NCM 114 – GERIATRIC NURSING ▪ OSTEOPOROSIS

▪ EMPHYSEMA
COMMON NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS: ▪ FAILURE OF SPECIAL SENSES
❖ Physiological Balance ▪ CHANGE IN MENTAL OUTLOOK
• Health and Wellness: Older adults often SENILE CATARACT
require support to maintain their
physiological balance. This includes • Senile cataract is a clouding of the lens in the
managing chronic conditions, ensuring eye due to aging.
proper nutrition, exercise, and • It commonly develops slowly over time and
managing medications for overall well- can cause blurry vision, faded colors, and
being. increased sensitivity to glare.
❖ Connection • It's a natural part of aging, and while it might
• Social Interaction: Maintaining social not necessarily cause total blindness, it can
connections is crucial for mental and significantly impair vision.
emotional health. Older adults often • Senile cataracts develop as a natural part of
seek companionship, friendships, and aging and gradually impacting vision.
family connections to combat isolation ➢ STAGES OF SENILE CATARACT:
and loneliness. 1. Initial Stage (Incipient):
❖ Gratification ▪ Early formation of cloudy lens.
• Fulfillment and Purpose: Maintaining a ▪ Slight blurriness in vision.
sense of purpose and engagement is ▪ Minimal impact on daily activities.
essential for older adults. This can 2. Intermediate Stage (Immature):
involve hobbies, volunteering, or ▪ More pronounced clouding of the
activities that provide a sense of lens.
achievement and fulfillment. ▪ Noticeable visual impairment.
▪ Increased blurriness, reduced
COMMON PROBLEMS FACED BY OLDER ADULTS: contrast sensitivity, and sensitivity
❖ Health problems of the aged to glare.
❖ Physical problem ▪ Difficulty seeing in dim light.
❖ Psychological problems 3. Advanced Stage (Mature):
❖ Social problem ▪ Severe visual impairment.
❖ Economical ▪ Significant challenge in performing
❖ Spiritual daily activities.
▪ Lens may become more opaque
RISK OFDISEASES IN ELDERLY and yellowish.
❖ Prone for infections 4. Complicated Stage(Hyper mature):
❖ Prone for injuries ▪ Potential complications or
❖ Prone for psychological problems conditions like phacomorphic
❖ Prone for degenerative disorders glaucoma or inflammation in the
❖ Increased risk for disease eye's structure if left untreated.
❖ Increased risk of disability
GLAUCOMA
❖ Increased risk of death
• Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that
THREE CLASSIFICATION OF HEALTH PROBLEMS OF
can damage the optic nerve due to
THE AGED
increased pressure within the eye. It can
❖ PROBLEMS DUE TO THE AGEING PROCESS lead to gradual vision lossor blindness if
▪ SENILE CATARACT GLAUCOMA left untreated. The two maintypes are
▪ NERVEDEAFNESS open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma.
 • Often symptom less in the early stages. breakdown is disrupted, leading to
Treatments include medications, laser increased bone loss and a higher risk of
therapy, or surgery to manage eye pressure osteoporosis.
and prevent optic nerve damage. • Estrogen helps in calcium absorption,
which is essential for maintaining bone
NERVE DEAFNESS strength.
• Nerve deafness, also known as
sensorineural hearing loss, is a type of EMPHYSEMA
hearing impairment associated with the • Emphysema is a type of chronic
aging process. obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• This condition is characterized by damage that primarily affects the air sacs (alveoli)
to the inner ear or the auditory nerve in the lungs.
pathways leading from the inner ear to • In aging, emphysema is often seen as a
the brain. condition that progresses over time due to
• As people age, the delicate structures cumulative exposure to lung irritants, such
within the inner ear tend to degrade or as cigarette smoke or other environmental
experience wear and tear, which can lead pollutants, along with the natural aging
to sensorineural hearing loss. process.
➢ Management: • Aging can exacerbate the effects of
▪ This type of hearing loss is often emphysema due to the natural weakening
permanent because the damage to the of the lung tissues and reduced elasticity
delicate structures in the inner ear or that comes with age.
nerve pathways is usually irreversible. • Additionally, the body's ability to repair
▪ However, treatments such as hearing damaged lung tissue might diminish,
aids or cochlear implants can help contributing to a progressive decline in
amplify sounds and improve lung function in individuals with
communication for individuals emphysema.
experiencing nerve deafness due to
aging. FAILURE OF SPECIAL SENSES
• Special senses include the senses of taste,
OSTEOPOROSIS smell, vision, hearing, and touch.
• Osteoporosis is a medical condition • While aging itself doesn't universally cause
characterized by a decrease in bone the failure of these senses, it often
density and mass, making the bones weak, contributes to changes in their function
brittle, and more susceptible to fractures. due to natural physiological processes.
• It is a common condition associated with
aging, particularly in postmenopausal
women and older adults, although it can
affect individuals of any gender.
• During menopause, women experience a
significant decline in estrogen levels,
which plays a crucial role in the
development and maintenance of bone
density.
• Estrogen helps regulate the bone CHANGE IN MENTAL OUTLOOK
formation and breakdown. When estrogen • Changes in mental outlook with aging
levels drop during menopause, this encompass a broad range of emotional,
balance between bone formation and cognitive, and social shifts.
 • These changes may include increased activity, weight gain, or pre-existing health
emotional stability, deeper wisdom gained conditions.
from life experiences, adaptations to life
transitions, and potential challenges such DISEASES OF LOCOMOTOR SYSTEM
as cognitive changes or shifts in social • These conditions affect the
relationships. musculoskeletal system, leading to issues
❖ PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH LONG-TERM such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, or
ILLNESS musculoskeletal pain.
▪ DEGENERATIVE DISEASES • These conditions can significantly impact
▪ CANCER mobility and daily activities in aging
▪ ACCIDENTS individuals.
▪ DIABETES
▪ DISEASES OF LOCO-MOTOR SYSTEM RESPIRATORY ILLNESS
▪ RESPIRATORY ILLNESS • Chronic respiratory illnesses, such as
▪ GENITOURINARY SYSTEM chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) or emphysema, are more common
DEGENERTIVE DISEASES
in older adults.
• These diseases involve the progressive • These conditions can cause breathing
deterioration of tissues or organs over difficulties and impact overall respiratory
time. health.
• Examples include Alzheimer's disease,
Parkinson's disease, and osteoarthritis. GENITOURINARY SYSTEM DISEASE
• These conditions tend to worsen over • With aging, individuals are more prone to
time, impacting an individual's physical genitourinary issues like urinary
and/or cognitive abilities. incontinence, urinary tract infections, or
diseases affecting the kidneys or
CANCER
reproductive organs.
• Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of • These conditions can affect daily life and
abnormal cells in the body. overall health.
• In aging, the risk of cancer increases, and
individuals might have a higher ❖ PROBLEMS DUE TO PSYCHOLOGICAL
susceptibility to various types of cancer CHANGES
due to cumulative exposure to risk factors ▪ MENTAL CHANGES AND IMPAIRED
over their lifetime. MEMORY
▪ SEXUAL ADJUSTMENT
ACCIDENTS
▪ EMOTIONAL DISORDERS
• As individuals age, the risk of accidents ▪ SOCIAL MALADJUSTMENT
leading to injuries such as falls becomes
more prevalent. COMMON PYSCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
• These incidents can have severe • Anxiety
consequences due to the increased • Sleep Disorder
fragility of bones and reduced physical
• Altered Behavior
resilience in older individuals.
• Guilt
DIABETES • Suicide tendency
• Older adults are at a higher risk of • Loss of Appetite
developing diabetes or experiencing • Lack of Interest in society
complications associated with diabetes
due to factors like decreased physical
 COMMON SOCIAL PROBLEMS
• Poverty (due to retirement, loss of
income, more expenditure due to ill
health, etc.)
• Isolation (due to death of family
members)
• Maladjustment with younger generation
• Unhealthy lifestyles like smoking,
alcoholism etc.
• Idleness and boredom are other social
problems.
• Abuse, dependency, and insecurity

ABUSE OF THE OLD

• Physical Abuse
• Psychological Abuse
• Financial Abuse
• Sexual Abuse