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Essay / An Overview of Elderly Population Assessments
Table of ContentsElderly AssessmentsSPICESKatzLawtonMMSEConclusionAs life expectancy increases, there is a high demand for health care for older Americans. According to the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), the number of aging Americans is expected to reach more than 98 million by 2060 (Mather, 2016). The growing number of elderly people face challenges of normal aging, putting them at high risk of developing health problems such as chronic and acute diseases, cognitive health problems, mental health problems, physical injuries , malnutrition, sensory impairments, self-care and incontinence (Smith, 2016). ). It is important to continually assess the older population and identify their needs to “improve health, functioning and quality of life” (HealthyPeople2020). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essaySenior AssessmentsOn September 27, 2018, I conducted an assessment interview with two of my peers from Warwick Forest using specialized tools to treat and identify older people. health care needs. Our client was an elderly man who had lived at the facility for almost 3 years.SPICESWe began our interview with the SPICES assessment tool. The acronym SPICES stands for each category that addresses issues related to sleep disorders, eating, incontinence, confusion, falls and skin lesions. The tool can be used to assess healthy and frail older adults requiring nursing interventions (Fulmer and Wallace, 2012). Our client denied any of the categories but evidence of falling. He reported a history of falls and uses a walker. When we reviewed his medical history, we found several histories of falls, but the client seemed to only remember the most recent fall. KatzThe second assessment tool is the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL). The tool assesses functional status to assess the client's ability to perform activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, toileting, moving in and out of bed or chair, full control own urination, defecation and eating. Each activity gives a rating of 1 for independent activities and 0 for activities requiring supervision, direction, personal assistance, or full care (Shelkey & Wallace, 2012). The client was able to complete all activities without assistance and scored a total of 6, which identifies him as independent. Lawton Another tool for assessing functional status is the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale. This particular assessment is helpful in identifying the needs of older adults in managing their finances, managing medications, preparing food, housekeeping, and washing their clothes (Graf, 2013). According to the client, he is able to use landline phones and call his cousin almost daily who helps him with his finances. He knows the number to dial but has difficulty using smart cell phones. He also stated that he was able to perform all instrumental activities without assistance. But because they live in an assisted living facility, the client receives help with housekeeping and transportation and has full assistance with shopping, meal preparation, laundry, and medication management. The customer scored 1 in each category of ability to use the phone,.