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Care for older people in the emergency and urgent care setting

  1. what are older people defined as?
    over 65
  2. what are the theories of aging?
    • evolutionary 
    • wear and tear
    • genetic
  3. what are physiological changes to the cardio system largely related to?
    atherosclerosis
  4. what are the changes to the cardio system?
    • decrease in HR 
    • cardiac hypertrophy 
    • fall in cardiac output 
    • decline in stroke volume
  5. As you get older the is an increase in blood vessel resistance.T or F
    T
  6. as you get older you have an inability to elevate cardiac output to match the demands of the body?t or f
    t
  7. what are the changes to the respiratory system?
    • sig reduction in respiratory capacity 
    • chest wall stiffens 
    • decrease in vital capacity 
    • increase in residual volume 
    • decreased cough and gag reflexes 
    • decreased sensitivity of chemoreceptors
  8. what are the changes to the neurological system?
    • brain shrinks 
    • loss of neurons 
    • remaining neurons shrink in size
    • peripheral nerve function slows 
    • longer retrieval times for short and long term memory 
    • slower processing of sensory stimuli and language
  9. how much does the brains weight shrink by 80?
    10-20% by age 80
  10. what age does the brain weight shrink by 10-20%?
    age 80
  11. how many neurons are lost?
    5-50%
  12. what are the changes to the gastrointestinal system?
    • decrease in taste bud sensitivity 
    • decrease in saliva secretion 
    • gastric motility slows 
    • reduced blood flow in the mesenteries 
    • sphincter changes 
    • decline in efficiency of liver
  13. what are the changes to the musculoskeletal system?
    • muscle system atophies and weakens 
    • ligaments and cartilage loose their elasticity 
    • muscle mass decreases over time and is replaced by fat 
    • supporting structures of the body atrophy 
    • osteoporosis occurs as the skeleton ages
  14. what are the changes to the renal system?
    • filtration function falls 
    • kidney mass decreases and there is a loss of nephrons 
    • less efficient response to stress and to fluid and electrolyte imbalances 
    • dysfunction
  15. how much does kidney mass decrease in old age?
    20%
  16. dysfunction to the renal system is the cause of many drug interactions and problems in older pt? T or F
    True
  17. what are the changes to the integumentary system?
    • wrinkles and losses resilience 
    • decrease in subcutaneous fat 
    • decrease in elastin and collagen 
    • sebaceous glands produce less oil 
    • decrease in sweat glands activity 
    • decrease in hair follicle activity and melanin
  18. when is peak bone mass?
    around 35 years
  19. what is linked to accelerated bone loss in women?
    lowered oestrogen levels post menopause
  20. what are 4 causes of strokes?
    • htn 
    • atheroma 
    • smoking 
    • diabetes
  21. how many strokes are a result of infarction and haemorrhage?
    • inf- 85%
    • haem- 15%
  22. what is demenita?
    disease that produces irreversible brain failure
  23. what is affected by dementia?
    vascular and neurological structures within the brain
  24. what are some of the causes for dementia?
    • infections
    • strokes 
    • head injury 
    • poor nutrition 
    • medications
  25. what are the two main types of dementia?
    • alzheimers 
    • vascular dementia
  26. what are the sensory changes in the elderly?
    • loss of sight 
    • loss of hearing 
    • disturbance of balance 
    • deterioration of senses of small and taste 
    • impaired memory/ forgetfulness 
    • reduced learning capacity 
    • personality changes with existing traits emphasised
  27. what is the definition of a fall?
    An event which results in a person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground or other lower level
  28. what are the classifications of fallers?
    • occasional fallers 
    • intermittent fallers 
    • recurrent fallers 
    • at risk
  29. what are the causes of falls?
    • Drugs and alcohol
    • Age related physiological changes 
    • Medical 
    • Environment
  30. why are elderly vulnerable with spinal cord injuries?
    • reduced bone density 
    • previous medical problems such as osteoporosis and spondylosis 
    • less able to protect themselves when falling 
    • difficult to assess due to dementia or memory problems
  31. altered neurology might mean any of...?
    • pins and needles 
    • weakness 
    • numbness 
    • tenderness or pain
Author
davidgoddard93
ID
347058
Card Set
Care for older people in the emergency and urgent care setting
Description
Care for older people in the emergency and urgent care setting
Updated

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