NUR 321 – Chapter Questions, Nursing Course, Study Guide and
Practice Review Material
In planning for the increased number and needs of the elderly in developed countries, nurses
should realize which of the following? Choose all that apply.
1. Chronicity and disability will continue to increase.
2. Women outlive and outnumber men.
3. Most older people prefer to move out of their homes and into an extended care facility.
4. Older people, in general, are a major drain on societal resources. - correct answer ✔✔1.
Chronicity and disability will continue to increase.
Correct
2. Women outlive and outnumber men.
Correct
One of the most important aspects of health care for the elderly is:
1. Focusing on chronic illness and disability.
2. Ensuring adequate housing.
3. Maintaining family ties.
4. Securing adequate income. - correct answer ✔✔1. Focusing on chronic illness and disability.
Rationale: This is a goal from Healthy People 2010. Adequate housing, family ties, and income
are desirable, but are not within the direct control of nursing or health care agencies.
The cohort that is expected to be the largest consumers of health care in the next three decades
is known as the:
,1. War generation.
2. Generation X.
3. Sandwich generation.
4. Baby boomers. - correct answer ✔✔4. Baby boomers.
Rationale: This is the largest cohort of Americans who were born between 1946 and 1964. The
War generation was born early in the 20th century, Generation X was born in the 1970s and the
Sandwich generation does not exist.
A nurse is planning programs for a senior center that would meet the goals of Healthy People
2010. Which program would address any of these goals? Choose all that apply.
1. Education for safe driving
2. Testing for genetic diseases
3. Diabetes self-management
4. Developing greater spirituality - correct answer ✔✔1. Education for safe driving
3. Diabetes self-management
Rationale: A course on safe driving would meet the Injury and Violence Prevention focus, and
self-management of a common chronic disease is, also, a focus area.
Testing for genetic diseases is not a focus area of health promotion for an older population, and
while spirituality is an important dimension related to overall well-being, it is not a specific
national health objective of Healthy People 2020.
The leading cause of death in the elderly is:
,1. Infectious disease.
2. Cancer.
3. Cardiovascular disease.
4. Complications from falls. - correct answer ✔✔3. Cardiovascular disease.
Rationale: This is information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2004.
Nutritionists who advocate low-carbohydrate diets as a way to slow the aging process are
subscribing to which theory of aging?
1. Endocrine Theory
2. Wear-and-Tear Theory
3. Programmed Longevity
4. Cross-Link Theory - correct answer ✔✔4. Cross-Link Theory
Rationale: According to the Cross-Link Theory, binding of sugars to proteins damages proteins,
which, over time, causes problems in various tissues. The Endocrine Theory focuses on the
decline of hormones in aging. Wear-and-Tear Theory proponents focus on environmental
assaults, such as alcohol abuse or smoking, as a contributor to aging, and the genome as the
master programmer for defining senescence of the human body is the focus of the Programmed
Longevity Theory.
Sociological theories of aging are characterized by what kinds of changes?
1. Intuitive
2. Functional
3. Role
, 4. Behavioral - correct answer ✔✔3. Role
Rationale: Sociological theories tend to focus on adaptive changes in roles and relationships that
change. While behaviors and function may change as roles change, they are not the central
focus of this theory.
Which is a common myth of aging?
1. Women comprise the majority of the older population.
2. Fewer than 5% of persons over the age of 65 live in Skilled Nursing Facilities.
3. Older people in the United States are, in general, healthier than in the past.
4. Being old means being sick. - correct answer ✔✔4. Being old means being sick.
Rationale: While chronicity and disability increase with aging, many elderly remain healthy into
advanced age.
Which of the following screening tests is recommended to be done every five years by
Medicare?
1. Fecal occult blood testing
2. Prostate-specific antigen (males) or PAP smear (women)
3. Lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels
4. Mammograms (women) - correct answer ✔✔3. Lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels
Rationale: Lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels are recommended only every five years for
those without cardiovascular disease. All of the other responses are recommended to be done
annually.
Practice Review Material
In planning for the increased number and needs of the elderly in developed countries, nurses
should realize which of the following? Choose all that apply.
1. Chronicity and disability will continue to increase.
2. Women outlive and outnumber men.
3. Most older people prefer to move out of their homes and into an extended care facility.
4. Older people, in general, are a major drain on societal resources. - correct answer ✔✔1.
Chronicity and disability will continue to increase.
Correct
2. Women outlive and outnumber men.
Correct
One of the most important aspects of health care for the elderly is:
1. Focusing on chronic illness and disability.
2. Ensuring adequate housing.
3. Maintaining family ties.
4. Securing adequate income. - correct answer ✔✔1. Focusing on chronic illness and disability.
Rationale: This is a goal from Healthy People 2010. Adequate housing, family ties, and income
are desirable, but are not within the direct control of nursing or health care agencies.
The cohort that is expected to be the largest consumers of health care in the next three decades
is known as the:
,1. War generation.
2. Generation X.
3. Sandwich generation.
4. Baby boomers. - correct answer ✔✔4. Baby boomers.
Rationale: This is the largest cohort of Americans who were born between 1946 and 1964. The
War generation was born early in the 20th century, Generation X was born in the 1970s and the
Sandwich generation does not exist.
A nurse is planning programs for a senior center that would meet the goals of Healthy People
2010. Which program would address any of these goals? Choose all that apply.
1. Education for safe driving
2. Testing for genetic diseases
3. Diabetes self-management
4. Developing greater spirituality - correct answer ✔✔1. Education for safe driving
3. Diabetes self-management
Rationale: A course on safe driving would meet the Injury and Violence Prevention focus, and
self-management of a common chronic disease is, also, a focus area.
Testing for genetic diseases is not a focus area of health promotion for an older population, and
while spirituality is an important dimension related to overall well-being, it is not a specific
national health objective of Healthy People 2020.
The leading cause of death in the elderly is:
,1. Infectious disease.
2. Cancer.
3. Cardiovascular disease.
4. Complications from falls. - correct answer ✔✔3. Cardiovascular disease.
Rationale: This is information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 2004.
Nutritionists who advocate low-carbohydrate diets as a way to slow the aging process are
subscribing to which theory of aging?
1. Endocrine Theory
2. Wear-and-Tear Theory
3. Programmed Longevity
4. Cross-Link Theory - correct answer ✔✔4. Cross-Link Theory
Rationale: According to the Cross-Link Theory, binding of sugars to proteins damages proteins,
which, over time, causes problems in various tissues. The Endocrine Theory focuses on the
decline of hormones in aging. Wear-and-Tear Theory proponents focus on environmental
assaults, such as alcohol abuse or smoking, as a contributor to aging, and the genome as the
master programmer for defining senescence of the human body is the focus of the Programmed
Longevity Theory.
Sociological theories of aging are characterized by what kinds of changes?
1. Intuitive
2. Functional
3. Role
, 4. Behavioral - correct answer ✔✔3. Role
Rationale: Sociological theories tend to focus on adaptive changes in roles and relationships that
change. While behaviors and function may change as roles change, they are not the central
focus of this theory.
Which is a common myth of aging?
1. Women comprise the majority of the older population.
2. Fewer than 5% of persons over the age of 65 live in Skilled Nursing Facilities.
3. Older people in the United States are, in general, healthier than in the past.
4. Being old means being sick. - correct answer ✔✔4. Being old means being sick.
Rationale: While chronicity and disability increase with aging, many elderly remain healthy into
advanced age.
Which of the following screening tests is recommended to be done every five years by
Medicare?
1. Fecal occult blood testing
2. Prostate-specific antigen (males) or PAP smear (women)
3. Lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels
4. Mammograms (women) - correct answer ✔✔3. Lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels
Rationale: Lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels are recommended only every five years for
those without cardiovascular disease. All of the other responses are recommended to be done
annually.
