07-08-2012, 02:33 PM
GWRIATRIC NURSING, HOME NURSING, GENDER SENSITIVE ISSUES AND WPMEN EMPOWERMENT
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DEFINITION
GERONTOLOGY
Gerontology is the branch of science that deals with aging and the problems of aging.
GERIATRICS
Geriatrics is defined as “ the study of the medicine aspects of old age, and the application of knowledge related to the biological, behaviour, biomedical and social aspect of aging to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and the care of old person. – Bulter 1987.
GERONTOLIGICAL NURSING
Gerontoligical nursing involves the care of aging people and emphasizes the promotion of highest possible quality of life and wellness.
AGING
Aging is a process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environment modulated.
GERIATRIC NURSING
It involves care of the sick aged.
CHANGES IN OLD AGE
1.PHYSICAL CHANGES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Enlargement of the ventricular system, as people get older the volume of ventricles get increased ( cells surrounding the ventricles are lost ). Reduced brain weight and volume probably caused by the loss of neurons. ( common brain disorders are Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke)
ENT
The richness of human experience is perceived through the sense, especially through vision and hearing. As people age increases their ability to perceive the information received from their senses is impaired or distorted.
a. VISION
• Sclera become yellow and less elastic
• Retina receive less light
• Diminished capacity of tearing
• Visual activity decreases
• Night vision decreases
Age related changes may give rise to two conditions ;
1. Senile entropion( lid margin turns inward).
2. Senile ectropion ( eyelid margin turns outwards )
b. HEARING
Person age 60 to 74, 25% having hearing loss and above 75, 50% experiences hearing loss.
Impaired hearing : refers to a condition in which the person has enough residual hearing to process some but not all speech information through the hearing or through the assistance of a hearing aid.
Presbycusis : term used to describe hearing loss associated with normal aging. It may include impaired for high frequency tones, impairement of sound localization.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Many physiological changes occurs in GI tract with aging, but it is often difficult to separate these from pathological or disease status.
a. Oral Cavity : as person ages, there is an atropy of oral mucosa, increased infection in teeth and gums and loss teeth. After age of 50, there s decreased production of saliva, which leads to slow digestion at starch. Also there is reduction intaste.
b. Esophagus : causes smooth muscle weakness, which can result in delayed emptying and possible esophagealdilation. It gives some people an unpleasant feeling of fullness in their chest undet the sternum. The result can be diminished pleasure in eating.
c. Stomach : decrease in gastric secretion and presence of some atropic gastritis, with diminished level of hydrochloric acid, gastric mucosa, and pepsin, so there is impaired digestion and absorption of iron, vitamin B-12, AND PROTEIN.
d. Small intestine : decrease in function and atropy of the small intestine may affect protein, fat, carbohydratyesabsoption as well as potential malabsorption of other nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D.
MALE REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTIONING
Male reproductive functioning depends on the secretion of hormones, the production and release sperm, and the motility of sperm through the penile urethra. Circulating testosterone decline in most men as a result of age related changes. Sperm production decrease by 6 th decade. The degenerative changes that affect the prostate gland include diminished secretion, atropy of the gland cells, and the formation of hard masses around the prostatic urethra.