Health Assessment on Elderly People

This article discusses the role of general practice nurses in health assessment and examines the risk factors for elderly people recovering from surgeries and the occurrence of falls. It also provides recommendations to improve ADLs.

Running Head: HEALTH ASSESSMENT ON ELDERLY PEOPLE 1
Health Assessment On Elderly People
Name of The Student
University of Affiliation

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An overview of the general practice nurses’ role
The significant role played by general practice nurses in the reviewed setup is offering
the excellent health and assessment and examining wounds on patients. The GPN also
establishes good relationships with their patients and their families as well. Besides, these nurses
take responsibilities in learning the health and social histories of their clients. It is also their
responsibility to look for the most appropriate time to attend to specific patients. Besides, it is
among the roles of a GPN, to make their patients understand why the set time for their
assessment is the most appropriate for them (Laurant, Hermens, Braspenning, Akkermans,
Sibbald, & Grol, 2008).
In Mr. Pitman's case, for instance, Mark (the registered General Practice Nurse) knows
that the healthcare assessment services are very complex and lengthy, primarily if they are
conducted on a decidedly older adult. He, therefore, sets the appropriate time for the assessing
Mr. Pitman and explains to him, regarding the decision. The general practice nurse, using the
707 health assessment documentation and conducts an intellectual, repeated assessment
procedure on Mr. Pitman. This procedure is effectively implemented through the use of
standardized mini-mental State Examination (SMMSE). This way, the GPN can
comprehensively record the progress of the patient and issues the appropriate recommendation
for Mr. Pitman (Halcomb, Stephens, Bryce, Foley, & Ashley, 2017)
During the assessment process, the GPN finds out that even if the patient is trying as hard
as he can to cope with the situation at his home, his case may deteriorate rather than improve, as
time goes by. However, in deciding what to do to ensure no more hospitalization for the patient,
the GPN should not make any mistake. The GPN must carefully determine the appropriate MBS
to claim for the patient (Prang, Canaway, Bismark, Dunt, Miller, & Kelaher, 2018).

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According to the legal requirements' documentation for MBS number 707 – which is the
most appropriate when dealing with older adults, a GPN is legally held accountable for all of
their actions when dealing with a patient (Andell, et al., 2017). Therefore, when making any
decision that may affect the patient in one way or the other, the GPN should be very careful. In
Mr. Pitman's case, for instance, the decision on the appropriate time for him to see the GPN for
assessment and when recommending what best for Pitman (Hamirudin, Ghosh, Charlton,
Bonney, & Walton, 2015)
The GPN reviews requirement specification for 707 health assessment and explains to
him. He, therefore, organizes home based appointments. This way, the required services could be
offered to him at his home, and this could reduce the struggles that he suffered as he travels or
walk to the health center for the same (Sinclair, Dunning, & Rodriguez-Mañas, 2015).
Risk factors for a patient recovering from surgeries
Amongst the ultimate advances in clarifying the causes of disease in the recent
researches, is the identification of common and psychosomatic disorders which appear to sway
sickness and deaths directly through functional manners and ultimately through interactive ways.
The fact that Mr. Pitman lives alone may contribute mostly in decline in his condition. This is
mainly manifested in the kind of life he lives. He says that is unable to frequently carry out the
essential house chores, like warming food on a regular basis. This has often forced him to feed
on cold food and drinks. As a result, he often suffers from constipation (Ungar, 2015).
Mr. Pitman also finds it difficult to control his urination at night because getting out of
his bed and rushing to the toilet in time is not an easy task for him. Besides, Mr. Pitman finds it
hard for him to change clothes. As a result, he stays in his pajamas during the weekends. He only

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turns the clothes when his daughter is around to assist him. The combination of all these
difficulties may sometimes affect a patient psychologically, thus leading to prolonged recovery
periods (Scott et al., 2015).
The occurrence of falls in elderly people
Many people tend to have problems related to walking and balances in their old ages.
This results in the increase in instances or rather cases of fall among old people. From the recent
researches, about 6.5% of deaths that occur among aged people are caused by these falls. For
those who survive these falls, chances of getting permanent disabilities are very high. Besides,
these falls may sometime lead to unusual ways of lives among the victims. Such abnormal
lifestyles include lives filled with hopelessness, depression among the victims, social isolation
and loss of function among the people affected (Carrière, Farré, Norton, Wyart, Tzourio, Noize,
& Ancelin, 2016).
Most researchers in their studies have argued that there are quite some factors which
cause the walking and balance problems among people at their elderly stages. Among these
factors are other medical conditions. These conditions may include hypertension, diabetes,
inflammations related illnesses. Other conditions associated with the gait and balance problems
may consist of a reduction in strength in the body of the victims, loss of reflexes, reduced
sensation and sudden pains on their bodies. These disorders are prevalent in old. Many people
who have survived the falls have their ADLs affected in one way or the other. In Mr. pitman
case, for instance, his ADL was changed in many ways (Fahlström, Kamwendo, Forsberg, &
Bodin, 2018).

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People who have survived falls in their old age, suffer changes in their eating habits and
other practices relating to feeding. Mr. Pitman is sure to get an evening meal every day. He is
also sure to get sandwiches for lunches. His daughter, every evening provide all these. Besides
the provision by his daughter, since his return from the hospital, Mr. Pitman has been visited by
many of his friends, at his home. These friends have often brought food with them. Due to his
condition, he states that he has often found it quite a job, to warm these foods. As a result, he
opts to eat the food without heating it; something that has led to several instances of constipation
and other stomach disorder for him (Nunes et al., 2014).
After having a surgical operation, one remains under medication for an extended period.
This medicine helps in reducing pain in wounds and also accelerates the process of healing. With
the current treatment, for example, Mr. Pitman can manage the pain and can carry on with some
basic ADLs such as taking baths. To avoid father injuries, however, he refrains from such
activities or rather, he does them on a rare basis. This feels bad for him and may lead to
hopelessness and psychological torture for him.
Dressing a challenging task for people recovering from surgeries. This has become a
bother for Mr. Pitman, after undergoing surgery. He finds it very difficult to dress and undress on
a daily basis. He, therefore, waits for his daughter to come over so that she can help him change
the clothes. Failure to that, Mr. Pitman opts to stay in the same clothes over an extended period.
On weekends, for instance, Mr. Pitman state that he often remains in his sleep-wear, unless his
daughter comes by and help him change the clothes (Noguchi, Chan, Cumming, Blyth, &
Naganathan, 2016).
People who have undergone surgeries or old people experiencing home-based clinical
care suffer continence issues. Mr. Pitman for instance, after undergoing hip replacement, he says

HEALTH ASSESSMENT ON ELDERLY PEOPLE 6
that he has problems getting to the toilet during the night hours. Due to his condition and the pain
he suffers, he finds it difficult to rush to the bathroom when he feels like urinating. As a result,
he has always found it almost impossible to control his urination at night. This makes him have
low self-esteem, and this tortures him psychologically. In other words, this makes him blame and
hate himself.
Movement from one place to another is the most challenging thing for Mr. Pitman. He
says that, though he can manage the pain that originates from his wound, whenever he is moving
from one place to another the pain is significantly higher than usual. The GPN after assessing
and reviewing Pitman's wound realizes that the movement made by the patient could cause the
decline in his condition. As a result, the GPN organizes a referral that could see to it that Mr.
Pitman could be assessed from his place. All this is aimed at reducing his movement and thus
quickening the healing process for him (Matchar, Duncan, Lien, Ong, Lee, Gao, & Eom, 2017).
According to the recent researchers, ADLs are significant contributors or rather the
determinants of health of human beings. If one can perform their ADLs as required, such
person’s health keeps on getting better day by day. In other words, the well-being of a person
depends mainly on the ability of such person to execute their essential daily activities (Torres et
al., 2015).
Recommendations made to help a recovering person to improve their ADLs
During the health assessment process, Mr. Pitman expresses his difficulties in carrying on
with his necessary daily activities. He says that he is not able to re-heat his food, he is not able to
control his urination habits, he also says that he has difficulties in dressing and as a result, he is
forced to stay in his pyjamas during weekends and also finds it difficult to perform other simple

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tasks in his home like bathing. Also, Mr. Pitman expresses the way he feels as he walks around.
He talks of increased pain whenever he tries to walk.
As a result, the GPN thinks cognitively, and through the use of BMS 707 guidelines in
treating older adults, he feels that it was not right for this patient to continue walking to and from
the healthcare facility in search for healthcare services. The GPN believes that if Pitman
continues walking for long distances, his condition may deteriorate instead of improving. He,
therefore, arranges the home-based referral to offer the required services to him, without having
him walk in search for the same.
If implemented in the right manner, these recommendations could work in the best
interest of Pitman. However, some additional recommendations should have been given by the
GPN, to ensure that Mr. Pitman can meet his primary activities. Such guidance could include;
hiring someone to help him in working on basic operations such as washing utensils and
warming food for him. This would work in the best interest of him, as he would curb the issue of
feeding on cold food. This in return would help in eradicating some stomach disorders and
constipation issues. The house help idea could also be useful in ensuring that Mr. Pitman can
dress adequately (Winstein et al., 2016).
Another recommendation that could be made is the one of using mobile toilets in the
house. This is believed to be very useful in curbing urination problems in a patient who suffer
from incontinence. Mr. Pitman has the surgical wound, and in his recovery process, he is unable
to regularly rush to the toilet, especially at night for urination. Employing the idea of a free bath
would be useful in addressing the issue. If all these recommendations are effectively
implemented then, Mr. Pitman is expected to take a shorter period to recover from his condition
Schwartz et al., 2016).

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