CHAPTER 20 THE AGING ADULT 113
Copyright © 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Study Guide for Fundamentals of Nursing:5.Give an example of how older adulthood may
affect the following body systems.
a.Integumentary:b.Musculoskeletal:c. Neurologic:d.Cardiopulmonary:e.Gastrointestinal:f. Genitourinary:APPLYING YOUR KNOWLEDGE
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
1.Because of advances in medical technology
and the increased awareness of the need to eat
right and exercise, there has been a dramatic
increase in the number of active older adults.
Although adults in this age group as a whole
are healthier than the generations that
preceded them, they still have specific health
risks and needs that must be identified by the
nursing process. Consider the older adults you
know personally and identify nursing
strategies that would enhance their cognitive
development and overall functioning (physio-
logic, social, emotional, spiritual).
2.Identify healthy middle-age adults and older
adults among your family and friends.
Interview them to learn about their physical,
emotional, and spiritual selves. Compare their
long- and short-range goals, life stressors,
physical ability, and emotional stability. How
have age factors affected their life experiences?
What can you learn from this healthy group
that will enable you to help others?
3.Take a look at the way older adults are portrayed
on TV dramas. Are these dramas a realistic rep-
resentation of this age group? Identify several
health risks for older adults and preventive
methods to promote health and safety.REFLECTIVE PRACTICE USING CRITICAL
THINKING SKILLS
Use the following expanded scenario from
Chapter 20 in your textbook to answer the
questions below.
Scenario:Larry Jenkins is a 67-year-old man
with diabetes who lives with his wife, Mary.
Mrs. Jenkins brings her husband to the clinic
for a checkup and says she is worried about
her husband’s physical and emotional health.
She reports that their three children live in dif-
ferent states and don’t visit often. Mr. and
Mrs. Jenkins moved to Florida 5 months ago
when Mr. Jenkins retired, and Mrs. Jenkins
says they have had trouble finding friends “as
good as the ones we had at home.” During the
nursing interview, Mr. Jenkins says,
“Everything’s gone downhill since I retired.”
He reports that he is “bored out of my mind”
and is drinking more alcohol, “simply because
there’s nothing else to do!”
1.How might the nurse use blended nursing
skills to provide holistic, developmentally
sensitive care for Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins?2.What would be a successful outcome for this
patient?3.What intellectual, technical, interpersonal,
and/or ethical/legal competencies are most
likely to bring about the desired outcome?4.What resources might be helpful for Mr. and
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