This was a winter class I had the blessing of taking during the winter intersession of my Junior year! Here we very quickly learned about the history of nursing care of the older populations.
One would think that the older populations receive the same amount of care as the younger populations, but that is entirely incorrect. The geriatric population requires a special type of care. More consideration, planning, and awareness must be made to finances, insurance, and the aging body.
The aging process on the human body can be quite harsh as one gets older. The GI tract slows down, vision becomes less acute, bones become weaker, memory takes longer to retrieve, and the heart becomes weak and stiff. When planning the care for these patients, one must also ask about the patients past medical history, their family history, but also any current medications they take. Patients most likely follow a medication regimen to help maintain their health conditions and prevent any further complications. Along with the medications, reviewing any possible side effects or even potential drug interactions are important. Certain medications CANNOT be taken in conjuncture with another or else they will cause life threatening conditions. Another consideration regarding the aging process is that certain interventions may be too harsh on the aging body. Whereas a younger person may tolerate multiple IV injections throughout the day, the older adult may only be able to tolerate a few injections due to a lack of clotting factors, weak veins, and decreased pain tolerance. Other harsh interventions include surgeries, chemotherapies, and some physical therapy rehabilitation strategies.
Insurance plays a major role when planning care for the older population. Questions regarding insurance companies, policies, previous uses of insurance all must be asked and answered. Additionally, conversations need to be had about whether the patient is underinsured, not insured, or if the patient needs additional assistance when paying for their care. More often than not, patients will refuse certain treatments due to the fear that they will not be able to afford it. It is our job to coordinate interdisciplinary care to help provide assistance with all aspects of their care, not just their physical health.