ELIGRACE FABIAN, RN.

CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR
GERONTOLOGIC NURSING
Population of the
Philippines (2020)

109,581,078
Life Expectancy in the Philippines

FEMALES MALES
75.9 years 67.7 years
(life expectancy at (life expectancy at
birth, females) birth, males)

BOTH SEXES
71.7 years
(life expectancy at birth, both
sexes combined)
 Introduction
•A man life is normally divided into five main
stages namely
1. infancy
2. childhood
3. adolescence
4. adulthood
5. old age.
In each of these stages
• an individual has to find himself in different
situations and face different problems.
The old age is not without problems, in old age
physical strength deteriorates, mental stability
diminishes, and money power become bleak
coupled with negligence from the younger
generation.
 NORMAL AGING PROCESS
• Ageing is not merely the passage of time it is the
manifestation of biological events that occur over
a span of time. It is important to recognize that
people age differently .
1. The ageing body does change. Some system slow
down, while others lose there “fine tuning “As a general
rule, slight, gradual changes are common, and most of
these are not problems to the person who experiences
them .
Sudden and dramatic changes might indicate serious
health problems
 GERIATRICS
• Greek word - “Geras” - meaning old age
• Brach of Medicine that deals with the
diseasesand problems of old age.
 GERONTOLOGY
• From the Greek “Geron” - meaning “old man”
• Is the scientific study of the processof aging
and the problems of aged person.
• It includes biologic, sociologic, psychologic,
and economic aspects.
 GERONTOLOGIC NURSING
• This specialty of Nursing involves assessing
the health and functional status of older
adults, planning and implementing health
care services to meet the identified needs,
and evaluatingthe effectivenessof such care.
 Four aspect of normal aging
1. Biological aspect of ageing
2. Psychological aspects of ageing
3. Socio-cultural aspects of ageing
4. Sexual aspects of ageing
 BIOLOGICAL ASPECT OF AGEING
Individual are unique in there psychological
and physical and ageing processes. As the
individual ages, there is a quantitative loss
of cells and changes in many of enzymatic
activities within cells. Age related a change
occur at different rate in different people
 NERVOUS SYSTEM
1. Decreased the number of brain cells.
2. Decrease in cell of the nerve fibres.
3. Decreased neurotransmitter.
4. Risk of injury due to diminished hearing, vision touch,
5. Decreased pain sensation,
6. Decreased balance,
7. Decreased appetite leading to malnutrition due to diminished
sense of smell and taste.
8. Incontinence of urine and stool due to decreased sphincter
tone.
9. Forgetfulness due to diminished short term memory.
10. Lowered self esteem due to kyphosis
 SENSORY SYSTEM
• Sensory losses with old age affect all sensory
organs and can be devastating to the person
who cannot see to read or watch television
hear conversation well enough to
communicate, or discriminate taste well
enough to enjoy food
 SENSORY LOSSES VERSUS SENSORY
SENSORY DEPRIVATION
• Sensory losses can often be helped by assistive
devices such as glasses and hearing aids.
• In contrast, sensory deprivation is the absence of
stimuli in the environment or the ability to
interpret existing stimuli (perhaps as a result of a
sensory loss). This deprivation can lead to
boredom, confusion, irritability, disorientation,
and anxiety.
• Meaningful sensory stimulation offered to the
older person is often helpful in correcting this
problem
 VISION
• As new cells form on the outside surface of the
lens of the eye, the older central cells
accumulate and become yellow, rigid, dense, and
cloudy, leaving only the outer portion of
• the lens elastic enough to change shape
(accommodate) and focus at near and far
distances.
• As the lens becomes less flexible, the near point
of focus gets farther away. This
condition,“PRESBYOPIA”.
 EYES DISEASE MOST COMMONLY
• Cataracts, Glaucoma, Diabetic retinopathy,
• And age –related macular degeneration in its most
severe forms, is the most common cause of blindness.
• In adults older than 55 years of age in the United
States, and it is estimated to affect more than 10
million Americans.
• RISK factors include sunlight exposure, cigarette
smoking, heredity, and people with fair skin and blue
eyes are much more prone to the diseases. Sunglasses
and hats with visors provide some protection.
• Yearly eye checkups ensure early detection, which
makes surgical much more successful.
CATARACTS
 HEARING
• PRESBYCUSIS, is a loss of the ability to hear
high_x0002_frequency tones attributed to irreversible
inner ear changes, occurs in midlife. Older peoples are
unable to follow conversation B/O tones of high –
frequency consonants (letters like F, S, TH, CH, SH, B T
P) all sound alike.
• Hearing loss may cause the older person to respond
inappropriately. Misunderstand conversation and to
avoid social interaction. This behaviour may be
erroneously interpreted as confusion.
 HEARING
• This behaviour may be erroneously
interpreted as confusion.
• Wax builds up or other correctable problems
may be responsible for major hearing
difficulties. A properly prescribed and fitted
hearing aid may be useful in reducing hearing
deficits.
 TASTE AND SMELL
• There are 4 basic tastes: -sweet, sour salty,
and bitter sweet tastes are particularly dulled
in older people.
• Blunted taste may contribute to the
preference for salty, highly seasoned foods,
but herbs, onions, garlic and lemon should be
encouraged as substitutes for salt to flavour
food.
 INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM
• Decreased elasticity
• Decreased Secretions of natural oil and perspiration
• Thinning of skin
• Decreased heat regulation
• Protection against trauma and solar expose
• The number of pressure and light touch sensors
decrease with age
• Immune vascular and thermoregulatory response of
the skin decreased with age.
• Loss of hair colour and thinning of pubic, axillary
and scalp hair
 CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
• Hypertension
• Isolated systolic hypertension
• Primary hypertension
• Secondary hypertension
• Congestive heart failure
• Coronary artery disease
• Arteriosclerosis,
• Hypertension intermittent claudication(leg pain
caused by walking)
• peripheral vascular disease,
• orthostatic hypotension
 RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
• Decreased gas exchange
• Decreased physical ability
• Increased potential for infection or aspiration
• Decreased elasticity of alveolar sacs
• Skeletal changes of chest
• Slower mucus transport
• Decreased cough strength
• Dysphasia
 MUSCULO SKELETAL SYSTEM
• Decreased physical activity due to decreased
muscle size and tone.
• Decreased mobility due to decreased range of
motion in joints affecting gait, posture, balance
and flexibility
• Increased risk of fall due to joint instability
osteoarthritis, joint pain, reduced ability for
activities of daily living of fracture due to
osteoporosis.
 GENITO URINARY SYSTEM
• Nocturnal
• Polyurea
• Decreased number of nephrons
• Impairing ability to concentrate urine and
Eliminate medications which are excreted
out
by the kidney.
 GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM
• Difficulty in chewing
• Dry mouth
• Difficulty in digesting starches and fatty food
• Decreased appetite
• Malnutrition
• Feeling of fullness heart burn after meals
• Constipation pernicious anaemia
 REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
• Changes in women
• Decreased breast tissue
• Sexual dysfunctions
• Decreased sexual desire
• Vaginal narrowing and decreased elasticity
• Decreased vaginal secretions
 IN MEN
• In male decreased size of penis and testes
• Erectile ability undergoes changes.
• Takes longer time for erection, amount of
semen is reduced and the intensity of
ejaculation is lessened.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF AGING
• Intellectual functioning
• Fluid abilities or abilities involved in solving novel
problems tend to decline from adult period to old age.
• High degree of regularity in intellectual functions
presents on most of the old age people.  Intellectual
abilities of older people do not decline, but do become
absolute.
• There formal educational experience is reflected in
their intelligence performance.
• Learning abili
 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF AGING
• Learning ability
•  The ability to learn is not decline by age
•  The slowing of reaction time with age and over arousal
of central nervous system are noted in old
age. May leads to lower level of performance in tasks which
requires high efficiency.
 Ability to learn continues throughout the life, although
strongly influenced by personal interests and preferences. 
Accuracy of performance diminishes.