Health maintenance and preventive care of the older adult

Encourage periodic health appraisal and counseling to prevent illness

ECG to detect subtle heart abnormalities
Chest radiograph to detect tuberculosis or lung cancer
Pulmonary function tests to detect chronic bronchitis and emphysema
Tonometer test to measure IOP as a test for glaucoma
Blood glucose to detect diabetes melli

Promote accident prevention

Educate about safety measures to take to prevent falls
Encourage physical and mental activities to promote mobility and confidence
Encourage regular muscle-strengthening and balance-training exercises
Encourage the use of assistive devices when needed (ca

Protect against infection

Encourage hand washing
Educate older adults to avoid individuals who are ill
Encourage immunization for influenza, pneumonia and Td/Tdap
Recommend zoster, hepatitis A and B, and measles, mumps, rubella and varicella immunizations if risk factors are prese

Other nursing care plans and interventions for the older adult

Avoid temperature extremes, prevent hypothermia
Encourage the older person to stop smoking and discourage excessive alcohol intake.
Educate client about proper foot care
Encourage proper nutrition and weight control
Encourage social interaction and use of

End of life care

Care shifts from invasive interventions aimed at prolonging life to supportive interventions that focus on control of symptoms. Insurance and hospice view end of life as 6 months before death. However a major problem with this definition is the difficulty