PHYS 2024
The nurse is setting up an education session with an 85-year-old patient who will be going home on
anticoagulant therapy. Which strategy would reflect consideration of aging changes that may exist with
this patient?
A. Show a colorful video about anticoagulation therapy.
B. Present all the information in one session just before discharge.
C. Give the patient pamphlets about the medications to read at home.
D. Develop large-print handouts that reflect the verbal information presented.
D. Develop large-print handouts that reflect the verbal information presented.
Rationale: Option D addresses altered perception in two ways. First, by using visual aids to reinforce
verbal instructions, one addresses the possibility of decreased ability to hear high-frequency sounds. By
developing the handouts in large print, one addresses the possibility of decreased visual acuity. Option A
does not allow discussion of the information; furthermore, the text and print may be small and difficult
to read and understand.
When developing the plan of care for an older adult who is hospitalized for an acute illness, the nurse
should
A. use a standardized geriatric nursing care plan.
B. plan for likely long-term-care transfer to allow additional time for recovery.
C. consider the preadmission functional abilities when setting patient goals.
D. minimize activity level during hospitalization.
C. consider the preadmission functional abilities when setting patient goals.
Rationale: The plan of care for older adults should be individualized and based on the patients current
functional abilities. A standardized geriatric nursing care plan is unlikely to address individual patient
needs and strengths. A patients need for discharge to a long-term-care facility is variable. Activity level
should be designed to allow the patient to retain functional abilities while hospitalized and also to allow
any additional rest needed for recovery from the acute process.
Which information obtained by the home health nurse when making a visit to an 88-year-old with mild
forgetfulness is of the most concern?
A. The patient's son uses a marked pillbox to set up the patient's medications weekly.
B. The patient has lost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) during the last month.
C. The patient is cared for by a daughter during the day and stays with a son at night.
D. The patient tells the nurse that a close friend recently died.
,B. The patient has lost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) during the last month.
Rationale: A 10-pound weight loss may be an indication of elder neglect or depression and requires
further assessment by the nurse.
A 70-year-old client asks the nurse to explain to her about hypertension. An appropriate response by the
nurse as to why older clients often have hypertension is due to:
A. Myocardial muscle damage
B. Reduction in physical activity
C. Ingestion of foods high in sodium
D. Accumulation of plaque on arterial walls
D. Accumulation of plaque on arterial walls
In reviewing changes in the older adult, the nurse recognizes that which of the following statements
related to cognitive functioning in the older client is true?
A. Delirium is usually easily distinguished from irreversible dementia.
B. Therapeutic drug intoxication is a common cause of senile dementia.
C. Reversible systemic disorders are often implicated as a cause of delirium.
D. Cognitive deterioration is an inevitable outcome of the human aging process.
C. Reversible systemic disorders are often implicated as a cause of delirium.
Rationale: Delirium is a potentially reversible cognitive impairment that is often due to a physiological
cause such as an electrolyte imbalance, cerebral anoxia, hypoglycemia, medications, tumors,
cerebrovascular infection, or hemorrhage.
Which of the following interventions should be taken to help an older client to prevent osteoporosis?
A. Decrease dietary calcium intake.
B. Increase sedentary lifestyles
C. Increase dietary protein intake.
D. Encourage regular exercise.
D. Encourage regular exercise.
Rationale: Key word in question is prevent
Weight-bearing exercises helps to fight off degeneration of bone in osteoporosis
Which of the following statements accurately reflects data that the nurse should use in planning care to
meet the needs of the older adult?
, A. 50% of older adults have two chronic health problems.
B. Cancer is the most common cause of death among older adults.
C. Nutritional needs for both younger and older adults are essentially the same.
D. Adults older than 65 years of age are the greatest users of prescription medications.
D. Adults older than 65 years of age are the greatest users of prescription medications.
Rationale: Approximately two thirds of older adults use prescription and nonprescription drugs with one
third of all prescriptions being written for older adults
The nurse is aware that the majority of older adults:
A. Live alone
B. Live in institutional settings
C. Are unable to care for themselves
D. Are actively involved in their community
D. Are actively involved in their community
The nurse works with elderly clients in a wellness screening clinic on a weekly basis. Which of the
following statements made by the nurse is the most therapeutic regarding their mobility?
A. "Your shoulder pain is normal for your age."
B. "Continue to exercise your joints regularly to your tolerance level."
C. "Why don't you begin walking 3 to 4 miles a day, and we'll evaluate how you feel next week."
D. "Don't worry about taking that combination of medications since your doctor has prescribed them."
B. "Continue to exercise your joints regularly to your tolerance level."
A long-term care facility sponsors a discussion group on the administration of medications. The
participants have a number of questions concerning their medications. The nurse responds most
appropriately by saying:
A. "Don't worry about the medication's name if you can identify it by its color and shape."
B. "Unless you have severe side affects, don't worry about the minor changes in the way you feel."
C. "Feel free to ask your physician why you are receiving the medications that are prescribed for you."
D. "Remember that the hepatic system is primarily responsible for the pharmacotherapeutics of your
medications."
C. "Feel free to ask your physician why you are receiving the medications that are prescribed for you."
Rationale: The nurse should encourage the older adult to question the physician and/or pharmacist
about all prescribed drugs and over-the-counter drugs. The older adult should be taught the names of all
drugs being taken, when and how to take them, and the desirable and undesirable effects of the drugs.
The nurse is setting up an education session with an 85-year-old patient who will be going home on
anticoagulant therapy. Which strategy would reflect consideration of aging changes that may exist with
this patient?
A. Show a colorful video about anticoagulation therapy.
B. Present all the information in one session just before discharge.
C. Give the patient pamphlets about the medications to read at home.
D. Develop large-print handouts that reflect the verbal information presented.
D. Develop large-print handouts that reflect the verbal information presented.
Rationale: Option D addresses altered perception in two ways. First, by using visual aids to reinforce
verbal instructions, one addresses the possibility of decreased ability to hear high-frequency sounds. By
developing the handouts in large print, one addresses the possibility of decreased visual acuity. Option A
does not allow discussion of the information; furthermore, the text and print may be small and difficult
to read and understand.
When developing the plan of care for an older adult who is hospitalized for an acute illness, the nurse
should
A. use a standardized geriatric nursing care plan.
B. plan for likely long-term-care transfer to allow additional time for recovery.
C. consider the preadmission functional abilities when setting patient goals.
D. minimize activity level during hospitalization.
C. consider the preadmission functional abilities when setting patient goals.
Rationale: The plan of care for older adults should be individualized and based on the patients current
functional abilities. A standardized geriatric nursing care plan is unlikely to address individual patient
needs and strengths. A patients need for discharge to a long-term-care facility is variable. Activity level
should be designed to allow the patient to retain functional abilities while hospitalized and also to allow
any additional rest needed for recovery from the acute process.
Which information obtained by the home health nurse when making a visit to an 88-year-old with mild
forgetfulness is of the most concern?
A. The patient's son uses a marked pillbox to set up the patient's medications weekly.
B. The patient has lost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) during the last month.
C. The patient is cared for by a daughter during the day and stays with a son at night.
D. The patient tells the nurse that a close friend recently died.
,B. The patient has lost 10 pounds (4.5 kg) during the last month.
Rationale: A 10-pound weight loss may be an indication of elder neglect or depression and requires
further assessment by the nurse.
A 70-year-old client asks the nurse to explain to her about hypertension. An appropriate response by the
nurse as to why older clients often have hypertension is due to:
A. Myocardial muscle damage
B. Reduction in physical activity
C. Ingestion of foods high in sodium
D. Accumulation of plaque on arterial walls
D. Accumulation of plaque on arterial walls
In reviewing changes in the older adult, the nurse recognizes that which of the following statements
related to cognitive functioning in the older client is true?
A. Delirium is usually easily distinguished from irreversible dementia.
B. Therapeutic drug intoxication is a common cause of senile dementia.
C. Reversible systemic disorders are often implicated as a cause of delirium.
D. Cognitive deterioration is an inevitable outcome of the human aging process.
C. Reversible systemic disorders are often implicated as a cause of delirium.
Rationale: Delirium is a potentially reversible cognitive impairment that is often due to a physiological
cause such as an electrolyte imbalance, cerebral anoxia, hypoglycemia, medications, tumors,
cerebrovascular infection, or hemorrhage.
Which of the following interventions should be taken to help an older client to prevent osteoporosis?
A. Decrease dietary calcium intake.
B. Increase sedentary lifestyles
C. Increase dietary protein intake.
D. Encourage regular exercise.
D. Encourage regular exercise.
Rationale: Key word in question is prevent
Weight-bearing exercises helps to fight off degeneration of bone in osteoporosis
Which of the following statements accurately reflects data that the nurse should use in planning care to
meet the needs of the older adult?
, A. 50% of older adults have two chronic health problems.
B. Cancer is the most common cause of death among older adults.
C. Nutritional needs for both younger and older adults are essentially the same.
D. Adults older than 65 years of age are the greatest users of prescription medications.
D. Adults older than 65 years of age are the greatest users of prescription medications.
Rationale: Approximately two thirds of older adults use prescription and nonprescription drugs with one
third of all prescriptions being written for older adults
The nurse is aware that the majority of older adults:
A. Live alone
B. Live in institutional settings
C. Are unable to care for themselves
D. Are actively involved in their community
D. Are actively involved in their community
The nurse works with elderly clients in a wellness screening clinic on a weekly basis. Which of the
following statements made by the nurse is the most therapeutic regarding their mobility?
A. "Your shoulder pain is normal for your age."
B. "Continue to exercise your joints regularly to your tolerance level."
C. "Why don't you begin walking 3 to 4 miles a day, and we'll evaluate how you feel next week."
D. "Don't worry about taking that combination of medications since your doctor has prescribed them."
B. "Continue to exercise your joints regularly to your tolerance level."
A long-term care facility sponsors a discussion group on the administration of medications. The
participants have a number of questions concerning their medications. The nurse responds most
appropriately by saying:
A. "Don't worry about the medication's name if you can identify it by its color and shape."
B. "Unless you have severe side affects, don't worry about the minor changes in the way you feel."
C. "Feel free to ask your physician why you are receiving the medications that are prescribed for you."
D. "Remember that the hepatic system is primarily responsible for the pharmacotherapeutics of your
medications."
C. "Feel free to ask your physician why you are receiving the medications that are prescribed for you."
Rationale: The nurse should encourage the older adult to question the physician and/or pharmacist
about all prescribed drugs and over-the-counter drugs. The older adult should be taught the names of all
drugs being taken, when and how to take them, and the desirable and undesirable effects of the drugs.
