstituteDate
2Aged Care AssessmentIdentify and discuss the Aged Care ServicesAged care provides support to the old age individuals to help them in their daily life and other needs (Detering et al., 2019). In this scenario, Mr Alex lives with his wife Sarah and have come to General Practitioner (GP) for their assessment. Also, Mr Alex is functionally better, but Mrs Sarah has dementia and she is unable to do basic tasks on her own and her husband takes to care for her.The health care needs of individuals increase with their age. Therefore, it is necessary to provide appropriate services to Mr Alex and Sarah to assist them in managing their life routine. With the arrival of Mr Alex and Sarah at the clinic, it was noticed that personal care is compromised. Therefore, support and supervision in hygiene and cleaning (bath and/or shower), personal grooming including oral hygiene and skincare must be given to them (Jorgensen et al., 2018).In old age, mobility becomes a great deal for individuals. In this scenario, Sarah needs support for mobility and Mr Alex is her caregiver, however, his limited mobility due to wound on his leg is a hindrance to the caregiving work he does for Sarah. Therefore, services of mobility for Sarah, as well as Mr Alex through the premises of the home and outside it, are necessary. Furthermore, house cleaning, making beds, washing and ironing clothes, making household purchases, preparing food adapted to the dietary needs of the person are the services that must be provided to the couple for their effective care (Schmidt et al., 2017). Moreover, Mr Alex is unable to effectively move and commute to the hospital, accompaniment to medical visits, rehabilitation service, accompaniment in residences, etc. must be provided to him.Interdisciplinary Referrals
3Based on the identification of health issues of Mr Alex, referrals are made, taking into account the individual needs of both of the individuals. Concerning his wound, the professionals who provide care are attentive to the reporting of possible symptoms, or situations generated by their health issues and ageing.The type and proportion of food an individual eats have a major impact on his/her overallhealth. A dietitian can provide Mr Alex with food and nutrition information to help him improve his health and manage his lifestyle. As the couple seems underweight, a referral must be made to the dietitian for the proper assessment of nutritional deficiencies (Detering et al., 2019).Allied Health Professionals are university-trained physicians who are part of the aged people care team and generally help recover or manage chronic illness after illness or injury. They will continuously monitor the health and care services that are provided to Mr Alex for the provision of appropriate care.Geriatricians specialize in the care of aged individuals. A referral can be made to the geriatrician for advice on specific age-related health problems (Schmidt et al., 2017). It will result in more comprehensive geriatric assessment and provision of effective care.Considering the condition of Mr Alex and Sarah, a carer must be provided to them for home care. The nurse will monitor and plan their care and monitor their overall health. They willbe able to talk to the nurse about their care needs and preferences and any concerns about their health (Jorgensen et al., 2018). It will help them in adhering to the treatment regimen, assessing their health status and changing the bandage.Due to their increased age, they may encounter some problems that limit their exercise and functionality. Physical therapists use manual therapy, exercise programs, and electrotherapy
4techniques to treat musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis (Giuliante et al., 2018), which would be helpful for Mr Alex in managing their arthritis problem.Identifying Five Body Systems for Assessment and Age-Related ChangesThe age-related changes reduce the functional reserve of the organ system and reduce the ability of the older people to cope with stress, such as illness, hospitalization and loss of function(Burn et al., 2018). The assessment of musculoskeletal system, neurological system, psychological assessment, respiratory system and the cardiovascular system must be done for a comprehensive evaluation of an older patient.With the age, the structure of the heart gradually deteriorates, including loss of elasticity, fibrotic changes in the heart valves, and amyloid infiltration. The most influential age-related structural feature is the contractility of the left ventricular wall (Parker et al., 2018). Since various changes affect the structure and function of the myocardium, the pumping capacity of theheart decreases with age. As Mr Alex has angina and Myocardial Infarction, a cardiovascular assessment must be done to assess the functioning of the heart.Respiratory function becomes slow and gradually deteriorates with increasing age. Muscle strength and grip reduces and an increase in chest wall stiffness occurs with age. There isless response to hypoxia and hypercapnia (Parker et al., 2018). Reduction of the alveolar surface and production of surfactant. Mr Alex is a continuous smoker which suggests the assessment of respiratory functioning.Age-related changes can adversely affect function. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and strength caused by the deterioration of skeletal muscle fibres. Sarcopenia increases the risk of falls, disabilities, and can lead to unsteady gait and the need for help (Lee et al., 2016). Weightloss, protein deficiency, and lack of exercise will accelerate the loss of muscle mass and strength.
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