Introduction
Nurses play a crucial role in health promotion and disease prevention among older adults. First, the nurses serve as educators, offering anticipatory guidance regarding nutrition, diet, immunization, safety, and medications. In other words, nurses help patients navigate through the healthcare system.
Second, nurses serve as consultants for patients, their families, communities, and various organizations. The consultancy role is designed to help various stakeholders define healthcare needs for specified populations. In this case, the stakeholders in adult care benefit from the insights nurses offer.
According to Ferreira et al. (2022), nurses are responsible for providing health promotion advice, educational programs, lifestyle guidance, and early interventions designed to prevent complications or the exacerbation of illness among the elderly. My experiences as an RN have primarily involved administering medications, implementing treatment plans in collaboration with other healthcare personnel, assessing vital signs, and helping improve patients’ quality of life.
Screening/Preventing Procedures for Older Adults
Blood Pressure Screening
Older adults face a high risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) without showing symptoms or signs. Hypertension has earned the ‘silent killer’ label since its presence often remains unknown until it is too late (Flood et al., 2022). Therefore, blood pressure screening becomes critical for older adults, in which case experts recommend annual screening. Initial screening may occur in a clinical setting, while subsequent screenings can be done at home using monitors.
Diabetes Screening
Adults of both genders aged above 65 years face significant risks of diabetes. Under normal circumstances, experts recommend that diabetes screening be done every three years. However, individuals with a sedentary lifestyle, family history, or those who have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy should undertake diabetes screening more often (Flood et al., 2022). Several tests and procedures can be used in diabetes screening, including FPG, oral glucose tolerance, and A1C tests.
Influenza Vaccine
Influenza vaccination is a preventive procedure that involves vaccinating elderly patients against the flu. Most deaths caused by influenza occur among individuals aged 65 years or older. Vaccinations for older adults are designed to trigger better immune responses than traditional flu vaccines. Simple procedures, such as flu shots administered with a needle or jet injector, are often used. Additionally, the recommended frequency of flu vaccination is once a year.
End-of-Life Documents for Educating Older Adults
Living Will
A living will is a legal document that allows individuals to express their preferences regarding the types of medications they want or do not want in situations where they are unable to speak for themselves. The document often addresses several types of treatments, including tube feeding, tissue and organ donation, using machines to sustain life, and withholding food and fluids. Some treatments often evoke moral and ethical debates, while others raise concerns about patient preferences. Living wills seek to clarify the treatments caregivers should avoid when a patient is unable to speak.
Medical Power of Attorney
Medical power of attorney is a legal document that allows patients to name others who will make decisions regarding their medical care. Similar to a living will, it takes effect when patients are unable to make decisions for themselves. Such documents can be referred to as a healthcare proxy or a durable power of attorney for healthcare. Individuals selected to hold the decision-making power are surrogates, agents, or proxies.
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order
DNR documents direct medical staff not to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if breathing or the heart stops. DNR targets CPR only, meaning that other treatments are not affected. In the United States, CPR will be performed without a DNR order. An out-of-hospital DNR order informs emergency medical personnel outside a healthcare facility that the patient does not wish to receive CPR.
Conclusion
Registered nurses play a vital role in caring for older adults. They provide health education, lifestyle guidance, wellness programs, and early preventive measures to reduce complications or worsening conditions in older adults. Health requirements for adults above 65 are diverse. In many cases, regular screening is necessary to ensure health and well-being. Lastly, RNs must be familiar with the documents required to care for older adults.
References
Ferreira, R., Baixinho, C., Ferreira, Ó., Nunes, A., Mestre, T., & Sousa, L. (2022). Health promotion and disease prevention in the elderly: The perspective of nursing students. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 12(2), 1-14. Web.
Flood, D., Edwards, E., Giovannini, D., Ridley, E., Rosende, A., Herman, W., Jaffe, M., & DiPette, D. (2022). Integrating hypertension and diabetes management in primary health care settings: HEARTS as a tool. Pan American Journal of Public Health, 46, 1-9. Web.