Responses to Critical Thinking Activities



Chapter 23 Responses to Critical Thinking Activities

0. 1. Identify an older adult living in the community. Identify and explain the biological, sociological, and psychological theories of aging that best describe the older adult?

Theories of aging are foundational to understanding the complexity of aging. Within the biological, sociological, and psychological theories, students should understand the importance of exploring culture and other factors that influence elder health. Students should recognize the importance of examining the family as caregiver. Students should have the ability to distinguish normal changes in aging from disease and to discuss the appropriate health promotion and illness prevention activities for the older adult.

0. 2. Visit a community senior center. What are the available health promotion and prevention activities? What activities are missing? How would they contribute to healthy aging?

Health promotion and prevention activities are an integral part of the health care for older adults. Health promotion should include educating older adults about the prevailing views of aging well or aging successfully. Older adults should be encouraged to participate in illness prevention to improve quality of life throughout the latter years. Illness prevention recommendations for older adults include health screenings and immunizations, education regarding substance abuse, diet and exercise, sexuality, and preventing injuries. Students should recognize that senior centers that offer participants recreational and social activities in conjunction with educational and health care screenings are most valuable to seniors. Centers should also be evaluated for available physical activity. Quality centers will have all aspects of programming supervised by health care professionals.

0. 3. Identify an older adult in your community and visit him or her at home. What safety concerns are present? Is the older adult at risk for falling? Is the older adult at risk for other injuries? How many overall safety concerns did you assess? Based on your assessment, what recommendations would you have to improve safety in the home?

Students should recognize that the majority of older adults would prefer to remain in their homes. Students should also acknowledge that the third leading cause of death for older adults is a result of injury, primarily complications from fractures. Older adults often neglect safety when cooking or heating the home. Older adults may skip steps in food preparation and neglect simple tasks such as changing light bulbs, so that they are left to walk in their home in the dark. Students should have the ability to assess and older adult’s environment for safety such that they can offer appropriate interventions to protect them from illness or injury.

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