All You Need To Know About Geriatric Nursing

In this article we are going to be providing you with all you need to know about geriatric nursing.

Geriatric Nursing

The American Nurses Association Division on Geriatric nursing practice defined geriatric nursing as concerned with the assessment  of the nursing needs of older people, planning and implementing nursing care to meet these needs and evaluating the effectiveness of such care to achieve and maintain a level of wellness consistent with the limitations  imposed by the aging process.

 

Gerontological Nursing

This is defined as the scientific study of biological, sociological, psychological and functional aging process as well as nursing care and treatment of the elderly. Gerontological nursing includes everything in  geriatric nursing as well as the scientific study of aging process.

 

What Are The Factors That Complicate Geriatric Nursing Process

There are multiple factors that complicate geriatric nursing, some of which include;

1. There is a great difference on the effect of chronological age on the aging process. This implies that there is variation in aging.
2. There is multiplicity of an older person’s losses in social, economic, psychological and biological factors. Since two people don’t have the same experience on these areas that affect an older adult, there is variation in aging process.
3. The frequently atypical response of the aged to disease, coupled with the different forms of disease entities tends to complicate the aging.
4. The cumulative disable effect of multiple chronic illness or degenerative process tends to make the practice of gerontological nursing complex.
5. Cultural values associated with aging and social attitude toward the aged present a special problem to all that care for them.

Read Also: A Simple Guide on Aging Process

 

Chronological Age

Chronological age is the actual age of a person from when they were born to the age they are at the moment.

Advantages Of Chronological Age

Below are the advantages of chronological age;

• It is easily measurable
• It serves as an objective basis for social organization
• It is used by the society to establish certain criteria for activities such as education, marriage, employment, alcohol, collection of retirement benefits and so on.
• It is widely acceptable
• It is readily understood.
• It provides more rational bases for care that measures how the years have passed since the person was born.

 

Disadvantages Of Chronological Age

Below are the disadvantages of chronological age;

• From bio-gerontology perspective, chronological age has little or no value because no biologic measurement applied to everyone at a specific age.
• For gerontological practitioners, the important indicators of age are physiological health, psychological well being, socioeconomic factors and ability to function and socialize to the extent that one desires. Based on this understanding, the concept of functional age are used instead of chronological age.

Successful Aging

Aging is the prejudice and stereotypes that are applied to older people sheerly on the basis of their age. It is always that do not allow individuals with unique ways of living their lives.   It devalues the contribution of older adults and views the pathologies of later life as normal aging process.

Aging is a universal phenomenon and belief that it is possible or desirable to overcome the natural aging process reinforce fears about aging.

Characteristics of Successful Aging

• Active engagement with life
• High cognitive and physical function
• Low probability of disease and physical function.

 

Life Expectancy

Life expectancy is defined as the predictable length of time that one is expected to live from a specific point of time such as birth.

Life span is defined as the maximum survival potential  for a particular species. The life span of humans is between 110 – 122 years.

Life expectancy in developed countries has increased   from 49 years to 74 years for men and 79 years for women.

Life expectancy varies from country to country.

The following have been agreed with regards to life expectancy;

• Even in the absence of disease, death will occur as a result of declining organ reserves.
• The rate of mortality increases exponentially after age 30
• Projection about aging can be dramatically altered in the future by unpredictable events such as warfare, new disease or medical breakthrough.
• Chronic disease has replace acute illness as the major threats to life and deaths.
• The overriding concern about longevity should focus on quality of life rather than length of life.

We hope this information was helpful. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section below.