Lesson Plan Form: Age Related Competencies

·​ ​Target Audience: Foodservice staff at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital

·​ ​Audience Characteristics:

·​ ​Educational level: 8th grade and above

·​ ​Concerns: Free time- the staff is very busy and I will need to find an appropriate
time during their workday to present to them without altering their work schedule.

·​ ​Advance arrangements/contacts: Helen Pickering

·​ ​Behavioral Objectives: After this presentation, participants will be able to

·​ ​Visuals: Poster Board

·​ ​Literature and Source (*materials normally used by the facility) facility handout, quiz
given at the facility

·​ ​Pre- and post-test (Use creative approaches; plan method of administering the pre- and
post-test that is appropriate to the audience.)

·​ ​Schedule: How long each item will take? ~5 minutes

·​ ​Attendance / distribution of literature, etc.: sign attendance sheet**

·​ ​Welcome / Introduction, pre-test

Hi everyone, my name is Maya Yoder and I’m a Dietetic Intern from Marywood
University and today I would like to briefly discuss​ age related competencies​ that are
important to your jobs specifically. People are treated very differently based on their age so
it is important that we educate ourselves on how best to converse with each population in
order to give them the best care possible. Even if you do not regularly see patients from
each age group, it is important to know the basics of how to communicate with them and
what to watch out for, on the off-chance that you do encounter them on the job.

·​ ​Body of presentation

Neonatal: 0-1

- Most important thing to understand is that you must establish trust

- They may experience separation anxiety
- Do your best to not make loud noises or sudden movements to startle them
- (you will most likely not need to deal with this population directly but you may encounter
infants throughout the hospital)
Pediatric: 1-12

- Increased comprehension and conversation skills

- It is important to involve them in decisions to build their logical thinking skills and to make
them feel included (typically age 5+)
- Beware of their short attention span and keep questions simple
- Smile (masks pending) to make them feel more comfortable
- Encourage parental presence to alleviate anxiety and make them feel safe (they may not
always want to talk to strangers and that is okay)
- Main health goal is to grow and develop at a steady rate.

Adolescent: 13-18

- Privacy and confidentiality are important with this population

- Independence is also very important to them so allow them to make as many of their
own decisions as they can
- May be defiant or rebellious, so it may be a good idea to check records for any
contraindications to information they give you

Adult: 19-69

- Most likely have a job along with added responsibilities of children or elderly parents to
care for - busy lives even while in the hospital (i.e phone calls, visitors, etc) so they may
not have much time to talk - make conversations count and ask the most relevant
questions in order to get the answers you need
- May not always want to talk and that is okay
- Typically are aiming for optimal health

Geriatric: 70+

- May run into communication difficulties such as hearing or eyesight loss as well as oral
communication despartities (breathing masks, poor dentition, or altered ability to speak
from stroke, etc)
- Important to communicate clearly and loudly (if they have hearing difficulties)
- Ensure the room has proper lighting and that you are standing in front of them while
speaking to them if possible
- Be mindful of patients with altered mental status who are unable to answer questions to
the best of their abilities - they may have a family member who helps them make
decisions that you can talk to instead if the matter is important
- Pay close attention to their diet consistency because this population is the most likely to
be altered due to an age related decline in eating abilities

·​ ​Questions and Answers

·​ ​Conclusion /post-test
 As mentioned previously, each age group has specific considerations that we need to be
mindful of when talking to them in a healthcare setting. It is always important to do everything
we can to make each patient comfortable during their stay and how that is done may vary by
age group. Each member of the healthcare team is essential in a patient’s recovery. Food is
medicine, but it can also be very comforting to patients during their hospital stay, so never
underestimate how important the foodservice team is to a patient's recovery!

Https://www.upstate.edu/hr/document/pop_spec_clin_ss.pdf
Post Test:

1. Which is true about the pediatric (1-12) age group?

a. This population may experience communication difficulties such as
age related hearing or eyesight loss.
b. May have a short attention span, so keep questions simple.
c. This population most likely has a job or other obligations to tend to
after their hospital stay.
d. Menu hostesses should forbid allowing children to make any menu
choices.

2. Which of the following is NOT important for the geriatric (70+) age group?
a. Adequate lighting should always be available.
b. Altered consistency of diets (ie. puree, minced and moist, etc) may
be needed in some elderly patients.
c. It is important to communicate clearly and at the appropriate level
and tone to combat potential hearing difficulties.
d. Family support is not important and does not matter at this age.

3. True or False: The main goal of the adult population (ages 19-69) is
physical growth and development.

4. List one new piece of information that you learned from this presentation.