ATI LPN
Psychiatric Nursing: Contemporary Practice 6th Edition
Chapter 17 : Mental Health Promotion for Older Adults Questions
Question 1 of 5
An older patient tells the nurse that she is becoming more forgetful. The nurse explains to the patient that this is most likely related to which of the following?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Medications, especially those with anticholinergic or sedative effects, are a common cause of forgetfulness in older adults. Anxiety may contribute, but medications are more likely. Organic brain syndrome and plaques suggest more severe conditions like dementia, not initially assumed.
Question 2 of 5
While assessing an older adult, the nurse allows ample time for the patient to respond based on the understanding of which of the following?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Older adults may have slower processing due to decreased cerebral oxygen flow from age-related circulatory changes, necessitating ample response time. Ensuring correct answers, assuming irreversible impairment, or weighing risks are less relevant.
Question 3 of 5
The nurse is planning a presentation to a group of older adults on the topic of suicide in the population. One of the group participants asks who has the highest risk of suicide. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Men over 75 who are divorced or widowed have the highest suicide risk in older adults due to social isolation, loss, and gender-specific tendencies. Depression is a risk factor, but men in this demographic are particularly vulnerable. Women and polypharmacy are less specific.
Question 4 of 5
The nurse is working with a patient whose mobility is impaired secondary to a fall that resulted in a broken hip. In addition, the patient, who has diabetes, is developing problems with vision and hearing. The patient seems increasingly withdrawn and depressed. The nurse determines that the patient is at risk for spiritual distress. Which intervention would be most appropriate?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Exploring the meaning of the patient?s losses addresses spiritual distress by focusing on their personal values and coping, which is patient-centered. Religious interventions (A, B,
C) may not align with the patient?s beliefs and could be inappropriate.
Question 5 of 5
After checking a patient?s blood pressure, he asks the nurse what changes he should expect in himself as he grows older. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Older adults typically experience slower reaction times due to age-related cognitive and neurological changes. Personality and intelligence remain relatively stable, and becoming childlike is not a normal aging process.