Course Description

Elderly Care III

1. Assessment of Anxiety and Depression

While depression and anxiety are two different medical conditions, their symptoms, causes, and treatments can often overlap. Clinical anxiety and depression in the elderly are common. In the elderly, anxiety and depression often occurs with other medical illnesses and disabilities. This lesson has three parts. First, we will learn the diagnosis of anxiety and depression. Second, we will discuss the health seeking behavior of the patients. Third, we will learn how to conduct a medical inquiry and how we can explain their health conditions . differences between the two conditions.

2. Care for Delirium and Dementia Patients

This lesson has three sections. First, getting to know delirium and dementia, that is, how to identify the difference between delirium and dementia. Delirium and dementia actually display different symptoms. Delirium happens all of a sudden, that is, delirium is a sudden change in one’s mental state. Delirium often happens to the hospitalized patients in the clinicial pratice, especially in the intensive care unit (ICU). Second, daily care for dementia patients, that is, what should be considered when caring for a patient with dementia at home. Third, psychological and behavioral care for dementia patients. The psychological and behavioral symptoms of dementia are the most worrisome symptoms because they significantly affect the patients and their family or main caregivers. In this lesson, we will talk about how to cope with these symptoms.

3. Care for Frailty and Sarcopenia

Frailty and sarcopenia are important conditions that become increasingly prevalent with age. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and function, and frailty can be defined as multi-system impairment associated with increased vulnerability to stressors. Clinical care for geriatric frailty and sarcopenia is important in elderly care. From this lesson, first, you will know the notion of frailty and sarcopenia. Second, you will learn how to assess frailty and sarcopenia. Third, what should be considered when caring for elderly people with frailty or sarcopenia, providing an optimal care for them.

4. Nutritional Care for Older Adults

In this lesson, we will talk about dietary assessment and nutritinal screening for older adults. Dietary assessment tools can be used in hospitals and nursing homes to record the I/O (I:Intake; O:Output) of the patients. That is , we will record all the food the patients eat and all they drink. Nutritional screening is a first-line process of identifying patients who are already malnourished or at risk of becoming so. Also, we will discuss which nutrition screening tools are commonly used, and learn how to use these nutrition screening tools in clinical practice.

5. Physical Activity and Muscle Training for Elderly Patients

Most elderly people have some kind of regular daily activity, usually closely connected to their daily habits. In this lesson, we will learn how to make an assessment of the physical functionality of the elderly patients. In clinical practice, physical functionality is graded from level 1 to level 5, with level 5 being patients in the worst condition. We will discuss the differences between these five-level characteristics. With a better understanding of patients’ physical condition, we can then decide on how to provide them with the best care possible at home, in nursing homes or hospitals.

6. Fall Prevention for the Elderly

We have all had the experience of falling before, but is is particurlarly dangerous when it happens to the elderly. In this lesson, we will mainly discuss this topic in two parts. The first part is risk factor and screening, the second part is the intervention of a fall prevention exercise training. The most important thing in clinical practice is to identify those with high risk factors for falling, we can then provide intervention or preventive measures as possible.

7. Continence Care for Older Adults

Excretory function and control is one of the most basic and fundamental issues of elderly care, it needs to ne seriously dealth with. We would like to discuss three topics in this lesson. First, we will talk about the importance and influence of excretion. Second, the complexity of toilet training care. And third, the types of incontinence and toilet training. Continence care relates to helping an individual achieve and maintain the control of their bladder and bowel functions, through tips on how to keep the bladder healthy, continence assessment, and identifying a suitable course of treatment if necessary.

8. Medication Safety in Older Adults

Older adults experience a high incidence of medication errors. Why are there more issues with older adults when it comes to the use of medications? First, as a patient gets older, there will be some changes in what we called pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamisc, that is, older people’s sensitivity towards medications is no longer the same as it is for younger people. Second, most older people have multiple diseases which require multiple medications for treatment. In this lesson, what we exactly want to share with you is, we ‘re hoping that older adults have the proper ability to these medications. There are five abilities, which are, 1.to be the master of your own body, 2.to clealy state your physical condition, 3.to read te label on the prescription carefully, 4.to find out how and when to take the medication, 5.to make friends with your doctors and pharmacists.