NCLEX Questions on Older Adults

Extract:

Question 1 of 5

Pre-hospital admission medications for the older adult client include warfarin and atenolol. Which statement made by the client should prompt the nurse to initiate a referral to a social worker?

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Stopping medication due to cost indicates a financial concern, warranting a social worker referral. Swallowing issues, ginkgo use, and medication setup require different interventions.

Question 2 of 5

Pre-hospital admission medications for the older adult client include warfarin and atenolol. Which statement made by the client should prompt the nurse to initiate a referral to a social worker?

A. I crush my medications and take them with applesauce because they are hard to swallow.' B. I stopped taking my blood pressure pill; I can’t afford it, and my blood pressure is normal.' C. I feel more alert after starting to take ginkgo, but I forgot to ask my doctor if it were okay.' D. I have my daughter set up my medications for two weeks at a time in a medication bar.'

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Stopping medication due to cost indicates a financial concern, warranting a social worker referral. Swallowing issues, ginkgo use, and medication setup require different interventions.

Question 3 of 5

The home health nurse suspects elder mistreatment of the 93-year-old client by the live-in caregiver. Which findings support the nurse’s conclusion? Select all that apply.

A. Client has urine burns B. Client has wrist bruises C. Client states there have been some unexplained financial expenditures D. Client is more talkative than during previous home visits E. Smell of alcohol noted on live-in caregiver’s breath

Correct Answer: A;B;C;E

Rationale: Urine burns (neglect), wrist bruises (physical abuse), unexplained expenditures (financial abuse), and caregiver alcohol use (abuser characteristic) support mistreatment. Increased talkativeness suggests comfort, not abuse.

Question 4 of 5

When the office nurse completes height measurement for the 72-year-old female, the client says that she lost half an inch. Which explanation by the nurse is most accurate?

A. As we age, we lose muscle mass.' B. Bone loss is due to lack of exercise.' C. As we age, we lose knee and hip cartilage.' D. The vertebral column shortens with aging.'

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Aging causes vertebral column shortening due to water and bone density loss, leading to height reduction. Muscle mass, exercise, and cartilage loss don’t primarily affect height.

Question 5 of 5

The 62-year-old client is diagnosed with osteoporosis. Which medication, if taken by the client, should the nurse identify as posing a secondary risk factor for the client’s osteoporosis?

A. Baby aspirin daily for past 4 years B. Escitalopram 5 mg daily for past 7 months C. Multivitamin for many years D. 10-year use of budesonide nostril spray bid

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Long-term corticosteroid use, like budesonide, is a risk factor for osteoporosis. Aspirin, escitalopram, and multivitamins (with calcium/vitamin
D) do not contribute to bone loss.