WGU Care of the Older Adult - C475 Adult
DPV1
Baby Boomers Ans: are aging adults born from 1946-1964. They will reach retirement starting
around 2011-2030.
Geriatrician Ans: a physician, board certified in geriatrics, who specializes in the care of the
elderly
Geriatrics Ans: The branch of medicine concerned with the problems of aging
Gerontology Ans: Study of aging; broad category that includes several areas (sociology of aging,
psychology, economics of aging
Ageism Ans: Prejudice towards elderly
Alzheimer's Ans: betaamyloid plaques and neurofibrillary plaques
Age Ans: Old Old= 85+ years
Older Adult= 65 years of age or older
Types of Care Facilities Ans: Acute Care Hospital (ACH) - point of entry into the health care
system for older adults.
Acute Rehabilitation (Rehab)- may be found in several settings. Uses the interdisciplinary team
of nurses, therapists, and physicians. Goal is to maximize independence, promote maximal
function, prevent complications, and promote quality of life within each person's strengths and
limitations. Level of intensity depends on setting and patient.
Home Health Care- For independent living home-bound adults who require a longer period of
observation or care from nurses. Can include PT/OT, & speech therapy.
Hospice- holistic, interdisciplinary care that helps the dying person "live until they die."
Includes palliative care and pain management and comfort care.
Long-term Care Facility (a.k.a. nursing home)- provides 24 hr support care to any age who have
lost some or all their capacity for self-care due to illness, disability, or dementia
Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)- subacute or transitional care are for those patients requiring
more intensive nursing care than provided in Long-term care.
Alzheimer's Care- dedicated specifically for Alzheimer and Dementia care.
Respite Care- provides time off for family members who are caretakers. Care can be at adult
daycare center, in the home, or in an assisted living facility or LTC
Continuing care retirement community (CCRC)- group care in independent living to assisted
living, LTC, or skilled
Assisted Living- alternative who do not feel safe living alone, who wish to live in a community
setting, or who need some additional help with ADLs. They each have their own apartment or
room.
, Foster care/Group Homes- adults who can do most ADLs but have safety issues and require
supervision with some activities.
Green House Concept- new concept of a home environment with 8-10 residents in private rooms
with open kitchen and still receive assistance.
Adult Day Care- Adult day services are community based group programs designed to meet the
needs of functionally and/or cognitively impaired adults through and individual plan of care.
Less than 24 hour care.
five racial groups Ans: Caucasian/non-Hispanic whites/European Americans
African American
Hispanic
Asians and Pacific Islanders
American Indians and Alaskan Natives
Maslows Psychological Theories of Aging Ans: Physiological
Safety & Security
Love & Belonging
Selft-esteem
Self-actualization
Dysarthria Ans: is disturbed articulation caused by disturbance in the control of the speech
muscles. This disturbance is caused by brain lesions in motor areas in the central nervous system
or the brain stem or disruption in the coordination of information from the basal ganglia,
cerebellum, and motor neurons. Dysarthria-related lesions can be caused by stroke, brain tumor,
degenerative diseases, metabolic diseases, or toxins. The location of the brain lesion determines
the nature of the disturbance, which can manifest in many ways, with the most severe form being
anarthria (complete inability to move the articulators for speech). People with dysarthria may
present with slurred speech, breathiness, slow or rapid rate of speech, limited mouth or facial
movement, monotonous voice, or weak articulation. A person who has dysarthria may be able to
read, write, and gesture normally and comprehension may remain intact
Aphasia Ans: is the most common language disorder in the elderly and occurs in up to a third of
the patients in an acute phase following stroke. Aphasia is an inability to express or understand
the meaning of words due to damage in the language areas. Damage is most frequently due to
stroke in the left hemisphere, but can be due to brain tumor, trauma, infection, dementia, or
surgery. In addition to spoken language, writing, reading, and the ability to gesture also may be
impaired
Changes of aging that could affect therapeutic communication Ans: Visual communication-
position objects within their visual field. This includes positioning yourself within their visual
field when speaking with the person. This helps the person to locate the object of conversation
and to orient him or her to the topic of conversation. When assisting elders with their care needs,
it may be useful to give them a verbal indication of the actions you are about to impart, so as to
avoid startling or scaring them needlessly. It may be necessary to assist the person in labeling
objects or to simplify what is in their visual field.
, Hearing communication- Do not shout. Project voice from the diaphragm (deepens tone). Make
use of the person's other unipaired senses. Stand in front of them if they can lip read. Speak into
the good ear. Make sure the hearing aid is turned on. Use gestures or objects to assist
communication. Limit background noise. Allow adequate time for a response. Use short
sentences and speak clearly. Enunciate words. Write things out.
Speech Communication-individuals with speech or language difficulties might be more anxious
or self-aware. Limit distractions, make eye contact, position yourself in front of the person. Use
facial or body language. Use written communication. Use short complete sentences. Summarize
message for accuracy. Take your time.
Satir's Basic principles for Communication Ans: invite, arrange, environment, maximize
communication, maximize understanding, and follow through
Types of Hearing Aids Ans: BTE (Behind the ear)- 1 inch long and worn behind the outer ear. A
small tube connects with the amplification device behind the ear and delivers amplified sound
into the ear canl. The device has an adjustable volume control and is battery powered. It is the
most common style of hearing aid. These devices are suitable for the entire range of hearing loss.
OTE (Over the ear)- This is a new style that is very small and sits on top of the outer ear.
ITE (in the ear)- ITEs are custom-fitted devices molded to the contour of the outer ear. The
device has an adjustable volume control and a batter, however, both are much smaller than ones
used in a BTE device. Some users have difficulty seeing or manipulating the control and battery.
These devices are used for mild to moderate hearing loss.
ITC (in the canal)- ITCs are tiny devices that fit into the ear canal and are barely visable. They
are customized to fit the size and shape of the ear canal. Although cosmetically appealing, their
small size is a drawback for some individuals.
CIC (completely in the canal)- CICs are smallest type of device in the in-the-ear class. The
entire device fits within the canal. Although cosmetically flattering, the small size is a true
disadvantage because of difficulty handling and positioning the device. This device is the most
expensive model of hearing aid.
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) Ans: refers to all forms of communication
that enhance or supplement speech and writing, either, temporarily or permanently. AAC can
both enhance (augmentative) and replace (alternative) conventional forms of expression for
people who can't communicate through speech, writing, or gestures.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Ans: was convened by the U.S. Public Health
Service to systemically review the evidence of effectiveness of clinical preventive services. The
task force is an independent panel of private-sector experts in primary care and prevention whose
mission is to evaluate the benefits of individual services ant to create age, gender, and risk based
recommendations about services that should routinely be incorporated into primary medical care.
Healthy People 2010 Ans: is an initiative of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services that
utilized the skills and knowledge of an alliance of more than 350 national organizations and 250
state public health, mental health, substance abuse, and environmental agencies to develop a set
of health care objectives designed to increase the quality and quantity of years of healthy life of
Americans and to eliminate health disparities.
DPV1
Baby Boomers Ans: are aging adults born from 1946-1964. They will reach retirement starting
around 2011-2030.
Geriatrician Ans: a physician, board certified in geriatrics, who specializes in the care of the
elderly
Geriatrics Ans: The branch of medicine concerned with the problems of aging
Gerontology Ans: Study of aging; broad category that includes several areas (sociology of aging,
psychology, economics of aging
Ageism Ans: Prejudice towards elderly
Alzheimer's Ans: betaamyloid plaques and neurofibrillary plaques
Age Ans: Old Old= 85+ years
Older Adult= 65 years of age or older
Types of Care Facilities Ans: Acute Care Hospital (ACH) - point of entry into the health care
system for older adults.
Acute Rehabilitation (Rehab)- may be found in several settings. Uses the interdisciplinary team
of nurses, therapists, and physicians. Goal is to maximize independence, promote maximal
function, prevent complications, and promote quality of life within each person's strengths and
limitations. Level of intensity depends on setting and patient.
Home Health Care- For independent living home-bound adults who require a longer period of
observation or care from nurses. Can include PT/OT, & speech therapy.
Hospice- holistic, interdisciplinary care that helps the dying person "live until they die."
Includes palliative care and pain management and comfort care.
Long-term Care Facility (a.k.a. nursing home)- provides 24 hr support care to any age who have
lost some or all their capacity for self-care due to illness, disability, or dementia
Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs)- subacute or transitional care are for those patients requiring
more intensive nursing care than provided in Long-term care.
Alzheimer's Care- dedicated specifically for Alzheimer and Dementia care.
Respite Care- provides time off for family members who are caretakers. Care can be at adult
daycare center, in the home, or in an assisted living facility or LTC
Continuing care retirement community (CCRC)- group care in independent living to assisted
living, LTC, or skilled
Assisted Living- alternative who do not feel safe living alone, who wish to live in a community
setting, or who need some additional help with ADLs. They each have their own apartment or
room.
, Foster care/Group Homes- adults who can do most ADLs but have safety issues and require
supervision with some activities.
Green House Concept- new concept of a home environment with 8-10 residents in private rooms
with open kitchen and still receive assistance.
Adult Day Care- Adult day services are community based group programs designed to meet the
needs of functionally and/or cognitively impaired adults through and individual plan of care.
Less than 24 hour care.
five racial groups Ans: Caucasian/non-Hispanic whites/European Americans
African American
Hispanic
Asians and Pacific Islanders
American Indians and Alaskan Natives
Maslows Psychological Theories of Aging Ans: Physiological
Safety & Security
Love & Belonging
Selft-esteem
Self-actualization
Dysarthria Ans: is disturbed articulation caused by disturbance in the control of the speech
muscles. This disturbance is caused by brain lesions in motor areas in the central nervous system
or the brain stem or disruption in the coordination of information from the basal ganglia,
cerebellum, and motor neurons. Dysarthria-related lesions can be caused by stroke, brain tumor,
degenerative diseases, metabolic diseases, or toxins. The location of the brain lesion determines
the nature of the disturbance, which can manifest in many ways, with the most severe form being
anarthria (complete inability to move the articulators for speech). People with dysarthria may
present with slurred speech, breathiness, slow or rapid rate of speech, limited mouth or facial
movement, monotonous voice, or weak articulation. A person who has dysarthria may be able to
read, write, and gesture normally and comprehension may remain intact
Aphasia Ans: is the most common language disorder in the elderly and occurs in up to a third of
the patients in an acute phase following stroke. Aphasia is an inability to express or understand
the meaning of words due to damage in the language areas. Damage is most frequently due to
stroke in the left hemisphere, but can be due to brain tumor, trauma, infection, dementia, or
surgery. In addition to spoken language, writing, reading, and the ability to gesture also may be
impaired
Changes of aging that could affect therapeutic communication Ans: Visual communication-
position objects within their visual field. This includes positioning yourself within their visual
field when speaking with the person. This helps the person to locate the object of conversation
and to orient him or her to the topic of conversation. When assisting elders with their care needs,
it may be useful to give them a verbal indication of the actions you are about to impart, so as to
avoid startling or scaring them needlessly. It may be necessary to assist the person in labeling
objects or to simplify what is in their visual field.
, Hearing communication- Do not shout. Project voice from the diaphragm (deepens tone). Make
use of the person's other unipaired senses. Stand in front of them if they can lip read. Speak into
the good ear. Make sure the hearing aid is turned on. Use gestures or objects to assist
communication. Limit background noise. Allow adequate time for a response. Use short
sentences and speak clearly. Enunciate words. Write things out.
Speech Communication-individuals with speech or language difficulties might be more anxious
or self-aware. Limit distractions, make eye contact, position yourself in front of the person. Use
facial or body language. Use written communication. Use short complete sentences. Summarize
message for accuracy. Take your time.
Satir's Basic principles for Communication Ans: invite, arrange, environment, maximize
communication, maximize understanding, and follow through
Types of Hearing Aids Ans: BTE (Behind the ear)- 1 inch long and worn behind the outer ear. A
small tube connects with the amplification device behind the ear and delivers amplified sound
into the ear canl. The device has an adjustable volume control and is battery powered. It is the
most common style of hearing aid. These devices are suitable for the entire range of hearing loss.
OTE (Over the ear)- This is a new style that is very small and sits on top of the outer ear.
ITE (in the ear)- ITEs are custom-fitted devices molded to the contour of the outer ear. The
device has an adjustable volume control and a batter, however, both are much smaller than ones
used in a BTE device. Some users have difficulty seeing or manipulating the control and battery.
These devices are used for mild to moderate hearing loss.
ITC (in the canal)- ITCs are tiny devices that fit into the ear canal and are barely visable. They
are customized to fit the size and shape of the ear canal. Although cosmetically appealing, their
small size is a drawback for some individuals.
CIC (completely in the canal)- CICs are smallest type of device in the in-the-ear class. The
entire device fits within the canal. Although cosmetically flattering, the small size is a true
disadvantage because of difficulty handling and positioning the device. This device is the most
expensive model of hearing aid.
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) Ans: refers to all forms of communication
that enhance or supplement speech and writing, either, temporarily or permanently. AAC can
both enhance (augmentative) and replace (alternative) conventional forms of expression for
people who can't communicate through speech, writing, or gestures.
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Ans: was convened by the U.S. Public Health
Service to systemically review the evidence of effectiveness of clinical preventive services. The
task force is an independent panel of private-sector experts in primary care and prevention whose
mission is to evaluate the benefits of individual services ant to create age, gender, and risk based
recommendations about services that should routinely be incorporated into primary medical care.
Healthy People 2010 Ans: is an initiative of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services that
utilized the skills and knowledge of an alliance of more than 350 national organizations and 250
state public health, mental health, substance abuse, and environmental agencies to develop a set
of health care objectives designed to increase the quality and quantity of years of healthy life of
Americans and to eliminate health disparities.
