The elderly members of society make up a significant segment of the high risk population. This steadily growing population is characterized by challenges in mental, social and physical health care. The group experiences numerous health challenges ranging from weakened immunity, prevalence of chronic health conditions, lack or insufficient insurance coverage, low-income to limited financial opportunities and high costs of treatment among others.
Indifference and increasing intensity of chronic illnesses are the major problem that elderly patients face. These groups of persons are disadvantaged as the health care fraternity because they often present similar and recurrent problems. The nurse may be indifferent to such a patient because they have numerous complains that may seem unrealistic. Additionally the elderly patient is likely to display an extreme of symptoms that may appear exaggerated to the health care professional. It is common to hear comments that suggest that complaints are a cry for attention or an excuse for care. This is often despite the medical evidence from doctors and other diagnostic staff that support the claims of the elderly patients (Bhatt et al., 2017).
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The patients then suffer unnecessarily when their bodies take a beating and the chronic conditions become unmanageable. This becomes even harder for the patient managing a combination of conditions that each affect the body's adversely. An example of a very common combination is the patient suffering from hypertension and diabetes. This patient will suffer from a rapid progression of both conditions, which will lead to the development of additional problems such as cardiovascular disease and even kidney and renal complications. The cost of care then becomes unmanageable as the patient will have to endure prolonged admission in the hospital as well as bulky drug combinations (Gallagher et al., 2015).
Nursing leaders and professionals are often required to provide extra resources when taking care of elderly patients. The resources are provided through the engagement of different specialists and consultants. They examine the patient and diagnose the present condition. The nurse is then required to combine all the different information from the consultants and specialists. This will be used to formulate a treatment plan where every condition is addressed. This includes advising the prescribing physician of the other drug combinations and the possible drug interactions. This will be essential in guaranteeing that the treatment does more good than harm (Whitson & Boyd, 2017).
Furthermore, the elderly person may have comordid conditions that affect patient ability. The nurse may then need to go a step further in the administering of care. This includes taking responsibility for the patients’ activities and lifestyle choices. The activities may include assisting patients with limited mobility to get moving. The nurse may also need to continuously remind the patient of his activities in the case of patients with mental health challenges. Other practices include initiating exercise or physical activity in an obese or overweight patient or making food choices for such patients. Because this demographic requires additional assistance and time per patient, nurse leaders prefer to cater for them privately. They are provided with dedicated nurses who cater for them within the confines of nursing homes for the aged. The emergency room and general hospitals often avoid admitting such patients because of the additional allocation of human and capital resources that is needed to cater to them.
The economic priorities for the elderly include housing, feeding and access to affordable medical insurance and treatment options. Tkatch et al. (2016) explain that a large percentage of aged people are unable to make ends meet during their old age because they no longer have a source of income. Fewer survive on savings while a larger number is forced to live and depend on relatives. This presents a challenge of decision making because the elderly patient is limited in his or her ability to choose. According to Tkatch et al. (2016), the elderly person may find themselves placed in homes for the elderly by their children who support them. Others are placed in the care of a personal home nurse aid that cares for them around the clock. The group who are under the care of financially weak offspring may have to make do with basic health care or coping with over the counter drugs. Issues arising from the treatment of the elderly include escalating costs of treatment and recurring symptoms that are hard to eliminate completely.
According to Rowe et al. (2016), nurses and other medical health care providers in charge of the elderly are often faced with ethical challenges as they perform their duties. The most dominant is a struggle between loyalty and well being. A nurse may become aware of a patient who is being abused or mistreated. Attempts may then be made by the nurse to either report the abuser or to remove the elderly patient from the situation. Rowe et al. (2016) further point out that this is often a futile exercise as elderly people are often personally bound by loyalty to family members and to spouses. The patient may deny the claims when they are required to provide extra details or evidence. The nurse is then in a dilemma of whether to protect the patients’ rights or to advocate for their safety and overall well being. Family members of the elderly are also strained when they need to decide between their comfort and cultural or moral obligations.
Insurers often decline the business of the elderly because it is assumed that they are not business friendly. The frequent hospital visits and length prescriptions are part of the justification behind the high premiums that the few accepted senior citizens are charged. The insurers face a moral and social dilemma to do the right thing while still maintaining the profitability of their business. Similarly, public policy makers are hard pressed to enforce laws that will favor the majority and still cater for the needs of the elderly. All professionals must face the major issue of indifference and treat the elderly with respect and dignity.
Nurses are in the best position to improve the quality of healthcare delivery for elderly people. The nurse has the option of suggesting alternative options that appeal to both the patient and the immediate primary care givers. Partnerships with families involve the family taking up the role of the care givers through public awareness and gradual mentoring. This eases the cost of health care and removes the strain on the family. Nurses can support these initiatives by dropping in when the family members are overwhelmed or they face situations beyond their capacity and knowledge. Nurses can also teach their patients about the conditions they suffer from. This will help the patient to take charge of their health by being responsible and knowledgeable for and about their decisions (Persoon et al., 2016).
Nurses can also advocate for the use of telemedicine and other related technologies. This will help the patient manage their health. An example is an automated app that reminds the patient to take their medication. Some of the apps include the name and dosage of the medication. Finally, the nurse can promote the concept of healthy aging through engaging middle aged persons. This will give long term benefits to the society as the elderly will enjoy better quality of life.
References
Bhatt, A. N., Joseph, M. R., Xavier, I. A., Sagar, P., Remadevi, S., & Paul, S. S. (2017). Health problems and healthcare needs of elderly-community perspective from a rural setting in India. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 4(4), 1213-1218. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20171351.
Gallagher, R., Gallagher, P., Roche, M., Fry, M., Chenoweth, L., & Stein-Parbury, J. (2015). Nursesperspectives of the impact of the older person on nursing resources in the emergency department and their profile: A mixed methods study. International emergency nursing, 23(4), 312-316. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ienj.2015.03.006
Persoon, A., Derksen, E., Gerritsen, D., & Koopmans, R. T. C. M. (2016, September). Increasing participation of nurses in an academic network for long-term elderly care. In JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING (Vol. 72, pp. 95-95). 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY-BLACKWELL.
Rowe, J. W., Fulmer, T., & Fried, L. (2016). Preparing for better health and health care for an aging population. Jama , 316 (16), 1643-1644.
Tkatch, R., Musich, S., MacLeod, S., Alsgaard, K., Hawkins, K., & Yeh, C. S. (2016). Population Health Management for Older Adults: Review of Interventions for Promoting Successful Aging Across the Health Continuum. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 2, 2333721416667877. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721416667877
Whitson, H. E., & Boyd, C. M. (2017). Managing multiple comorbidities. Uptodate. com. Np. Retrieved from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/managing-multiple-comorbidities .
