When assessing an older adult client, the nurse notes that the client

QUESTION

When assessing an older adult client, the nurse notes that the client demonstrates an inability to take purposeful action even when the muscles, senses, and vocabulary appear to be intact.

The client appears to register on a command but acts in a way that suggests little understanding of what transpired verbally. The nurse recognizes these assessment findings as consistent with which of the following conditions?

a. Presbycusis
b. Somatization
c. Apraxia
d. Polypharmacy

ANSWER:

ANS: C
Apraxia, defined as the loss of the ability to take purposeful action even when the muscles, senses, and vocabulary seem intact, is a common feature of dementia. The person appears to register on a command but acts in ways that suggest he or she has little understanding of what transpired verbally. Hearing loss associated with normal aging begins after age 50 years and is due to loss of hair cells (which are not replaced) in the organ of Corti in the inner ear. This change leads initially to a loss in the ability to hear high-frequency sounds (e.g., f, s, th, sh, ch) and is called presbycusis. Although most people weather the necessary losses of life, late life depression is an often untreated problem in older adults. Unlike symptoms of depression in younger people, somatization with vague physical complaints may be its first presenting sign. Polypharmacy is a fact of life for older adults. As people age, many need multiple medications to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Polypharmacy places older adults at risk for side effects and drug interactions because of age-related changes in metabolism. Medications in general have a stronger effect on the older population and take longer to be eliminated from the body.