week 10 responses

Hell0,Thank you for the useful information provided on the functional status of the elderly; the analysis you offered on activities on daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) I find useful.The aging population in the United States and all around the world are increasing as studies revealed. Age-related disabilities have numerous implications, including increased demand for health care, reduced quality of life, increased cost of care, and higher mortality. Functional impairment is the older adults precede disability and may allow for early interventions to prevent disability and maintain independence longer. Heflin (2020) infers that maintaining independence through the aging process is a crucial concern for older adults as well as health and social services. Healthcare providers must identify the approaches that support the functionality of older adults so that appropriate referrals can be provided to the .Heflin (2020) further inferred that the federal action plans to support older adults to remain active, independent, and involved in their community. The healthy aging action highlights innovative and evidence-based programs from various agencies that address the physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing of the adult population. One of the examples of these initiatives is a provision of transportation to individuals who no longer drive or have access to transportation so they can get to those services/resources they need to keep them active and healthy. The Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration launched the ride to wellness initiative, which aims to increase access to care, improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs (Health Resources & Services Administration, 2019). This same department finances innovative projects to assist the vulnerable access to non-emergency medical transportation.Making physical activity a way of life campaign from the National Institute of Health (NIH) offers exercises plan to motivate adults age 50 and older to engage in physical activities to promote health and wellbeing (National Institute of Health 2017). Studies revealed that those who are physically fit have a lower risk of chronic conditions and comorbidities compared to those who are less active (Chesney & Anderson 2020). Advanced nurse practitioners must educate their patients and the community on the significance of physical activities in health promotion and disease prevention in all age groups and provide information on available resources.ReferencesChesnay, M. D., & Anderson, B. A. (2020). Caring for the vulnerable: perspectives in nursing theory, practice, and research. (4th ed.) Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett LearningHealth Resources & Services Administration (2019). Culture Language and Health Literacy. [Online]. Retrieved from: https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/bureaus/ohe/health-literacy/culture-language-and-health-literacyHeflin, M., T. (2020). Geriatric health maintenance. UpToDate. Retrieved from: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/geriatric-health-maintenance?search=Health%20promotion%20Vulenarble%20elderly&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=1National Institute of Health (2017). Cultural Respect. [Online]. Retrieved from: https://www.nih.gov/institutes-nih/nih-office-director/office-communications-public-liaison/clear-communication/cultural-respect

Response 2 pain assessment tool

Thank you for post on pain assessment and treatment in the elderly. The post was informative and gave me some thought provoking questions. You mentioned in your post over the past decade the opioid pandemic and the misuse and abuse of prescription pain relievers being a major cause of the problem. In terms of patient education it is important to educate our patients about the risk of the addictive properties in these pain reliving medications (Sarlin, 2017). Education is a key change in the mental health and addiction medicine field that could make a positive impact on the outcome of the use and abuse of these types of medications. As the APRN we can educate the patients on properly taking the medication as prescribed, how to ask for adjustments to the medication if they are not relieving pain properly, and identifying addictive behaviors that may be forming and reaching out for help early before the problem becomes severe. Another resource that be very helpful for the nursing assessment of pain in the elderly is the use of the FACES pain scale. You briefly discussed the different ways pain can be assessed. This is a tool that is most often used in the pediatric population ages 3-7 (2020). However, with the elderly population it can be a very helpful too in guiding us of a true pain assessment when patients are not verbally able to tell us how they are feeling due to being confused, not able to verbally communicate, or aren’t feeling up to communication (2020). Another good resource is encouraging patients to keep a pain dairy on a daily basis including logging their daily activities and symptoms to assess what triggers their pain or increases the severity (2020).ReferencesPain Assessment in Cognitively Intact Older Adults. (2020). Retrieved July 08, 2020, from https://geriatricpain.org/assessment/pain-assessment-cognitively-intact-older-adultsSarlin, E., (2017). Substance Use Disorders Are Associated With Major Medical Illnesses and Mortality Risk in a Large Integrated Health Care System. NIDA. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2017/10/substance-use-disorders-are-associated-major-medical-illnesses-mortality-risk-in-large-integrated