OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY – VALENZUELA

College of Nursing

MARTINEZ, MERIAM E.
BSN 3 YA-8
NCMB314
Course Task : Week 2
Study Questions:
1. What age-related changes can you identify in your parents/ grandparents?
When my grandparents were still alive, we noticed many changes in their bodies as they
got older. My grandmother used to always say that her taste and smell weaken and there were
times that she had a chewing or swallowing problem. This perhaps because as we age, the
number of taste buds that we have decreases. This usually begins to occur in our 40s if we're
female or in our 50s if we're male. At the same time, our remaining taste buds also begin to
shrink, or atrophy, and do not function as well. Also, feeding, chewing and swallowing
difficulties can occur in people of any age, but they are more common in older people. These
difficulties can start because of normal aging, medications, dental problems or medical
treatments like surgery.
We also noticed that her lean body mass decrease. Though age-related muscle loss, called
sarcopenia, is a natural part of aging, it is somehow associated with her chewing problem.
People start to lose lean tissue after the age of 40 years old, increasing of body fat might occur
without notice since most of the muscle in the body will be replaced with fat asleep, loss of
appetite that can lead to weight loss, estimated 1/3 of people over 65 years old have lost their
appetite, due to lack of saliva production, poor dentition and wearing dentures.
Her skin becomes wrinkled, as there is loss of subcutaneous fat. As per (Kart & Kinney,
p. 74) “To most people, the condition of the skin, hair, and connective tissue collectively
represents the ultimate indicator of age”. In this way, her formerly black, thick and long hair has
been thinned and replaced by white and grayish hair.

2. Discuss risks and nursing considerations associated with age-related changes.

The older person has spent a lifetime evolving as a person & therefore must be
considered as unique individuals. So when assessing elderly persons, you will find that they
differ greatly from clients of other age group.
Aging and exposure to loud noise may cause wear and tear on the hairs or nerve cells in
the cochlea that send sound signals to the brain. So the very first we need to do is to have good
 OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY – VALENZUELA
College of Nursing

communication with our elderly despite this hearing loss, effective communication techniques
may

help build more satisfying relationships with older patients and become even more skilled at
managing their care. Older people may have trouble following rapid-fire questioning or torrents
of information. By speaking more slowly, you will give them time to process what is being asked
or said. If you tend to speak quickly, especially if your accent is different from what your
patients are used to hearing, try to slow down. This gives them time to take in and better
understand what you are saying.
Next, loss of appetite due to decrease sense of taste and smell could greatly affect the
appetite of our elderly. And so Nurses play an important role in addressing barriers to adequate
nutrition and hydration through encouragement, customized treatment plans, and
supplementation. To combat losses in appetite, just catering to the client's diet preferences can
help. Focus on favorite foods while optimizing nutrition with nutrient dense choices like whole
grains and lean proteins. Make sure foods and drinks are not too hot or too cold.
Moreover, normally, osteoblast activity and osteoclast activity functions are balanced but
become imbalanced with aging due to changes in hormones, this may cause osteoporosis. A
client’s history will include in assessment for the presence of risk factors for osteoporosis, such
as a family history of osteoporosis, ethnicity, increased age, smoking history, and alcohol
consumption. A physical assessment will involve assessing the client’s body for a small frame
and any late changes such as height loss and kyphosis. Nursing care of patients with osteoporosis
includes assessing the patient’s physical functioning and ability to complete self-care. Nursing
management should include encouraging weight-bearing activity, assisting the patient with self-
care as needed, and providing ambulatory aid for patients who have an unsteady gait. In addition,
the nurse is responsible for providing patient education relating to healthy dietary intake rich in
calcium and vitamin D, smoking cessation, limited alcohol intake, and the prescribed
medications since patients’ lack of adherence to the medication regimen is not uncommon.
When caring the elderly, it’s important not to make assumptions about their abilities and
to take time to understand the conditions and circumstances that are unique to each client; they
may or may not suffer from age-related changes.