Various stages of human development are correlated with different health care peculiarities specific to one’s age. Thus, in order to perform high-quality care, nurses are to take into account which health conditions or complications are considered the most common for an age group. When speaking of geriatric patients, the primary concern is the overall pattern of health indicators deterioration. However, if to look more closely, the following aspects serve to identify the aging pattern:
- Stiffening of arteries and blood vessels, creating an obstacle for proper heart work;
- Increased fragility of bones, which creates a risk of bone harm;
- Joints’ cartilage that creates pain and stiffness;
- Muscle mass decreases (3-5% every decade starting from the age of 30);
- Changes in bowel and bladder function, increasing the urge to urinate more often, whereas bowel patterns cause constipation;
- Decreased skin elasticity, and wrinkles;
- Changes in vision – overall deterioration, shift from nearsightedness;
- Deterioration of general cognition pattern, inability to process information as promptly as before, and slight memory lapses (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021).
Such a variety of health modifications eventually leads to increased vulnerability among the elderly population, as geriatric patients tend to rely more on their caregivers than on their own abilities. According to a qualitative study conducted in India, depression, and illiteracy serve as the most common predictors of elderly abuse, as these individuals are either mentally exhausted or physically incapable of combating abuse (Patel et al., 2018). Moreover, daughters-in-law and sons are statistically considered the most common perpetrators willing to exercise psychological and physical harassment in order to benefit from older adults (Patel et al., 2018). Thus, when working with elderly patients, nurses should closely consider the factors indicating common health disparities in the elderly such as hearing impairments, oral health problems, osteoarthritis, or heart disease. Moreover, they are to make sure that communication is clear because older adults struggle with remembering health recommendations. For this reason, nurses are to be considerate enough to check up on geriatric patients more regularly and address their relatives in case of necessity.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2021). The truth about aging and dementia.Web.
Patel, V. K., Tiwari, D. S., Shah, V. R., Patel, M. G., Raja, H. H., & Patel, D. S. (2018). Prevalence and predictors of abuse in elderly patients with depression at a tertiary care centre in Saurashtra, India. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 40(6), 528-533.