Aging also affects vision and hearing. With age, the elderly' vision and hearing deteriorate. The lens muscle fibers lose their elasticity and become rigid which decrease the ability to focus properly. Additionally, the pupils become smaller which makes their eyesight less accurate. The older adults also have problems seeing at night and are very sensitive to brightness. Presbycusis is defined as “reduces the ability to hear, s, sh, f, ph, and w sounds and may cause speech to be inaudible or distorted, as can impacted cerumen” are two of the most common age-related changes that happened with aging (Elopoulos, 2014, p.360).
To prevent vision losses in older adult nurses should …show more content…
Because of the changes that influence the endocrine system it is easy for healthcare professionals to misinterpret the symptoms of diabetes and thyroid disease. As we get old, the thyroid and the pituitary gland become small in sizes which lead to a reduction of all their primary function. Older adults, as a result of these changes, lose their ability to adequately produce insulin.
According to Eliopoulos (2014), “type 2 diabetes, the seventh leading cause of death among older adults, affects 20% of the older population and has a particularly high prevalence among African Americans and people who are 65 to 74 years of age”(Eliopoulos, 2014, p.376). Because diabetes type 2 is so predominant among elderly, a healthcare provider should make it a priority to be properly educated on the signs and symptoms of this disease and how to identify them while working with elderly patients (Eliopoulos, 2014, …show more content…
Eliopoulos stated as an example that “perspiration may not occur, diarrhea may be displayed by now having regular bowel movements” (p.384).
What major points would you discuss if you were presenting a health education class at a senior citizen center on the topic of “Boosting Your Immunity”?
If I were presenting a health education class at a senior citizen center on helping them boost their immunity, I would talk to them about the importance of diet, exercise, and stress management,
Adopting healthy eating habit is crucial especially for elderly, and it is imperative to drink plenty of fluids. Exercise is another way that elderly can help boost their system. Additionally, patients should focus on good stress reduction technics.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper highlights the significant changes that happened to the body as we grow old. The fact that elderly went through all these changes makes it crucial for nurses to be familiar with these changes and to provide care accordingly. Nurses should closely monitor elderly patients and educate them to report any changes to their health care