The final phase in a human’s life is aging. The latter is a critical period because it requires a lot of care and adjustment. Globally, the population of aged people is steadily growing, and so are their health needs. Besides the physical care, psychological care is paramount for the elderly because with age, their nature changes making them to develop tendencies of irritation.
One of the surprising facts about the psychological care of this population is that their cognitive function severely deteriorates. Cognition encompasses intellectual processes such as reasoning and thinking. While I originally considered this a myth, it is an evidence-based fact that neural stem cells present in certain sections of the brain play key roles in the cognition. It is these cells proliferation over time that reduces the cognition ability. Another fact is that self-perception and self-concept are two concepts that change with age. Older adults with good health are found to perceive themselves more positively as compared to the lonely and unhealthy people (“Psychological Care of the Elderly | GeriatricNursing.org,” 2019).
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Since nurses have a high level of knowledge on aging, they can employ a host of methods to influence attitudes among caregivers and the general public about aging. One of the methods can be educating all about the importance of communication so that they positively change their behavior and attitudes towards the elderly. Such a move would reduce prejudice and discrimination among the elderly. The nurses, as healthcare professionals, can also equip the caregivers and the public with skills to help them manage the tasks and emotional demands of the elderly (Hooyman et al., 2013).An example is in the case of any hospitalization. For positive outcomes after transitioning from hospital to home, the nurses should ensure that caregivers are familiar with the required type and amount of care the elderly need.
Reference
Birren, J. E., Cohen, G. D., Sloane, R. B., Lebowitz, B. D., Deutchman, D. E., Wykle, M. L., & Hooyman, N. R. (2013). Handbook of Mental Health and Aging . Saint Louis: Elsevier Science. Psychological Care of the Elderly | GeriatricNursing.org. (2019). Retrieved 25 December 2019, from https://geriatricnursing.org/psychological-care-of-the-elderly/
