Deck 16: Caring for the Older Adult

Question 1

A nurse practitioner is preparing a presentation for a local senior group on common conditions affecting this population. Which condition would the nurse practitioner likely include? Select all that apply.

A) Diabetes
B) Hypertension
C) Colon cancer
D) Kidney failure
E) Arthritis

Answer 1

Diabetes
Hypertension
Arthritis

Question 2

A nurse is reading a journal article about older adults. Which information would the nurse likely find?

A) The number of widowers is three times greater than that widows.
B) Number of older adults living alone is greater than the number living with a spouse.
C) Older adult women have a higher poverty rate than men.
D) Older men were less likely to be married than older women.

Answer 2

Older adult women have a higher poverty rate than men.

Question 3

A client is in the postoperative phase of an abdominal resection and colostomy. When educating the client on ostomy care by providing educational materials to read, it is important to assess the client's:

A) hearing.
B) vision.
C) social support.
D) gait.

Answer 3

vision.

Question 4

A client with Alzheimer disease becomes agitated and is unable to communicate. The nurse notes that this is a change from the client's regular demeanor. The nurse performs a thorough assessment of the client, determining that the client has an abscessed tooth. This assessment can be termed:

A) health promotion.
B) illness prevention.
C) validation therapy.
D) restorative therapy.

Question 5

When the home care nurse visits a female client aged 78 years who is recently widowed, the nurse finds that the home is cluttered with trash. The client appears sad and disheveled. The nurse should assess the client for symptoms of:

A) fatigue.
B) presbyopia.
C) drug overdose.
D) depression.

Question 6

An older adult client informs the nurse, "I just don't feel like myself. I cry so easily and my mobility is so bad from my degenerative disk disease in my back." What factor is most likely contributing to the client's depression?

A) Pain
B) Shortness of breath
C) Hearing loss
D) Diminished vision

Question 7

A nurse is teaching a group of older adults about aging and risks to health. The nurse determines that the teaching was successful when the group identifies which condition as a major cause of injury in the older adult?

A) Depression
B) Polypharmacy
C) Falls
D) Dementia

Question 8

A nurse is conducting an in-service presentation on depression for a group of nurses working in a long-term care facility. Which information would the nurse likely include?

A) Depression is a natural reaction to illness.
B) Symptoms can mimic other chronic illnesses.
C) Most older adults suffer from depression.
D) Delusional and anxiety disorders are more common.

Question 9

Which activity performed by an older adult client would make the client's family suspicious of the onset of dementia?

A) The client's air conditioning is broken and the client has not reported it.
B) The client is an accountant and has had three episodes of major bookkeeping errors.
C) The client has not attended church services for the past month.
D) The client has become confused with medications since two new medications were added.

Question 10

A client has an unsteady gait related to arthritis. The client's daughter states that the client walks better when at the grocery store pushing a cart. The nurse should recommend:

A) a total knee replacement.
B) an appointment with the orthopedist.
C) the client to use a wheeled walker.
D) the physician to review the medications.

Question 11

Changes in T-cell function in older adults will result in:

A) active immunity.
B) inadequate nutrition.
C) risk of infection.
D) onset of chronic disease.

Question 12

Which factor contributes to sleep disturbances in older adults?

A) Exercise
B) Regular bedtime
C) Decreased caffeine
D) Beta-blockers

Question 13

A 76-year-old man is recovering from a myocardial infarction. In regard to the client's sexuality and recovery, it is important for the nurse to:

A) address any questions about sexuality.
B) have a male counterpart address sexuality.
C) refer the client to a therapist.
D) instruct him to eliminate sex for 1 month.

Question 14

The hospice nurse is visiting the older adult wife of a client 4 weeks after the client died. Which comment by the wife would concern the hospice nurse the most?

A) "I haven't started cleaning out my husband's closet yet."
B) "It is so hard to think that I won't see my husband again."
C) "Sometimes I just sit and cry."
D) "Eating alone is so lonely. I just lose my appetite when I think about it."

Question 15

An older adult client's daughter asks if the practitioner can prescribe an antipsychotic medication for her father because he is so confused and agitated much of the time. The nurse is aware that the client should only be prescribed this medication when which strategy has failed? Select all that apply.

A) Behavioral
B) Environmental
C) Physical
D) Chemical
E) Social

Question 16

A nursing student is looking at the demographics related to the older adult and finds that what percentage of the older adult population that is institutionalized falls into the age range of 85+ years?

A) 1.0%
B) 2.4%
C) 3.0%
D) 9.0%

Question 17

The unit manager at a long-term care facility is concerned with the recent weight loss of several residents. The nurse plans a staff in-service to discuss weight loss in older adults, including identifying what possible causes? Select all that apply.

A) Decreased thirst and smell
B) Alterations in taste
C) Early satiation (feeling full)
D) Anorexia
E) Decline in physical activity

Question 18

An older adult client tells a home care nurse, "I don't seem to sleep as well as I used to." The nurse is aware that the sleep changes that occur in the older adult client which cause a less restful sleep include:

A) a decrease in stage I of the sleep cycle.
B) a decrease in the deep sleep stage of the sleep cycle.
C) a change in the normal progression of the sleep cycle.
D) an increase in stage II of the sleep cycle.

Question 19

A nurse is conducting an informal study on common issues in the older adult that cause them to seek healthcare. Which problem would the nurse likely find as the most common cause?

A) Chronic pain
B) Weight loss
C) Urinary incontinence
D) Gastric reflux

Question 20

The nurse is preparing a presentation on chronic pain management to a group of older adult members of a community senior citizens center. Which chronic disease should the nurse focus on in his or her presentation?

A) Rheumatoid arthritis
B) Amputation
C) Neuropathy
D) Osteoarthritis

Question 21

A nurse is assessing an older adult for depression using the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale, short form. Which score would alert the nurse to the possibility of depression?

A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5

Question 22

A home care nurse is aware of the growing problem of the mistreatment of the older adult population. Which information would be most important for the nurse to keep in mind?

A) Dementia is a predisposing factor for abuse.
B) Statistics about abuse are easily available.
C) The trend for reporting abuse is decreasing.
D) Older adult neglect is rarely self-inflected.

Question 23

The nurse performs an assessment on a newly admitted older adult client. The client receives a score of 12 on the Braden scale. What is the risk for impaired skin integrity for this client?

A) No risk
B) Low risk
C) Moderate risk
D) High risk

Question 24

A nurse is reviewing the medication history of a client who was brought to the center for an evaluation by the client's daughter. When looking over the list, which medication would if noted by the nurse, would be a cause for concern. Select all that apply.

A) Lorazepam
B) Omeprazole
C) Meloxicam
D) Acetaminophen
E) Hydroxyzine

Question 25

The nurse is caring for an older adult male client on the medical unit admitted for diagnostic testing. He or she is alert and oriented and lives independently in his or her own home. Which nursing intervention will be most effective in the prevention of falls for this client?

A) Using a gait belt each time the client ambulates
B) Ensuring the client's glasses are close by the bed
C) Placing a bed alarm on the client's bed
D) Moving the client to a room close to the nurse's station