Nursing Roles and Responsibility for Elderly

Health maintenance, recovery, restoration, adaptation, adjustment, and prevention are all aspects of nursing care for the elderly. The primary goal of nursing care is to assist the elderly client in becoming independent and adapting to his condition.

Roles

• When caring for an elderly patient, the nurse must demonstrate respect by addressing the patient by name rather than "mom," "honey," or "grandma."
• We must uphold their dignity and respect their rights.
• We must allow children to make their own decisions, assist them in becoming as self-sufficient as possible, and keep them secure.
• Because older adults have less sensibility, use caution when applying hot or cold products.
• Encourage them to do a workout that is within their capability and tolerance.
• Encourage them to participate in social interaction activities to maintain their self-esteem.
• Encourage them to have regular medical checkups.
• Encourage them to eat a healthy diet.
• If feasible, advise them to live on the ground floor.
• To provide spiritual support, encourage them to visit a temple or participate in religious activities.
• Request that a family member provide continuing assistance.
• While teaching and performing other tasks, demonstrate patient and loving care.

Responsibilities

• A short attention span: Long and detailed information may be difficult for elderly people to comprehend. They could respond well to brief teaching. So, while caring for the elderly, do the following:

  • Speak gently and clearly while facing the individual.
  • Keep information concise.
  • Use a word that the person will recognize.
  • Keep sessions brief.
  • Repeat your communication as necessary so that the patient understands and remembers it.
  • Give the patient enough time.
  • Some patients will require more time than others.
  • Make certain that the location or room is silent.
  • Allow the individual to speak and ask a question.

• Less earning ability : Old people may not be able to learn new things as well as they did in the past .

• Less ability to understand: Many older adults are confused and not able to understand .

  • When possible, use images and large print materials.
  • give enough light for all activities
  • Participate in the communication and instruction process with your husband, wife, and other loved ones.

• An inability to communicate: Older adults may not be able to speak and ask questions. After a stroke, many patients have aphasia, a lack of ability to speak.

• Poor hearing and sights: As people age, their vision and hearing deteriorate. A nurse or other healthcare provider will most likely provide a patient with eyeglasses and/or a hearing aid so that they can communicate with you and others. Give the person their glasses and, if they have one, their hearing aid.

• Meeting safety needs: One of our most basic human wants is the desire for safety. Safety is critical for all age groups, but young children and the elderly have the greatest need for it. As an example. Infants place something little in their mouths. These minor details might be hazardous. They have the ability to consume medications, poisons, and even choke on something little. An elderly person who has a mental, sensory (eyes, ears), or physical loss, such as poor balance and weak muscles, poses a safety concern. These losses, together with the aging process, render older persons more vulnerable to accidents. An elderly patient with weak eyesight and hearing, as well as bad judgment, can:

  • Slip
  • Fall
  • Leave the facility and get hit by a car
  • Drink a gallon of a cleaning chemical
  • Cut their hand off with an electric saw that was left on the unit.
  • chew all the pills in the medication card.