Older Adults Patient Education Issues

Introduction

Older adults are a fast-growing population. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older will increase by more than 40%. This growth will create new challenges for health care providers, but also present opportunities for those who have an opportunity to serve this community.

Communication Barriers

Communication can be a major barrier for older adults. Not only do they have difficulty understanding and speaking, but they also may not be able to hear or see. They often have difficulty with reading and writing as well.

The most common communication issues in older adults are:

• Difficulties in hearing (hearing loss)

• Difficulty speaking because of physical limitations

• Aphasia (language dysfunction due to stroke), which is characterized by problems with word finding and comprehension skills

Older Adult Care and the Role of the Home Care RN

It is important to recognize that there are many challenges associated with caring for older adults. These challenges include:

• Working with patients who may have difficulty communicating or comprehending what you are telling them

• Having to be aware of the older adult’s cognitive impairment and how it affects their ability to perform activities of daily living

• Knowing how best to communicate effectively with each individual patient in order to help him or her remain safe, independent, and healthy

Cognitive Impairment and the Older Adult Population

Cognitive impairment is common in older adults. It’s estimated that about half of all people aged 65 and older have some degree of cognitive decline, which can affect their ability to perform routine tasks like memory and language.

A person’s age alone does not determine whether they will experience cognitive impairment; however, the risk increases with advancing age. For example, a 45-year-old man who smokes cigarettes may be more likely than his peers to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia (1).

The Aging Process and Changes in the Eye

Here are some things you should know about the aging process and changes in your eye:

• The aging process is a normal part of life. It’s not something to be afraid of, but it does make certain things happen that may surprise you!

• When we get older, our eyesight can begin to decline. This can happen because of genetics or injury that occurs during the body’s natural healing process after injury or surgery (for example: eye injuries). If left untreated this condition could result in permanent vision loss if no treatment is provided.”

Takeaway:

As you are learning about aging and the eye, take some time to think about how your own family members and friends age. Think about what changes happen as people grow older, and how those changes may affect their vision.

You can also think about what types of things you wish someone had told you when they were growing older. For example, did they know that it was important for them to see an ophthalmologist regularly? Or did they understand that they needed glasses? Was there any advice on managing dry eyes or glaucoma?

Conclusion

It’s important that you know how to respond to any situation when it comes up. If a patient asks if they can take off their socks, it might be helpful to answer their question and show them where their foot is located on the floor. However, if they ask something else such as why there are no chairs in the room or who has been sitting in theirs before them then you should probably acknowledge those things but not comment on them right away because that could make the patient feel annoyed or upset about being asked questions so instead say something like “oh yes this is how we do things here at [OUR NAME]” which gives some insight into what type of company we are as well as acknowledging their concerns without making them angry or upset over anything really just yet (though eventually this will happen).