Gerontological Nursing in Canada

Older Adults in Canada

• Aging demographics in Canada are changing, with a growing older adult population.
• Older adults are the core demographic for healthcare, but few healthcare professionals are specialized in gerontological nursing.
• 60% of medical-surgical patients and 46% of critical care patients are older adults.
• Nurses need specialized knowledge in the assessment and care of older adults.

Gerontological Nursing

• Significant need for gerontological nursing specialization exists due to changing demographics.
• Older adults constitute a significant part of the healthcare system.
• The CGNA (Canadian Gerontological Nursing Association) has published standards of practice and competencies for gerontological nursing.
• These standards guide practice and research related to older adults.

Theories on Aging

• Biological theories of aging (stochastic and non-stochastic) are used in understanding the aging process.
• Stochastic theories consider errors in biological systems that accumulate over time.
• Non-stochastic theories define aging as a predetermined, pre-programmed process, often at a cellular level

Physiological Aging

• All body systems undergo changes with age.
• Examples include: Integumentary, Musculoskeletal, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Renal/Urological, Endocrine, Gastrointestinal, and Neurological systems.

Communicating with Older Adults

• Common communication barriers for older adults, including sensory impairments and neurological disorders.
• Ageism, prejudice toward older adults.
• Practices for communicating with older adults, such as: clarifying messages, asking open-ended questions, addressing non-verbally.

Sensory Impairments

• Common health concerns that affect communication, including:
  • Sensory impairments (hearing and visual)
  • Neurological disorders
• Patients with sensory impairments are at a greater risk for communication complications and require specialized care and attention.

Hearing Impairment

• Hearing impairment is the number one communication disorder in older adults.
• The types of hearing impairment include:
  • Sensorineural
  • Conductive
• Strategies to manage hearing problems include using hearing aids, assistive devices, and cochlear implants.
• Nurses should evaluate for the presence of impacted ear wax and recommend intervention.

Visual Impairment

• Vision decline is a common occurrence with age.
• Common causes of visual impairment include:
  • Cataracts
  • Macular degeneration
  • Glaucoma
  • Diabetic retinopathy
• In LTC settings, there's often a significant lack of routine eye care.

Neurological Disorders

• Neurological disorders, examples include: -Aphasia -Dysarthria
• can affect reception, perception, and articulation.
• Reception: difficulty receiving messages.
• Perception: problems understanding words/meaning.
• Articulation: challenges expressing oneself.

Reminiscing

• Reminiscing involves recalling past experiences/memories.
• This helps promote connectedness, cognitive stimulation, and combat isolation in older adults who have cognitive impairment.

Practice Activities

• These varied activities require learners to discuss and address issues relating to various aspects of caring for older adults from a critical perspective.
• Activities involve group discussions. This may include reviewing portrayals of older adults in media, defining aging, promoting quality of life in older adults.

Explore the challenges and developments in gerontological nursing in Canada, focusing on the growing older adult population and the need for specialized care. This quiz covers the demographic shifts, competency standards, and theories of aging that impact healthcare for older adults.