A nurse suspects that her next-door neighbor, an older woman, is a victim of elder abuse by her ...

Answer to #1

ANS: C
The best action is to make a confidential report with the local adult protective agency. Sus-pected cases should be reported at once to the agency, which will send a trained investigator to determine whether an abusive or imminently dangerous situation exists and will be able to offer safety to the victim and resources to the relatives and family members. In some states with mandatory reporting, failure to report suspicions may result in civil and/or criminal penalties. Also in states with mandatory reporting, the nurse can be held liable for civil and criminal penalties for failure to report suspected cases of abuse. In states without mandatory reporting, it becomes an ethical issue if the nurse is aware of suspected abuse and does not report it. Making a personal investigation will not obtain a safe environment for the neighbor in a timely manner. Asking the neighbor about abuse will not quickly obtain a safe environ-ment or help if needed.

Answer to #2

ANS: C, D, E
Older adults are able to learn new tasks, although teaching modalities frequently must be redesigned to meet the unique needs of the older adult. Understanding written instructions does not necessarily decrease with age. The remaining options reflect correct information regarding the effective teaching of the older adult.

Answer to #3

ANS: A, B, C, E
Restraints are not an effective intervention for wandering. Although they might physically prevent the person from wandering, restraints have many potential negative consequences and patient harm associated with their use. Environmental modifications such as camouflaging doorways and providing enclosed pathways, close observation to identify the person's individual patterns, and engaging the person in social interactions are all interventions that are effective strategies to manage wandering.

Answer to #4

ANS: B, D, E
The correct options accurately describe the conditions. It is the client experiencing dementia who will over the course of the illness learn to confabulate to cover up their memory losses and the delirious client is more likely to show fear through facial expressions.

Answer to #5

ANS: B
Dementia often interferes with the person's communication and the ability to understand and express thoughts and feelings. The focus needs to be on what the person is attempting to communicate through behavior. Behavioral manifestations are not necessarily signs of anger in persons with dementia. Although behavioral manifestations frequently are seen in persons with untreated pain, this is not always true. The issue here is not necessarily the individual who is providing the care but perhaps the care activity itself. It is appropriate for the daughter to provide care for her father.

Answer to #6

ANS: B
The original intent of Social Security was to minimize the dependency of older members of society on younger members. Social security is not a health insurance plan. It was designed to provide monetary support to persons at a certain age or when blind or disabled. It was not intended to meet all financial needs of the individual. Benefits are provided to individuals who worked or are married to someone who worked the number of years required.

Answer to #7

ANS: A, B, D, E
The next generation of older people (baby boomers) has experienced other influences, in-cluding more liberal attitudes toward sexuality, the women's movement, a higher number of divorced adults, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, and increased numbers of gay and lesbian couples, that will affect their views and attitudes as they age. The boomers and beyond, as they find themselves experiencing sexuality beyond the age they had assigned to their elders, may alter current perceptions. Economic struggles have historically had little impact of sexual viewpoints.