Deck 19: Communicating With Older Adults

Question 1

The nurse is caring for a frail older adult patient who is admitted to the hospital after falling. The patient has been living alone independently and appears reluctant to accept assistance. The nurse recognizes that the patient's reluctance to accept assistance is most likely caused by fear of what?

A) The inability to pay for services.
B) Adding additional financial burden on the family.
C) Relinquishing their independent living.
D) The loss of privacy.

Answer 1

Relinquishing their independent living.

Question 2

When communicating with older adult patients, the nurse recognizes what age related changes that affect hearing?

A) Hearing problems can diminish an older person's ability to interact with others.
B) Hearing loss associated with normal aging begins after age 40 years.
C) Older adults who experience hearing loss initially cannot hear lower-frequency sounds of vowels.
D) Older adults distinguish sounds better against background noises.

Answer 2

Hearing problems can diminish an older person's ability to interact with others.

Question 3

What intervention should the nurse use to assess the cognition of an illiterate patient?

A) Have the patient spell the word "world" backwards.
B) Have the patient spell the word "world" forwards.
C) Ask the patient to perform serial 7s.
D) Instruct the patient to state the days of the week backwards.

Answer 3

Instruct the patient to state the days of the week backwards.

Question 4

The nurse is caring for an older adult patient who has early moderate cognitive impairment and has been diagnosed with dementia. When interacting with the patient's family, the nurse should include what information when providing teaching to family members regarding the patient's memory issues?

A) Memory for recent events is retained longer than remote memory.
B) It is important to focus on recent events when asking the patient questions.
C) Talking about the past can cause the patient undue distress.
D) Reminiscing about the past can be a means of connecting.

Question 5

The nurse is caring for an older adult patient who has been diagnosed with dementia. The nurse recognizes which is true in relation to the use of touch with this patient?

A) They often can ask for touch.
B) Being touched is generally viewed negatively by these patients
C) Touch when used effectively can calm an agitated patient
D) Patients with dementia seldom react positively to touch

Question 6

When caring for this patient, the nurse should What intervention is usually effective when caring for a patient experiencing a catastrophic reaction to an environmental stimulus?

A) Keeping the patient awake for extended periods of time.
B) Verbally requesting the patient to stop demonstrating inappropriate behavior.
C) Increasing the patient's exposure to environmental stimuli gradually.
D) Usingdistraction to move the patient away from the offending environmental stimuli.

Question 7

The nurse is caring for an older adult patient who has recently experienced losses associated with deaths of important people in her life. The nurse recognizes that this type of problem challenges which of Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

A) Physiological integrity
B) Love and belonging
C) Self-actualization
D) Safety and security

Question 8

A patient diagnosed with dementia is becoming increasingly unable to express complete thoughts and is having difficulty engaging in simple conversations. When communicating with this patient, the nurse should implement what intervention to help maintain communication skills

A) Use words directly applicable to the patient's daily routine.
B) Restate ideas using different words in a different sequence.
C) Refrain from validating the meaning of the patient's responses.
D) Ask the patient questions that require more than a yes or no answer.

Question 9

The nurse has just completed a care plan on a visually impaired patient. Which intervention is most appropriate in facilitating the client's maximum visual acuity?

A) Standing to the patient's side when communicating to not obstruct their view.
B) Providing the patient with reading material that has all capital letters.
C) Explaining all written information while anticipating the patient's likely questions.
D) Ensuring the patient's room has bright lighting with no glare.

Question 10

When assessing an older adult patient, the nurse recognizes the patient has a significant hearing loss and wears a hearing aide. What is the most appropriate intervention by the nurse to minimize the effects of this loss?

A) Introduce oneself at each meeting.
B) Speak loudly into the patient's good ear.
C) Repeat words the patient doesn't seem to understand.
D) Check the hearing aid batteries frequently.

Question 11

When assessing an older adult patient, the nurse notes that the patient demonstrates an inability to take purposeful action even when the muscles, senses, and vocabulary appear to be intact. The patient appears to register on a command but acts in a way that suggests little understanding of what transpired verbally. The nurse recognizes these assessment findings as consistent with which of the following conditions?

A) Presbycusis
B) Somatization
C) Apraxia
D) Polypharmacy

Question 12

When visiting a patient, the home health nurse notes that the patient frequently shifts the conversation to reminisce. Which communication techniques would be most effective for the nurse to use with this patient?

A) Restating
B) Changing the subject
C) Providing information
D) Information gathering

Question 13

The nurse is performing an admission assessment on a patient diagnosed with cognitive impairment. When developing a plan of care for this patient, the nurse should plan to implement what intervention to best support the patient's independence?

A) Provide instructions one step at a time.
B) Refer often to events that occurred in the last 24-48 hours
C) Teach the patient new skills by providing a summary of needed actions
D) Arrange for activities of daily living (ADLs) to be addressed early in the day

Question 14

An older adult patient tells the nurse, "My life has been a waste." The nurse recognizes this statement as demonstrating which aspect of psychosocial development?

A) Ego integrity
B) Ego despair
C) Lack of generativity
D) Isolation

Question 15

The nurse is caring for an older adult patient. The nurse recognizes that what factor is most closely associated with the older adult's inability to live independently?

A) chronological age.
B) functional status.
C) relationship needs.
D) social functioning.

Question 16

An older adult patient has a prescription for a new medication. When preparing to administer the medication to the patient for the first time, the nurse gets ready to educate the patient and the patient's daughter about the medication. When educating the patient and the daughter, the nurse should avoid which intervention?

A) Observing the patient before implementing teaching.
B) Directing instructions primarily to the patient's daughter.
C) Drawing on the patient's experiences and interests in planning teaching.
D) Making several short teaching sessions.