Geriatric patient Journal Entry essay example
Geriatric patient Journal Entry essay example
Journal entry #2
As I continue my clinical experience, I am in contact with many patients who are of the geriatric age. This exposure allows me to het an improved understanding off the normal and abnormal changes that happen during the ageing process. This journal entry will focus on some of the normal changes that happen in the elderly versus some of the abnormal changes that will require treatment. This journal entry will look into some assessments that will help identify the abnormal changes seen in the elderly population.
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Ageing is a normal process that happened during the lifespan of the human being. As part of the ageing process the individual will go through changes that can affect the appearance, cognition, physical abilities and even behavior. Some of the changes in appearance that can be notices are the weight gain or loss among the patients. The skin will have different pigmentation and thinning. These are some normal changes in appearance. Due to chronic pain the physical ability can change such as the ability to move around freely and do activities of daily living. Patients may develop arthritis and can cause difficulty in moving around and using the joints. These patients may benefit from physical therapy that is supervised. Some abnormal changes that can be notices among the elderly are changes in behavior such as becoming more agitated having a decreased appetite and to try not to be social among peers, the patient would need to be seen by a physician to check for some treatment methods. Increase in the nutritional intake can benefit the health of the person that has decreased appetite. Cognition problems although common need medical attention because it can lead to serious secondary problems like falls, Dementia affects many people that are of elderly age, and this can lead to safety hazards for the individual and would need some sort of supervision(Scott,2007). With the amount of elderly aged 65 or above increasing, it is important to understand that mild cognitive impairment is expected, extreme dementia needs medical treatment to avoid further problems(Harada,2013). Geriatric patient Journal Entry essay example.
Assessment for abnormal changes
Collection of history of behaviors and tendencies can let the care provider understand the baseline for the patient. Physical assessment can provide insight into some of the abnormal changes that can be noted. Treatment and management regimens can be started with the help of assessments that help with the identification of abnormal behaviors and tendencies including changes in physical ability and cognition. Detailed health and social history and medication history along with a detailed physical assessment and mental status examination will provide very good understanding of any abnormal changes in physical mobility, changes in appearance, changes in cognition.
In conclusion
This week I was able to shadow my preceptor and understand many tendencies of elderly patients, and some of the common problems they face during their daily lives, some common diagnosis for the patients that occur due to the lack of ability to take care of themselves. The week was able to provide me with good information and learning to improve my critical thinking as a care provider. Geriatric patient Journal Entry essay example.
References
Harada, C. N., Natelson Love, M. C., & Triebel, K. (2013). Normal Cognitive Aging. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 29(4), 737–752. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cger.2013.07.002
Scott, K. R., & Barrett, A. M. (2007). Dementia syndromes: evaluation and treatment. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 7(4), 407–422. http://doi.org/10.1586/14737175.7.4.407. Geriatric patient Journal Entry essay example.
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