Interactive Ready for Review: Interactivities

Management of older patients can present you with many challenges that are not encountered with younger patients and confront you with a host of different problems that may be quite difficult and frustrating to solve.

The health problems of older people are multifaceted, and frequent barriers to communication can be expected.

Although of the older patient involves the same basic approach as with any other patient, you may have to take a slower approach to the older patient. To obtain an adequate history and physical exam will require patience, but it is time well spent.

The injury or medical condition may be worse than is indicated by the existing signs and symptoms, and the injuries and conditions that are found will have a more profound effect than they would in a younger patient.

In addition to the critical needs that an underlying medical problem may cause, the older patient's condition is more unstable than a younger patient's and has an increased possibility for sudden, rapid deterioration.

The prevalence of is not fully known because many patients do not report it. Abusers are often family members who must care for the older person in addition to caring for their own spouses and children.

Elder abuse also occurs in nursing, convalescent, and continuing care centers. Elder abuse can be gruesome, vulgar, and barbaric; however, your responsibility is to provide potentially lifesaving care to the patient and try to reduce additional abuse through identification of the problem.

You must be careful to obtain an accurate history of the patient, be compassionate, and communicate your findings effectively. Be an advocate for your geriatric patients.

The duty that we owe to our elders should be no less than we would expect in our own golden years.