Common Care Considerations for Older Adults

Gaining knowledge of common health, safety, and well-being issues that impact older adult clients helps Personal Support Workers become experts and better advocates for this client population.

Delerium in Older Adults

Fact

  • Delirium is a medical emergency.
  • It is a reversible condition that is frequently unrecognized or misdiagnosed.
  • It is commonly mistaken for dementia, depression, or other neuropsychiatric abnormalities
  • Delirium can occur in 3 out of 4 older adults after illness or surgery
  • Visual and hearing impairments increase the risk of delirium

Click the icons below to discover links to references and tools about Delirium in Older Adults!

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Older Adult Clients

Fact

  • The risk of UTIs increases with age
  • Studies show that 1/3 of all infections in Nursing Homes are UTIs
  • UTIs may present differently in older adults; and might cause changes in behavior such as agitation, withdrawal, confusion, and hallucinations

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Fall Prevention: Awareness of Fall-Safe Home Settings

Fact

1 in 4 People Over the Age of 65 Fall Each Year. Even minor trauma from a fall can require hospitalization. Many older adults never regain the level of functionality and confidence they enjoyed before falling. Preventing falls is the best defense

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Combatting Loneliness Among Older Adults

“We know that social health is just as important as physical health.” – Dr. Samir Sinha

Older adults living at home alone face numerous harms due to being lonely. Knowledge of strategies and community resources to fight loneliness can significantly improve the quality of life of seniors.

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Theories to Support the Psychological Well-Being of Older Adults

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Pressure Ulcers (wounds): Assessment and Care

Fact

Pressure Ulcers can develop very quickly in vulnerable populations. In fact, a full-thickness pressure ulcer can develop in only 1 or 2 hours. In the USA, it is estimated that every year approximately 60,000 patients die as a result of a pressure ulcer. This means there are 6.85 deaths every hour of every day

Review the RNAO workshop for unregulated care providers on assessing and managing pressure ulcers