Nursing Care for Older Person - Importance of Person Centered Care

This article discusses the importance of person centered care for older people and provides guidelines for nurses to provide the best care. It covers topics such as individuality of the patient, effective communication, emotional stability, fall prevention, and adequate hydration and nutrition. The article emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to understand the complex factors contributing to the older adults needs and to integrate care around the specific priorities and goals of the older person in their life circumstances.

Running Head: NURSING CARE FOR OLDER PERSON
NURSING CARE FOR OLDER PERSON
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

Executive Summary

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Discussion..................................................................................................................................5
Person centered care...............................................................................................................5
Critical reflection...................................................................................................................5
Literature review....................................................................................................................5
Evidence of person centered care...........................................................................................5
Implementation of person centered care................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................6

Introduction
Person centred care is very crucial for old aged people. With advancing age, people
experience decline in physical and mental capacities and they accumulate non-communicable
diseases and other long-term conditions leading to loss of functional ability. The effects of
these changes are mitigated by the availability of personal, family, social and financial
resources, the quality of the built environment and the use of assistive technologies. A
comprehensive approach is needed to understand the complex factors contributing to the
older adults needs and to integrate care around the specific priorities and goals of the older
person in their life circumstances. Older people’s priorities for their health and care have
much in common across the world; to maintain functional ability to do the things which are
important to them and not be a burden to their families, but the means of responding to their
priorities varies greatly because of differences in resources, technology, culture, geography,
accessibility of health and social care services. Care planning should be based on
understanding individuals’ concerns and take account of resources which are available locally
which can be used to address their priorities for care. Assets include the strengths of the older
person to manage their own care needs, support from family, neighbours and friends,
voluntary, private and statutory health and care services, housing and financial resources and
the availability of assistive technologies. Resources can then be matched to the priorities of
the older person for support.

Discussion
Person centered care
Critical reflection
Literature review
Evidence of person centered care
Implementation of person centered care
There are certain guidelines that a nurse must follow to provide person centered care to the
elderly people. The individuality of the patient should be considered. No alteration of the
lifelong character and behaviour should be adopted. A nurse should be patient, kind,
sympathetic while providing care to the patient. They should be handled gently and privacy
must be maintained while providing palliative care. Effective communication to be carried
out for best results. Nurses needs to be make sure that the old people are able to hear
everything whatever they say because normally old people with ageing develop loss of
hearing. Freedom and independence should be encouraged and privacy should be respected
and allowed. Emotional stability must be attained by the old person with the assistance of the
nurse. A nurse should provide support during their time period of anxiety. They should be
given time to express their feelings. Their minimum achievements per day should be praised
in front of them so that they get motivated and remain stress free and healthy. Nurses should
encourage the old people to keep contact with others so they do not feel any kind of isolation.
The elderly people with ageing are prone to fall as they become weak. A nurse should take
care of them and protect them from any kind of injuries, falls or accidents. They should be
able to make the patient understand the simple and easy methods to avoid any kind of injury.
The elders are highly prone to develop bed sores. Providing comfortable bed is a necessary

requirement for the nurse to give utmost care to the old person. Smooth and wrinkle free bed
linen can help to release stress from the mind of the elderly people when they sleep.
Adequate hydration and nutrition must be ensured by the nurse. They are critical for the old
aged to remain fit and healthy. The old people should be encouraged to carry out certain
motion exercises to maintain body alignment, posture and mobility. This will reduce their
stiffness that gets developed from prolonged sitting. They should be engaged in certain
activities that keep them busy during day time so that they can sleep well at night.
Conclusion

References

Appendix