NURS 6540:Common Geriatric Syndromes and Nutritional Concerns

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NURS 6540 Week 7: Common Geriatric Syndromes and Nutritional Concerns essay assignment

NURS 6540: Advanced Practice Care of Frail Elders | Week 7 essay assignment

Approximately 2.5 million households with elders are food insecure. This food insecurity among the geriatric population is not always a result of financial troubles, but can also be attributed to lack of transportation, limited functional abilities, and/or health issues that present barriers (Feeding America, n.d.). Consider Mrs. Stewart, an 82-year-old widow and Parkinson’s patient. Mrs. Stewart is unable to drive or prepare meals for herself because of Parkinson’s disease. Knowing she would not be able to eat properly given her limited functional abilities, she accepted meals from Meals on Wheels (Meals on Wheels Association of America, n.d.). Although Mrs. Stewart sought assistance before her nutritional concerns posed additional health issues, not all food insecure patients are as proactive. As an advanced practice nurse assessing these patients, you must identify issues that could have nutritional consequences and recommend the appropriate interventions.

NURS 6540:Common Geriatric Syndromes and Nutritional Concerns essay assignment

This week, as you study nutritional concerns for geriatric patients, you examine tools used to assess functional abilities. You also explore the impact of functional abilities and medical conditions on the nutritional health of patients. Finally, you consider strategies for improving nutrition issues for this patient population.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week, students will:

• Assess patients using tools for inpatient and long-term patient care
• Assess the impact of functional abilities on nutrition and hydration
• Assess the impact of medical conditions on patient diets
• Analyze strategies for improving nutrition issues
• Apply key terms, concepts, and principles related to nutrition concerns for geriatric patients
• Evaluate diagnoses for patients*
• Evaluate treatment and management plans*

*These Learning Objectives support assignments that are assigned this week, but due in Week 8.

Discussion: Nutrition and Hydration essay assignment

Geriatric patients have many nutritional and hydration concerns that impact their health and ability to acquire sufficient nutrients. Advanced practice nurses evaluating these patients must be able to account for all barriers that prevent elders from obtaining adequate nutrition, including medical conditions, transportation, finances, physiologic changes, and functional abilities. When evaluating patients, it is important to consider how they eat, what their diet consists of, and whether they have any special dietary needs that are not being met. Assessment tools, such as the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Scale, are an integral part of this evaluation process as they help providers identify potential obstacles for patients. In this Discussion, you assess a patient at your current practicum site and consider strategies for improving any nutrition or hydration issues.

To prepare:

• • Review this week’s media presentation, as well as 29 and 30 of the Resnick text.
  • Assess a patient using tools for inpatient and long-term patient care, such as the Lawton IADL Scale.

Note: You should coordinate this opportunity with the Preceptor at your practicum site.

• Consider whether nutrition and/or hydration might be impacted by the patient’s functional abilities. Reflect on whether the patient is able to go out and get food to eat, cook meals, safely use the stove, etc.
• Consider the patient’s diet and whether they have any special dietary needs due to medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, end-stage kidney disease, diabetes, oral health issues, etc. Reflect on whether or not the patient is attempting to compensate for a medical issue and thus creating a deficiency or excess in his or her diet.
• Based on your patient assessment, think about strategies for improving any nutrition issues that might have presented (e.g., nutritional supplements, community resources such as Meals on Wheels, referral to a nutritionist or dietician, etc.).

NURS 6540 Week 7: Common Geriatric Syndromes and Nutritional Concerns essay assignment

By Day 3

Post a description of the patient assessment you performed using a tool for inpatient and long-term patient care, such as the Lawton IADL Scale. Explain whether nutrition and/or hydration might be impacted by the patient’s functional abilities. Then, describe the patient’s diet and whether he or she has any special dietary needs due to medical conditions. Address whether or not the patient is attempting to compensate for a medical issue and thus creating a deficiency or excess in his or her diet. Finally, explain strategies for improving any nutrition issues that might present during the patient assessment.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days in one or more of the following ways:

• Suggest additional strategies for improving nutrition issues for your colleagues’ patients.
• Offer and support an alternative perspective based on your own experience and additional literature search.
• Validate an idea with your own experience and additional literature search.