Reference no: EM132227085

Question: Elderly Adult Assessment APA Paper

This paper will be written using APA style and format. There are three components and the length of the paper is to be 5-6 pages, not including the required title and reference pages. This assignment involves interviewing an elderly adult to determine their pain and pain perception, as well as completing a comprehensive home fall assessment.

Part I. You are to interview either an older adult male or female over the age of 65. In order to preserve confidentiality, identify them as "O.M." or "O.F." and include their age and ethnicity. Describe their living situation (i.e., home alone, home with family members, home with assistance, etc.), and describe the type of dwelling they reside in and in what kind of environment (i.e., rural 2 story, urban apartment, etc.).

Part II. Interview the older adult using the specific interview questions provided below. Summarize the results in a narrative format (not a Q&A format), and also address the "student reflection" part of the assignment in the same section, using the appropriate headings.

a. Interview Questions:

• How often do you experience pain?

• What is the origin of this pain, and how long have you experienced this pain?

• Does the pain interfere with your everyday activities? Which ones?

• Did you report your pain to a healthcare professional, such as a nurse or physician? Why or why not?

• If you received treatment for your pain, what kind, and were you satisfied with the treatment?

• Do you believe pain is a normal part of aging?

• What do you do to manage your pain?

• Do you believe healthcare professionals genuinely care about your pain? Why or why not?

• What do you believe should be done differently to help people who experience pain?

• Do you believe older adults get their pain treated adequately? Why or why not?

b. Student Reflection

• Did any of the interview answers surprise you? Why or why not?

• What are some ways you as the nurse can utilize to determine pain in the older adult; including methods for those with dementia or cognitive impairment?

• What are some of the potential barriers related to self-reporting of pain in the older adult?

• What is the prevalence of pain in the older adult?

• How will you, as a nurse be more aware of pain issues related to older adults...what will you incorporate into practice?

• What did you take away from this portion of the assignment?

Part III. Complete a home assessment related to basic standards for the older adult's environment.

Perform a home assessment of the elderly persons' home, using the HSSAT as a guide.

Write a brief narrative related to your findings and a plan of deficiencies and standards based on your findings with possible solutions for an older adult with normal changes (i.e., intrinsic risks such as sight, hearing, etc) in aging.