Throughout this course we have learned many things including theories from the humanities and natural behavioral sciences to examine health alterations in the aging adult from a holistic caring framework, how to deliver safe nursing care to the gaining population, ethical moral and legal issues relevant in the care of older adults and more. One of our assignments was to watch a video from an individual’s perspective that has a terminal illness and is going through the dying process. This video and reflection after words was very eye opening to see what many people experience during the end stage of their life.
Throughout this class we learned many changes that occur through the adult life. These changes can be related to sexual changes, physical changes and mental changes. Using these changes that we have learned we can provide a better experience to the elder population. For example, medications have a larger negative effect on the geriatric population. This can be to many difference aspects including decrease in excretion, decrease in absorption, alteration in hormones, decrease elasticity and more. In addition to learning this new knowledge, we learned how to apply this information and how important this knowledge is to conduct a medication reconciliation to help promote safe care to all individuals of the elder population. A medication reconciliation is when a health care provider looks at a list of medications the client is on to determine if the medication has any interactions with other medication or are cause the patient to have adverse reactions.
It was a real eye opener so see how all these physical changes can be so hindering on some individual’s lives while other individuals thrive during this portion of their life. Many people see aging as a negative aspect of life, however through this class it stressed that it is a normal part of life and how nurses can help patients realize this aspect of aging. I was home health aide and took care of many elder patients, in my career, however the class prepared me to take of these patients and help them cope with illness and the natural changes of aging.
