The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper

Introduction

Geriatric syndromes are diseases primarily observed in elderly patients, caused by multiple factors, and have a high frequency and deterioration of the quality of life. These conditions are falls and cognitive impairment also, including delirium and polypharmacy, and these conditions are challenging because of their relation with the aging process. This paper aims to review three major geriatric syndromes regarding clinical presentation, risk factors, and complications arising from the condition in elderly patients. It also emphasizes elements of patient teaching and monitoring and reduces the contribution of the AGPCP in handling these problems using evidence-based practice. Therefore, given this information about these syndromes, one can analyze the health of older people and enhance their quality of life. The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper

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Falls

Falls are a common problem in geriatric medicine, and for a good reason, they present a very substantial risk to older patients in terms of morbidity and mortality (Ha et al., 2021). Falls occur for various reasons, which include changes in the environment, muscle inaccuracy and fatigue, and neurological disease. Risk management of falls thus can only be done through a system approach encompassing environment assessment, medication evaluation, and physical therapy. To this end, the identified interventions include hurl prevention to eliminate the tripping hazards, modifying the medications affecting balance, and enhancing exercises for enhancing mobility and steadiness (Auerhahn & Kennedy-Malone, 2010)The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper.

Preventing falls requires knowledge sharing and teaching among the patient and the caregiver. The following are mechanical methods of prevention. Health professionals should provide clear guidance on arranging living spaces safely, highlighting the importance of removing loose rugs, ensuring that homes are well-lit, and installing grab bars in critical areas like bathrooms. It should also address how to employ such devices as canes, specifically for support, and walkers that can boost stability. All these interferences must be done based on the living area of every patient as well as the health state they are in; this not only makes the interferences practical but also makes the older adults more involved in preventing falls so that they can have a better life with fewer interferences from anyone The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper.

Cognitive Syndromes and Delirium

Cognitive syndromes mainly affect the elderly because they are acute and closely related to delirium. This syndrome is prevalent in the elderly admitted to hospital and requires early and efficient intervention to avoid catastrophic cognitive outcomes. Due to infectious processes and metabolic or toxic encephalopathies, delirium disrupts normal cerebral functions. The management of delirium would, therefore, need to employ many strategies that will include identification of the cause of the delirium and treating the cause, efforts to reduce the stimulating factors of the patient, and lastly, constant monitoring for signs of complications of the condition (Wilson et al., 2020)The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper.

Therefore, it requires the patients and caregivers to be educated since the lack of this information leads to the contraction of delirium by the patients. It should target those that relate to its early indicators, including sudden confusion, changes in the degree of consciousness, and challenging behaviors. Other systems of early recognition are the principles of prevention; for instance, the patient should always ensure that they drink plenty of water, sleep, and take necessary medication that does not lead to delirium. Suppose these factors are well understood, and the older adult is involved in caregiving. In that case, the chances of delirium leading to the deterioration of the older adult’s cognition can be reduced (Magnuson et al., 2019)The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper. It also includes early risk, Assessment, screening, and management. It, therefore, has relevance in acute care but enhances Geriatric performance.

Polypharmacy

Polypharmacy, a situation whereby patients require several medications at various times, is common and normal since most elderly patients are likely to have more than one disease. Side effects, which may be minor or significant, risk of drug interactions of one of the drugs or interaction of several of the drugs, and the drug-related high risk of being readmitted due to complications. This implies that certain risks need precautions and a systematic approach toward the medication timings of the elders.

The medication reconciliation approach is the best one to deal with polypharmacy. This entails evaluating all the medications a given patient takes, the prescribed drugs, the counter drugs, and herbal products. It is therefore relevant to consider whether the drugs are essential and, if they are, which dose must be administered for each drug and the interaction, if any. This task should be done as often as possible to change medications due to the patient’s changing condition or the introduction of new therapies The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper.

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In the following sections, I will illustrate that education is one of the strategies applied and employed in preventing and handling polypharmacy. This is because the other primary caregivers, which include the patients, should be taught the importance of adopting a current understanding of all the medications that the patient has. This list needs to be updated with every healthcare visit. The purpose of a healthcare provider is to inform the reason for each pill, the implications of the side effects of these drugs, and the continuity of medicines. However, there is also a need for patients to be educated, and patients are encouraged to report any side effects they develop or any change in their medication when attending different service providers.

Furthermore, patients should be enlightened on the option that there are safe and effective nonpharmacological measures that would enable the reduction of drug use. For example, Diabetes can be managed through specific practices in diet and exercise, or Arthritis can be managed through physiotherapy, meaning drug use can sometimes be reduced The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper.

Some support tools can be adopted to increase safety in healthcare systems, including electronic prescribing systems, which alert the clinician to a particular drug interaction. This, coupled with patient education on different aspects of polypharmacy and medication management, makes up the basis of polypharmacy intervention in elderly patients. Therefore, one might suggest that the shortcomings of polypharmacy have been, in part, offset by the understanding that the quality of life of older people is gradually increased throughout therapy.

Integrated Care Approaches

I also support the integrated care business model and patient-centered care. As an AGPCP, I utilize evidence-based practice in managing different conditions related to aging. This approach means targeting clients’ health concerns and taking an interprofessional approach to a much broader scope encompassing older adults The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper.

Comprehensive Assessment

I start with the biopsychosocial Assessment to understand my client comprehensively. It is necessary to finish this Assessment to determine risks specific to every senior, such as a risk of falling, the deterioration of cognitive functions, or taking several medications simultaneously. Only when I understand every possible consequence that goes along with a doctor’s choice shall I be equipped to determine correct responses for treatment that not only cure diseases but also prevent negative repercussions? This may involve encouraging specific types of physical exercises to enhance motor functions, the brain being aroused to some activity to slow down the effects of dementia, or altering certain brands of medication that may react with others The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper.

Educational Programs

Education is another factor influencing the likelihood of older adults receiving quality healthcare services. I operate in the development and dissemination of patient and caregiver education programs. Such programs target disease prevention, any changes that have to be made in the patient’s lifestyle, and correct usage of medications, all of which are designed to enable the patient and their family to acquire knowledge and skills on the same, for instance, as a result of teaching a patient how to use a walker correctly to avoid falling or the correct procedure to follow when using the walker and training the attendants on signs of medication side effects so that they may know what actions to take.

Community Engagement

Utilization of community resources is part of community intervention strategies in my practice. If I recommend the patient to areas like senior exercise classes or community pharmacies that deal with medications for older adults, I extend the circle of care. In addition to the medical and physical needs of older people in society, community relations should also include social relations, which are very important in the social health of older peopleThe Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper.

By such actions, I do not have to wait until the elderly at the concerned AGPCP develop some health issue; I strive to ensure that their lives are improved to make them live long. This proactive, coordinated approach to care utilization is, therefore, individualized, ethical, and evidence-based for each patient and thus can result in healthier, happier retirement years.

Conclusion

Symptoms like falls, confusion, or psychosis, and the use of multiple medications to manage chronic diseases in elderly patients need a more active approach to evaluation and management in addition to pharmacologic management (Hoel et al., 2021)The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper. Bearing this in mind, as an AGPCP, the mandate or the role will be to treat these syndromes and assist the patient and their family in learning what they need to know and how they can cope with the illness. This model, without any doubt, offers a multi-factorial approach to improving the quality of life for the aging population and reducing the effect of these syndromes on patients, caregivers, and the general society.

References

Auerhahn, C., & Kennedy-Malone, L. (2010). Integrating gerontological content into advanced practice nursing education. Springer Publishing Company. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=emD-PER1R0MC&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=Kennedy+Malone++Geriatric+&ots=94jdbcFUJZ&sig=X6bdH1Pmo6qYp-RpRpfogJjuB3I

Ha, V. A. T., Nguyen, T. N., Nguyen, T. X., Nguyen, H. T. T., Nguyen, T. T. H., Nguyen, A. T., … & Vu, H. T. T. (2021). Prevalence and factors associated with falls among older outpatients. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(8), 4041. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/8/4041

Hoel, R. W., Connolly, R. M. G., & Takahashi, P. Y. (2021, January). Polypharmacy management in older patients. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 96, No. 1, pp. 242-256). Elsevier. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025619620306169

Inouye, S. K., Studenski, S., Tinetti, M. E., & Kuchel, G. A. (2007). Geriatric Syndromes: Clinical, Research, and Policy Implications of a Core Geriatric Concept: (See Editorial Comments by Dr. William Hazzard on pp 794–796). Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55(5), 780-791. https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01156.x

Magnuson, A., Sattar, S., Nightingale, G., Saracino, R., Skonecki, E., & Trevino, K. M. (2019). A practical guide to geriatric syndromes in older adults with cancer: a focus on falls, cognition, polypharmacy, and depression. American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book, 39, e96-e109. https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/EDBK_237641

Wilson, J. E., Mart, M. F., Cunningham, C., Shehabi, Y., Girard, T. D., MacLullich, A. M., … & Ely, E. W. (2020). Delirium. Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 6(1), 90. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41572-020-00223-4 The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper

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Review Chapter 5 of the Kennedy Malone Textbook
Review this article: nihms46888.pdf (harvard.edu)Links to an external site.
Review: A Practical Guide to Geriatric Syndromes in Older Adults with Cancer: A Focus on Falls, Cognition, Polypharmacy, and Depression | American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book (ascopubs.org)Links to an external site.
Complete a 1500-word paragraph (about 3 pages, single-space) on geriatric syndromes affecting the older adults.
State three geriatric syndromes affecting the older adult and patient education on these syndromes.
Cite appropriate, peer-reviewed references including your textbook.
Do not cite references from Wikipedia and make sure this paper reflects your thoughts and how you would manage the older adult when you start practicing as an AGPCP. The Geriatric Syndrome Essay Paper