Assessing and Planning Care for an Elderly Person

In order to gain an insight into the world of elder adults, it is important to understand how they view themselves and the values they hold. Additionally it is important to assess and determine his/her needs and establish appropriate interventions for this individual.

In a Microsoft Word document of 4-5 pages formatted in APA style, you will discuss your interview of an older adult. This person cannot be a patient in your clinical setting. You can use a friend, family member, or co-worker. The older adult must be age 65 years or older.
There are two parts to this assignment – the psychosocial interview component and the functional assessment.

Interview

Download the patient questionnaire. Use this format to record the person’s responses.

• Include 2–3 questions of your own to get a complete picture of the older adult.
• Summarize your findings.
• Include the questionnaire with responses in the Appendix of your paper.

Assessment

After gaining permission, conduct a physical and mental functional assessment of the older adult you have chosen. Review your readings for the process of a functional assessment.

• Use the tools discussed this week to complete a comprehensive assessment of your patient. Search the Internet for resources on these tools.
  • Tinetti Balance and Gait Evaluation
  • Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living
  • Assessment of Home Safety
  • The Barthel Index
  • Do not include a name on each tool, but do include professional or other designation, and age. Your name should also be identified on the tool.
    • Include these tools in the Appendix.
• Based on your assessment:
  • Compare and contrast the age-related changes of the older person you interviewed and assessed with those identified in this week’s reading assignment.
  • Identify at least 4–6 preliminary issues.
  • Identify three alterations in health that you would propose and describe them.
  • Identify a minimum of three comprehensive interventions for each alteration.
  • Integrate cultural considerations in your interventions.

On a separate references page, cite all sources using APA format. Helpful APA guides and resources are available in the South University Online Library. Below are guides that are located in the library and can be accessed and downloaded via the South University Online Citation Resources: APA Style page. The American Psychological Association website also provides detailed guidance on formatting, citations, and references at APA Style.
• APA Citation Helper
• APA Citations Quick Sheet
• APA-Style Formatting Guidelines for a Written Essay
• Basic Essay Template

Please note that the title and reference pages should not be included in the total page count of your paper.

Submission Details

• Name your document SU_NSG4067_W2_Project_LastName_FirstInitial.doc.
• Submit your document to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.   

Week 2: The Clinical Issue and Research Questions Developed Using PICOT

PICOT is an acronym used to help develop clinical research questions and guide you in your search for evidence:

P = Patient population

I = Intervention or issue of interest

C = Comparison of interventions or comparison of interests

O = Outcome

T = Time frame

For example, you may wish to research the effects of interrupted sleep on cognition of ICU patients 65 or older.

Using this PICOT model,

In _________(P), how does __________ (I) compared to _________ (C) influence _________ (O) over ________ (T)?

In ICU patients who are 65 or older, how does interrupted sleep (awakened one time or more in four hours) as compared to uninterrupted sleep influence the patient’s cognitive ability over 5 days?

Assignment Directions

Begin by selecting a topic in nursing or medicine that is of interest to you. Next, use PICOT to format possible research questions about that topic. Provide 3 possible PICOT research questions.

Include the following:

• Title page
• Provide a brief description of the topic and background information.
• Explain the significance of the topic to nursing practice.
• Provide 3 clearly stated PICOT questions.

Your paper should: 

• Be 2–3 pages (not including the title page and reference page)
• Use current APA format to style your paper and to cite your sources. 

Review the rubric for further information on how your assignment will be graded.